Siew Bao 2 (Baked BBQ Chicken Buns) 烧包

I plan to bake the Siew Bao for my parent when I go back Penang next month, therefore lot of practise is needed. I find the pastry dough in my previous baked was a bit dry, it resulted the Siew Bao didn't close well on the top. This time I went through Carol's steps on how to make a good pastry and strictly followed every steps and tips. The pastry dough is soft and smooth throughout my rolling, even until the final process. I managed to get a better result, the pastry puffed well and there is hollows and crips feeling when you touch it! This make me really happy! 

I used butter instead of oil, managed to make 14 instead of 12 Siew Bao.

Tips to get a good Siew Bao pastry:

1. Don't roll the dough too long or too thin, this will ensure the oil dough and water dough doesn't leak into each others and ensure you get flaky pastry.

2. Don't press the dough too hard while flattening it.

Lovely flaky pastry with juicy chicken filling.

Ingredients for filling:

250g chicken breast, sliced into small cubes
some mix vegetables
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsps sesame oil
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsps cornstarch
2 tbsps oyster sauce
1 tbsps dark soy sauce
3 tbsps cooking oil

Steps:
1. Marinade all the ingredients (except garlic and cooking oil) for an hour.
2. Heat wok, add cooking oil. Stir-fry garlic for 2 mins, add the marinade chicken. Stir-fry the chicken until cook, or about 8 mins. Set aside to cool completely.


Recipe adapted from Jane's Corner
Ingredients for pastry:

water dough:
200g plain flour
50g butter
1 tbsp sugar
90ml water

oil dough:
200g top flour
70g butter

Steps:
1. In a bowl, mix ingredients for water dough (except butter), slowly add in water. Knead into a rough dough, add butter and knead to a smooth dough. Cover and set aside for 30 mins.
2. Mix ingredients for oil dough. Use butter knife to cut the butter and use fingertips to lightly rub the butter with flour until mixture look like fine breadcrumbs. Lightly press together the oil dough. Cover and keep in fridge for 30 mins.
3. Divide water and oil dough into 14 portions respectively.
4. Flatten the water dough, wrap the oil dough in it. Flatten with rolling pin, roll up. Cover and let it rest for 15 mins. Flatten from the long side, roll up. Cover and let it rest for 10 mins. 
5. Use finger to pull up two end of the dough and press into middle. Flatten the dough into circle and stuff filling, egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
6. Bake at 210 C for 30 mins.

Chilli Crabs

I cooked this dish last Friday to celebrate WT finally has a break to stay in Singapore for two weeks! Cooking Chilli Carbs really not an easy task, you need to have live crabs, the frozen one is not advisable. In this post I'll share with you on how I put my crabs into "sleep" before it goes under the chopper. 

Angku Kueh (Red Tortoise Cake/Steamed Glutinous Rice Paste with Mung Bean Filling)

Angku Kueh is a kind of Chinese Nyonya kueh usually serve during religious event or auspicious occasion such as baby's full moon or birthday. Still remember the days when I was young and lived with my grandma in Penang, we often received Angku Kueh from relatives on occasion such as child birth. People give Angku Kueh together with yellow glutinous rice and curry to relatives to inform them of the arrival of newborn. The relatives will know whether the baby is a boy or girl by looking at the shape of the Angku! If there is round Angku in the gift box, it means the baby is a boy. In Hokkien Angkoo or Angku means Red Tortoise. Kueh means Cake and tortoise symbolizes longevity.

The filling for the Angku can be mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes, or sometime mung bean. Recently I saw Lena posted her beautiful Purple Sweet Potato Angku, however, I've run out of purple sweet potato I decided to used beetroot, an ingredeint used in ReeseKitchen's Angkoo. This is my first Angku and I'm very exciting about the result, thanks ReeseKitchen for the recipe! 

I pureed my beetroot. It was bright red, after mixing it with the glutinous rice flour, the mixture turned pink. The Angku was pinkish before steam, when it is hot it was orange, then it turned red when the Angku has cool down.

Beetroot

The colour in different stages.

I'm submitting this to Malaysian Muhibbah Monday Event hosted by Test With Skewer.

Recipe adapted from ReeseKitchen

Ingredients for pastry:

200g beetroot puree (cooked, mashed and blended)

300g Glutinious flour
1 tbsp Rice flour
2 tbsp Sugar
3 tbsp Cooking oil
200ml Water (gradually add in, I used ~80ml)


Ingredients for filling:
250g Split Mung beans
140g Sugar
4 tbsp Cooking oil

Steps for filling:
1. Soaked the Mung beans overnight.
2. Steam the beans for 45-1hr, with pandan leafs on top if desire.
3. While its still hot, add in oil & sugar, blend till fine. (I mashed my mung beans)
4. Make into small balls.

Steps for pastry:
1. Mixed all ingredients by hand.
2. Make into a dough, leave for 20-30 minutes.
3. Grab a portion (as the mould using) then wrapped in the paste(ball)
4. Dust the mould with some rice flour or oil before pressing in the dough.
5. Knock out & place on the cut & oiled banana leafs.
6. Brush a bit of oil on top of the cut banana leafs before placing the dough on top.
7. Use a steamer, steam on medieum heat for 8-10 minutes.
8. When its done, brush oil on top of each kueh to prevent sticking together.