Steamed Double Yam Kueh

This is my virgin attempt at making yam kueh... Been wanting to make one eons ago, but never quite got down to it. This afternoon, I finally made up my mind to make one as I've been craving for fried yam kueh for sometime, but unfortunately, there's nobody to make one for me. :(

Steamed Double Yam Kueh

Ingredients:
600 g yam(steam and mashed)
400 g yam(cubed, then steamed)

Batter Mix:
400 g rice flour
40 g wheat starch [Also called “Tang Mein Fun” (cantonese). It’s the flour that is use to make Har Gow aka Shrimp dumpling that is served in Dim Sum restaurant. The wheat starch helps to moisten the kueh, making it a bit "Q-Q. If not available, can omit.] ~ I used Tapioca Starch as a substitute
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
900ml Boiling hot water

Filling:
150 g dried shrimps (soften with water, diced)
10 chinese preserved mushrooms(soften, sliced thinly)
300g pork belly(blanched in hot water for 1 min, then cut into thin shred)
1/2 tbsp salt
3 tbsp Fish sauce
1.5 tbsp sugar
1 tsp pepper

Method:
1. In a wok, add 2 tbsp of cooking oil, stir fry dried shrimps till fragrant.

2. Add pork shreds to fry till cooked. Add mushrooms and rest of seasonings.

3. Stir fry for 3 mins. Set aside

4. In a pot, add hot water and batter mix flour. Do not turn on Fire yet!! Stir to dissolve. Mixture looks like milk. [You have to stir till there are no lumps. One way to cheat this process is to add tap water to stir first. So if it’s 900ml boiling water, you minus from this. Add 200ml of tap water to stir the flour till its watery, no lumps. Then pour in the rest of the 700ml hot water. The other way was to add more hot water, up to 1.2 litres of hot water in total. If you add more water, you have to cook longer, so that the water will evaporate and the kueh will be firmer.]

5. Add mashed yam and stir to mix

6. Add filling ingredients and cubed yam

7. Stir to mix everything evenly

8. Turn on low heat/fire. And stir continously until batter is dry and sticky

9. Brush a round pan with onion oil and pour yam paste into it.

10. Flatten with a spatula.

To Steam using wok:
1. Make sure wok is already hot and ready for steaming.
2. Place pan of yam kueh to steam over high heat for 30 to 40 mins.
3. Remove to cool and sprinkle with chopped spring onions and fried onions.

To Steam using a Microwave oven:
1. Fill yam paste in a casserole dish.
2. Spray water on top of the paste till its wet.
3. Pour 1 cup of water into the rotating tray.
4. Cover the casserole and Microwave on HIGH(100%) for 10 mins.
5. Continue to MW on MED (70%) for another 5 mins.
6. Remove and garnish with spring onions and fried onions.

To Serve:
1. Wait for it to be completely cooled before slicing.
2. When its hot (just out of steamer), its too soft to be cut.
3. Serve with chilli sauce or sweet sauce or just freshly cut chilli.

Note:
- I made half of the recipe above which is just nice to fit my wok. Yields 1 x aluminium square pan and 1 x aluminium rectangular pan.

(Source: http://www.kitchencapers.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=7276
Contributor: Gina)

Redman Huat Kueh

After seeing all the raves about this Redman Huat Kueh ready-mix on the forums, I also bought 1 box to try out for myself. This version is the brown coloured one and it indeed is very easy peasy. Just add water or coconut milk to the ready-mix and it is ready for steaming. Each of the steamed Huat Kuehs also look very pretty... all smiling!! Taste-wise, its more towards the brown sugar "Wah Ko Kueh" version that they sell at pasar malams.

CNY 2008

This year, attempted a few new recipes. But the Desiccated Coconut Pandan Cookies and Potato Chips and Cheese Cookies didn't turn out good. However, I like the Pineapple Tarts and Almond Cookies. Have a look at my goodies at the end of the day!

This Desiccated Coconut Pandan Cookies smell very nice when just out of the oven. Taste crunchy and good too. But after it cooled, it turned out soft and not so nice afterall.

Pineapple Tarts 2008

This year, I tried out 2 different Pineapple Tarts recipes. Although both taste quite similar, but texture-wise, Gina's version tends to be more crumbly and melt-in-the-mouth, while using less ingredients. Will definitely use her recipe again next year!

Pineapple Tarts 2008

Ingredients for the Tart pastry:
570g Top flour/Cake flour
60g sugar
370g butter
2 eggs(110g)
Pinch of salt

Method for the Tart pastry:
1. Sieve flour, add salt and sugar and mix together

2. Rub butter into flour(use your fingers)

3. Beat egg lightly and add to the flour

4. Knead into a soft, sticky dough and leave it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Ingredients for the jam:
3 pcs fresh, half ripe pineapple
2 pcs of cloves
200g sugar

Method for the Jam:
1. Remove skin and black eyes from pineapple

2. Grate pineapple and squeeze out the juice.

3. Juice can be used for other dishes, but NOT to be use with this.

4. Put pineapple into a large pot and cook.

5. Cook over medium heat for 2 hours.

6. Gradually, add sugar and cloves.

7. Cook for another 30 mins or until it is dry and sticky.

Method to assemble and bake:
1. Roll pastry to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into a special tart cutter.

2. Fill tart with pineapple filling

3. Bake in oven at 200 C for 20 to 30 mins till golden brown.

Important notes:
- Pineapple jam should be sticky and has a bit of liquid..not dry like those sold prepacked by Phoon Huat. Pineapple jam must be completely cooled before using. Best results will be adding some strands of dough on top of the jam. As the butter from the dough will seep on top of the jam and make it more tasty.
- Why use half ripe pineapples? Because it has less juice when its grated. If you use ripe pineapples, when you are cooking the jam, more liquid will come out. and you have to cook longer than 2 hours.
- No need to add egg wash to brush on top of tart before baking.
- Also note that there are 2 methods here: Rubbing in(butter with flour) Using Cake mixer to beat butter, sugar, flour. With Rubbing in method, the tart pastry is soft and crumbly after its baked. Depending on your taste and preference, you can do it either way, it will still work.

My Notes:
- I used the creaming method using a cake mixer.
- I used the ready-made pineapple jam from Phoon Huat (AAA grade). Find that its OK as I'm not game to stand over the stove for 2 hrs just to cook the jam!
- As you can see, I rolled the tarts as enclosed balls as I find it too tedious to make the open-top versions. The dough tends to "melt" quite fast, so got to work fast too.
- Can add 1 tbsp of milk powder into the dough mixture if available.

(Source: http://www.kitchencapers.net/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=6986&highlight=pineapple+tart
Contributor: Gina)

Almond Cookies

Made this Almond Cookies for CNY. Nice, very crumbly and fragrant!


Almond Cookies

Ingredients:
600g Plain Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
225g Sugar
400g Chopped Almonds
1 1/2 bowl (~400ml) Corn Oil

Method:
1. Sieve flour with baking powder and baking soda.

2. Add in almonds and sugar.

3. Add in corn oil (Add bit by bit till dough forms. May not need full amount) and mix well. Dough should form. Add more oil if mixture is too crumbly.

4. Divide into small balls.

5. Apply eggwash and bake at 175 degrees for 20 mins.

Note:
- Can replace almonds with peanuts.

Janelle's 4th Birthday

It's gonna be Janelle's 4th birthday next Sunday. We'll be celebrating her birthday at her Childcare Centre on Friday afternoon. So this morning, I prepared her party packs for her CC friends, 18 packs in all.

I love packing these party packs. Maybe I like mass production stuff? Haha, who needs help buying or packing next time, pls come look for me! Free labour and transport!!

Birthday & X'mas

We went down to Concourse this morning to buy Janelle's birthday party pack stuff. Ate at the famous fried egg fish soup stall opposite. It's still as yummy as ever!

Look at all the X'mas stuff I got tempted into buying... Almost went crazy there, everything looks so nice and cute and christmasy! Wanted to buy X'mas tree too, but was not allowed to by hubby :(