Char Koay Kak 2019 (Fried Radish Cake 炒萝卜糕）

Ingredients:
(a) 300g radish (shredded)
(b) 220g rice flour, 40g tapioca flour, 20g wheat starch, 250g water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar
(c) 500ml water (add during frying stage)

Ingredients for frying the radish cake:
3 tbsp chopped sweet pickled radish (chai poh)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
some spring onions
some chives
some bean sprouts
cooking oil

seasoning (to taste, adjust according to your liking as the sweet pickles radish is a bit salty):
dark soy sauce, kecap manis (sweet dark soy sauce), light soy sauce, pepper, sambal chilli (if using)

Method:
Making radish cake:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine (b) and cold water together.
2. Cook (a) with water till soft (turn translucent). Discard water.
3. Heat pan with 1 tbsp oil, fried the shredded radish for 2 mins. pour it into (c). (500ml water)
4. Continue cooking till boiling. stir in flour mixture and cook over low heat all the time until the mixture turns to a thick paste.
5. Pour the batter into a steaming pan. Steam over boiling water for 30 mins. Cool the radish cake thoroughly before cutting into cubes.

Frying radish cake:
1. Heat oil and fry minced garlic and sweet pickled radish till aromatic.
2. Add bean sprouts, chives. Toss until well combined. 
3. Add in radish and fry with medium heat until the radish cake turn lightly browned and slightly crisp. 
4. Add in seasoning and fry to coat evenly.
5. Push the radish cake to the side of the pan then crack eggs into the pan. Allow the eggs to set slightly before flipping the radish cake over.
6. Finally Garnish with chives and serve hot. 

Chinese Steamed Pumpkin Cake 蒸金瓜糕

This Chinese Steamed Pumpkin Cake or Steamed Savoury Pumpkin Cake was done more than two months ago. A dish which I ate a lot when I was young, my mum loves to cook this Chinese Steamed Pumpkin Cake, the saltiness of dried shrimps, minced pork and dried mushroom in this dish blended in so well with the sweet smooth pumpkin paste. It is a dish I wish I can cook more often!

I was updating a setting in my blog, a chance for me to read what I had written many years ago. I love reading my own posts where I could find traces of my memories, I wish I'm still able to carry on writing my baking journey as much as I can in the way I love. 

Making a 26 cm round tray and a 15 cm round tray.

Muah Chee (Glutinous Rice Snacks with Peanut and Sugar)

Muah Chee the soft and chewy glutinous rice cake coated with peanut and  sugar... it was not my childhood favourite snack. I only get to try out this Asian snack when I was living in Singapore. My hubby loves this snack very much, I can remember we always buy it from a stall in Chinatown whenever we go there. 

I made Muah Chee years back using microwave method, it was very easy. This round I'm using the recipe which need to cook and fold the dough until it is done. When I was trying out this recipe, I discovered it was hard for us to judge when we should stop folding the glutinous rice dough, it took me a while to exercise my fingers! ^^ The ratio for flour and water has to be 1:1. I'm over joy with the end result. If you make too much and can't finish consume it within a day, you can store it in a airtight container on the kitchen top overnight, reheat in the microwave for a 25 seconds will bring it back to the softness just like freshly make.  


You can watch Loft48 video on how she cooked and folded the dough here. 

yield: 6 serving

Ingredients: 
2 cups glutinous rice flour
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
250g ground peanut powder
100g sugar (to your liking)
3 tbsp peanut oil (cooking dough) + 2 tbsp gradually add when folding the dough

Method: 
1. In a container, mix the ground peanut powder, sugar and salt together. Cover and set aside for later.
2. In a bowl, mix the water with glutinous rice flour, mix well.

3. Heat up a non-stick pan at low heat with 3 tbsp of peanut oil, pour in the flour mixture. Using a plastic spatula, gently stir the mixture, keep stirring until the mixture thicken. Use the spatula to pull together the mixture and form a rough dough. 

4. Use a pair of chopstick, each side of your hand handle one and start folding the dough inward, drop a few drops of peanut oil on the dough while you are doing the fold to prevent the dough sticking on the pan. Continue until the dough totally pull away from the side and bottom of the pan, and form smooth dough. 

5. Cut the dough with greased scissors into smaller dough and place it into the peanut mixture container, cut the dough into smaller pieces and coat it with more peanut and sugar. Serve warm. 

Takoyaki (Japanese snack)

First time making Takoyaki, I'm using a recipe given by a friend. The ingredients used are a bit different from the traditional Takoyaki as there are Parmesan cheese and milk in it. 

When I recount how I had tracked and bought the Takoyaki machine, I laugh at myself and I believe the friends who went through that moments with me will still laugh together with me too. That's how the life I had in Qatar, miss you all over here.

Yield: 38 pieces

Ingredients:
1.5 cups cake flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup full-fat milk
1/2 tsp peppers/salt
1 tbsp salad oil or vegetable oil
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp shredded carrot
4 pieces of baby octopus, cut into small

Topping:
Roasted sesame sauce
Bulldog Ouchide Honkaku Okonomi sauce
some Bonito flakes 

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, add cake flour, corn flour, baking powder, egg, milk, peppers/salt, vegetable oil, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Then add shredded carrot.

2. Heat up the Takoyaki machine with some oil coated on each holes. (As my machine not able to adjust the heat, I switch it off when the machine is over heating, or else you should use medium-low heat to cook the Takoyaki balls) 

3. Pour the batter into each of the holes, top with a piece of octopus (if the octopus piece is very small you can put 2 or 3 pieces), use two skewers to flip the excess batter inwards to the hole, in the mean time, turn and flip each balls to 180 degree, you will see it starts to form nice round shape and keep turning until the ball is evenly brown. 

4. Top with some roasted sesame sauce, bulldog Ouchide Honkaku Okonomi sauce and sprinkle with some bonito flakes, serve warm. 

Hakka Yam Abacus Seeds 客家算盘子 2016

Life can be easier if without people who think they are more superior than other. Don't you agree with me? Come back to my kitchen and blogging about my homemade food is always a happy "me" time. 

I bought the yam few weeks back, made the chewy and bouncy yam abacus and frozen it until today. As it is Friday, I keep my dish as simple as I can. Yes, tonight the two boys will be happy to see this on their dinner table! 

I'm using the same recipe.

(yield: 4 plates)

Ingredients for yam abacus seeds:

800g steamed yam, mashed
400g tapioca flour
1 tsp salt
250ml boiling water 
2~3 tbsp corn oil

Ingredients for stir-frying the yam abacus seeds:
4 clove garlic, minced
4 shallot, sliced
4 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked and finely chopped 
250g minced meat 
6 mushroom, soaked and thinly sliced 
6 black fungus, soaked and thinly sliced 

Seasoning:
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
a dash of peppers
pinch of salt (to taste)
1 tbsp sesame oil
Some cooking oil
250ml water

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together and knead till the dough able to form soft smooth dough. Make sure the flour is well incorporated. (If the dough is very wet, add more tapioca flour)

2. Wet the hands with some cooking oil (to prevent the dough stick on hands), divide the dough into small balls. Press your thumb print for the imprint. (if you are not consuming it, you can frozen the dough at this stage)

3. Boil a pot of water with a dash of oil in it.

4. Add the abacus seeds one piece at a time to prevent it from sticking together.

5. Once the abacus seeds is floating, it is cooked. Drain the water and put the abacus seeds into a bowl. Add some oil to prevent it from sticking.

6. Stir-fry the yam abacus seeds: Heat cooking oil and saute shallot and garlic till fragrant. 

7. Add dried shrimps and continue to fry till fragrant.

8. Add minced pork, mushroom, black fungus and fry till everything is thoroughly mixed.

9. Add seasoning and water, bring to boil. 

10. Add the abacus seeds and stir fry till the liquid dried up. Serve hot.

Putu Mayam (aka Idiyappam)

Putu Mayam (Idiyappam) is rice flour noodles goes together with shredded coconut and palm sugar or dark brown sugar. It is an Indian snack, the ingredients used is about the same as Kueh Tutu/ Putu Piring, however, if compare the taste of Putu Mayam with Kueh Tutu, I would say that, they are totally from different dimension, yes both are using rice flour but as Putu Mayam comes in the form of noodles and there is oil in the rice flour dough the taste is more refine. 

For this Idiyappam making, I'm using the Thai brand rice flour. Add water until the wet rice flour dough is able to hold together, it will not stick too much to hands. Turning the Putu Mayam press mold was such an enjoyable experience, in fact it is easy to use. My last Putu Mayam was in Penang, that time my late grandfather still there, he loves Putu Mayam, this is my first Putu Mayam after so many years!

This morning while making Putu Mayam, I was baking another batch of Cranberry Cream Cheese bread too! ^^ 

Char Koay Kak (Fried Radish Cake) 怀旧炒罗卜糕

Penang is famous for its street hawker food. This dish I posted here is one of the famous street food in Penang, it is made of shredded radish, we called it Char Koay Kak (in Hokkian) which means fried radish cake. Penang's version of fried radish cake is similar to the Singapore's version of fried radish cake, the main difference is Penang's Char Koay Kak is at salty side, the dish is dark in colour and the radish cake has to be in cubes. 

Few days ago, I made this dish to bring to the Asian Coffee Morning (ACM) as the theme for the morning was "Childhood Nostalgia". Yes, I have so much sentimental feeling for this dish because it actually captured the happy childhood I had when I was still in primary school. The image of the huge flat base wok, the uncle who fried the radish cake, the rundown three wheels hawker cart, the navy blue uniform, the days when we know nothing about worries, the yellow school bus that always broke down.... were all part of my childhood.

I'm glad that the ladies from different culture background was able to appreciate this Penang Char Koay Kak (Fried Radish Cake). The texture of the radish cake has to be firm but soft, the right texture will allow you to fry the radish cake blissfully and not turn into mess. 

Recipe referred to my previous post , original from Minty's Kitchen

槟城。。。街边小吃的天堂！今天上的这道小吃是槟城炒罗卜糕，卖相是和新加坡的炒罗卜糕很相像但最大的不同是槟城炒罗卜糕是咸和黑的。想当年每一天下了课肚子饿的我最期待的一件事是吃上一包用橡蕉叶报纸包成锥形热腾腾的炒罗卜糕。那时一包炒罗卜糕才RM0.20。

那大平锅，那校门外炒罗卜糕阿叔的背影，那老旧的三轮小贩车，那穿深蓝裙子的日子，那嘻哈无忧的我们，还有那黄色时常抛锚的学生车是那么的让人怀恋。

前几天就带了这道槟城炒罗卜糕赴一个“怀旧情怀”之约，来参加的人都是来自各亚洲的女士，很高兴有不同文化背景的朋友懂得欣赏这道槟城街边小吃。我想怀旧之情是会被感染的！

yield: 8~10 plates
Ingredients for making radish cake:
600g radish (shredded)
440g rice flour
80g tapioca flour
40g wheat starch
500ml water
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar (to taste and add to cover the smell of rice flour)
1000ml water (add during frying stage)

Method:
Making radish cake:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, tapioca flour, wheat starch and 500ml water together, stir well.
2. In a pot cook shredded radish with water till soft (turn translucent). Discard water.
3. Heat pan with 1 tbsp oil, fried the shredded radish for 2 mins. pour 1000ml water into the pan.
4. Continue cook the shredded radish mixture till boiling, stir in flour mixture and cook over low heat all the time until the mixture thicken.
5. Pour the batter into a steaming pan. Steam over boiling water for 30 mins. or the radish cake turned slightly translucent. Cool the radish cake thoroughly before cutting into cubes. I keep mine in a wrap aluminium foil overnight in fridge before cutting it the next day.

Ingredients for frying the radish cake:
6 tbsp chopped sweet pickled radish (chai poh), soak in water for 30 mins. and drain
1 bulb garlic, minced
2~3 eggs (optional)
some Chinese chives
some bean sprouts
3~4 tbsp cooking oil
seasoning (to taste):
1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 
1 tbsp sweet dark soy sauce (kicap manis)
2 tbsp light soy sauce (to taste)
1 tbsp red chili paste (sambal chili)
1 tbsp sugar

Frying radish cake:
1. Heat oil in flat base wok and fry minced garlic and sweet pickled radish till aromatic.
2. Add in radish cubes and fry with medium heat until the radish cake turn lightly browned and slightly crisp. 
3. Add in seasoning, red chili paste and fry to coat evenly.
4. Push the radish cubes to the side of the pan then crack eggs into the pan. Allow the eggs to set slightly before flipping the radish cubes over.
5. Finally add bean sprouts and Chinese chives. Toss until well combined.

Hakka Yam Abacus Seeds 客家算盘子

My first attempt on yam abacus seeds was three years ago, really missed the chewy and bouncy texture! I want to make this for long, eventually the right moments come. Making this dish take lot of time, need to knead the yam dough then divide it into individual small seeds. I enjoyed the whole process, especially when scooping out the abacus seeds from the boiling water, too excited to find out the texture, I gobbled down a few pieces of pipping hot yam abacus seeds! Munching the chewy texture, I grinned widely and felt like dancing! 

Today, read a post by a blogger, she mentioned she was hiding from blogging when her creations get public attention. She afraid people might judge and comment on her thought, that's why she hide. Luckily, now she comes to realize that she shouldn't do that. I was touched by what she mentioned about "Having enough courage to share that piece of your heart and soul with the world." 

When I began my blog, it was not like what it is today. I continue, stop and continue, this repeated many times. Most of the time feel like stop blogging because the people who know me come to know the existence of this blog. This deter me from writing my thought, yes, I afraid people judge me too. Some friends asked me what this blog for? Why you do it? ... Sometimes, really hard to explain why and they simply couldn't accept the simple intention I have on blogging. This blog is all about me growing up in my baking and cooking journey, record down the days I spend in the kitchen, feeling love by my friends and family, sharing that small piece of my heart with you who read my blog. Yes, we need to have enough courage to do that.   

Handmade each of them, I got two big trays

Yam Abacus Seeds after cooking in the boiling water, chewy and bouncy texture! 

(yield: 4 plates)

Ingredients for yam abacus seeds:

800g steamed yam, mashed
400g tapioca flour
1 tsp salt
250ml boiling water 
2~3 tbsp corn oil

Ingredients for stir-frying the yam abacus seeds:
4 clove garlic, minced
4 shallot, sliced
4 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked and finely chopped 
250g minced meat 
6 mushroom, soaked and thinly sliced 
6 black fungus, soaked and thinly sliced 

Seasoning:
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
a dash of peppers
some salt (to taste)
1 tbsp sesame oil
Some cooking oil
250ml water

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together and knead till the dough able to form soft smooth dough. Make sure the flour is well incorporated. (If the dough is very wet, add more tapioca flour)

2. Wet the hands with some cooking oil (to prevent the dough stick on hands), divide the dough into small balls about 5g each. Press your thumb print for the imprint. 

3. Boil a pot of water with a dash of oil in it.

4. Add the abacus seeds one piece at a time to prevent it from sticking together. 

5. Once the abacus seeds is floating, it is cooked. Drain the water and put the abacus seeds into a bowl. Add some oil to prevent it from sticking.

6. Stir-fry the yam abacus seeds: Heat cooking oil and saute shallot and garlic till fragrant. 

7. Add dried shrimps and continue to fry till fragrant.

8. Add minced pork, mushroom, black fungus and fry till everything is thoroughly mixed.

9. Add seasoning and water, bring to boil. 

10. Add the abacus seeds and stir fry till the liquid dried up. Serve hot.

Fried Radish Cake (Char Koay Kak 炒萝卜糕) : MFF

This is another long overdue post, I made this fried radish cake (Penang street food) when I was still in Singapore, haha... it was more than 7~8 months old!! 

I swing into action when I saw Jane's Corner made it purely because I missed this Char Koay Kak or Fried radish cake so much! Still remember there was a three wheels hawker cart selling this Char Koay Kak outside my primary school, that time it was only RM0.20 a pack, in cone shape wrapped with banana leaves and newspaper! The salty pickled radish (chai poh) in it was what I anticipated for :) and I always left the bean sprouts behind. 

I am using the recipe from Jane's Corner (original from Minty's Kitchen), a beautiful recipe which I will want to try many times!

Recipe from Jane's Corner (original from Minty's Kitchen)
Ingredients:
(a) 300g radish (shredded)
(b) 220g rice flour, 40g tapioca flour, 20g wheat starch, 250g water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar
(c) 500ml water

Ingredients for frying the radish cake:
3 tbsp chopped sweet pickled radish (chai poh)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
some spring onions
some bean sprouts
cooking oil

seasoning (to taste):
dark soy sauce, kecap manis (sweet dark soy sauce), light soy sauce, pepper, sambal chilli (if using)

Method:
Making radish cake:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine (b) and cold water together.
2. Cook (a) with water till soft (turn translucent). Discard water.
3. Heat pan with 1 tbsp oil, fried the shredded radish for 2 mins. pour it into (c). (500ml water)
4. Continue cooking till boiling. stir in flour mixture and cook over low heat all the time until the mixture turns to a thick paste.
5. Pour the batter into a steaming pan. Steam over boiling water for 30 mins. Cool the radish cake thoroughly before cutting into cubes.

Frying radish cake:
1. Heat oil and fry minced garlic and sweet pickled radish till aromatic.
2. Add in radish and fry with medium heat until the radish cake turn lightly browned and slightly crisp. 
3. Add in seasoning and fry to coat evenly.
4. Push the radish cake to the side of the pan then crack eggs into the pan. Allow the eggs to set slightly before flipping the radish cake over.
5. Finally add bean sprouts. Toss until well combined. Garnish with spring onion and serve hot. 
    

I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest, Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies

Kimchi Gyoza 泡菜锅贴

These few days I was not able to snap any photos on the food I cooked or baked because ... my (hmm..sorry hubby) Nikon camera is sending for servicing! It wouldn't be back anytime until end of next week, hopefully, keep my fingers cross! 

Then I decided to do the old fashion ways, snapping my food using my auto DMC-TZ10 and hand phone hopefully you don't mind. Well, I can't imaging I was using this DMC-TZ10 before as it is now appears too light for me to hold it still while need to focus and snap :D

Gyoza or dumpling is not consider as a mainly Japanese/Korean dish, there are many ways to make and eat it. Adding Kimchi in the gyoza definitely make this dish more interesting and I say you should try this out as pan-fry make this gyoza stand out and is healthier than deep-fry. 

Saw this Kimchi Gyoza appeared at My Little Space's blog then came out on Li Shuan's house again. I decided to make it because I have my homemade kimchi and all ingredients ready. But I give the filling a twist because I would like to add celery and egg in the filling. Making 44 pieces with 500g of chicken. Dipping the crispy outer, tender and juicy inner Kimchi Gyoza in Chinkiang black vinegars and 老干妈风味鸡油辣椒 （chilli）I can't stop eating the gyoza!  

Oh, yes! you see something here? in the supermarket I found this ready made minced garlic and crushed ginger, it really make my life easier :)

I'm using Li Shuan's recipe (original from My Kitchen) with modification on the filling.

  

Ingredients 
1 pkt guoza wrapper

Filling:

500g minced chicken


300g chopped celery

200g finely chopped kimchi

 (cup measurement)

2 tsp finely chopped/ crushed ginger


1 tsp finely chopped/minced garlic



2 tsp sesame oil


1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1 tbsp oyster sauce


1 tbsp mirin


½ tbsp corn flour


1 egg

Dipping:

3 tbsp of Chinkiang vinegar (can get from any supermarket)

1 tbsp of 老干妈风味鸡油辣椒 (Chinese chilli, which can get from Asian Groceries shop)

some chopped coriander 

Mix all together

Method:

To prepare filling:

1. Bring together all ingredients except kimchi and chopped celery in a medium mixing bowl, mix well and marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Squeeze out all liquid in kimchi and chop finely, add in (1) together with chopped celery and mix well.

Assemble:

Place one tablespoonful of filling in the middle of each wrapper. Wet the edges of the dumpling with water if necessary. Fold the wrapper over the filling into a half moon shape and pinch the edges to seal.

Cook:

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium size non-stick frying pan, arrange gyoza in the pan.

Pour in hot water (water level have to cover up to 1/3 of the gyoza height) and cover the pan immediately. Gyoza will be cooked by hot steam. Listen to the sizzling sound, once the sizzling sound goes off remove the cover. At this stage the water in the pan is dried out. Let it cook further for 1-2 minutes. Flip gyoza over, pan-fry the side until lightly browned.

Serve warm with vinegar!