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!  

Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaves

Lotus leaf glutinous rice / glutinous rice or sticky rice in lotus leaves is one of my "must order" dim sum dish when I go Yum Cha or morning tea. I just happened to see the dried lotus leaves laying around in an Asian Groceries Shop when I go marketing at Box Hill Market. They are selling at AUD$4.50 for around 10 pieces. First time seeing this "real" lotus leaves, very excited! 

I swing into action of making a few big parcels of glutinous rice with lots of filling I love. I'm using my previous recipe (2 May 2012) for filling and glutinous rice with minor modifications. The rice for this glutinous rice is white in colour at Yum Cha in Singapore, so this round I will make my rice not dark in colour too. For those who love the rice to be in darker colour can just add 2 tbsp of dark soy sauce when you are frying the glutinous rice.

Because of some concerns on whether the wrapped glutinous rice is able to cook thoroughly just by steaming without any liquid contains in it, I have chosen to fry the glutinous rice to "half-cooked" condition. Sincerely, stir-fried the glutinous rice for that 20 mins was not an easy task. I think I'll built up arm muscle if I continuous stir-fried the rice until it is thoroughly cooked :D 

To me, I love my glutinous rice to be sticky therefore, the stir-fired process is a must, as I stir-fried the rice, I have to sprinkle some water. For that 20 mins, I think I have sprinkled around 400ml of water. 

Vanilla Milk Chiffon Cake

This is one of my son favourite cake, soft texture of chiffon cake... I call him "old man" as he likes to eat this type of texture :D I actually baked this cake the same day as the Topo Map Butter Cake. My son likes this chiffon and his friend likes the butter cake.

 

I was trying to make a chocolate swirl pattern in the chiffon but obviously the chocolate batter is not enough to make a pretty swirl. Overall still a lovely cake with nice soft and bouncy texture. Have to beep up on my baking skill. A recipe from Carol.

Recipe from Carol
Ingredients for flour mixture:
5 egg yolks
30g fine sugar
60g olive oil
120g top flour/cake flour
1 tsp vanilla essence
6 tbsp milk

Ingredients for meringue:
5 egg whites
60 fine sugar

Method:
1. Add fine sugar and egg yolks in a bowl, whisk until well mix.
2. Add olive oil, sift in flour alternate with milk in two batches. whisk until mixture is smooth.
3. In another mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until bubbles, add in sugar in three batches. Whisk until the meringue is soft peak.
4. Add 1/3 of meringue into egg yolks mixture, mix well. Fold in the rest of the meringue in two batches.
5. Pour the cake batter into baking pan. Knock the baking pan on the worktop a few times to release trap bubbles in the batter.
6. Place the baking pan into oven and bake at 160C for 50 mins.
7. When cake is baked. Take it out from oven immediately and turn it upside down. Cool completely before dislodge the cake from mould.