Low-Fat Cooking for Healthy Eating

Cooking for a family can be difficult, as you have to satisfy a range of different needs and tastes. How can you reduce the amount of fat in your daily diet? What does it mean to make healthy choices? If you frequently asking yourself above questions, then the recipes in this 101 Healthy Easy Food Recipes website will help to translate all the confusing advice into real food and well-balanced meals.

The art of cooking is by nature a very personal things. What I find intriguing about cooking isn't so much the cooking itself, but the science behind the cooking - the cooking styles that you can actually tweak to cater for individual tastes and needs, the ratio of the ingredients that do the magic to your finished dish, the heat control that ultimately gives the wow factor to the dish. The most important factor besides this "oomph" factor is you are liberal to add a "healthy" touch to your piece of culinary art! Try these easy, low-fat, low-carb and low calories recipes, you can be inundated with low-fat dishes without compromising on taste, and may your low-fat regime last!

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Vegetables Gingko In Belachan Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Vegetables Gingko In Belachan

A twist to our traditional and contemporary ways of preparing kai lan (a.k.a Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale). Instead of having kai lan stir-fried with ginger and garlic, or boiled (or steamed) and served with oyster sauce, a little of local flavor and piquancy thrown in by introducing a bit of Malaysian shrimp paste (belachan) and chilli boh (blended chilli paste). This Malaysian Chinese home-cooked dish is speckled with tiny dices of red chilli peppers (cayenne peppers) and dried shrimps whilst Chinese cabbage (a.ka.a Napa cabbage) serves to mellow it all out. Sweet snow peas (or alternatively sugar snap peas) add some deletable crunch, vibrantly delicious flavor, wonderful texture and packed with a wealth of health-promoting nutrients. To round out the dish with more nutrition, fresh ginkgo nuts which is touted and well recognized for its postive effect on brain functioning, are added in.

Below is the how-to recipe for home-cooked vegetables gingko in belachan. This is a healthy vegan dish which is packed with a great nutritional values.

Ingredients :

1 packet of fresh gingko nuts (鲜白果或銀杏)

100g kai lan (a.k.a. Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale) (芥兰)

50g Chinese cabbage (a.k.a. Napa cabbage), cut into pieces (大白菜,黃芽白或津白)

50g sweet snow peas (or alternatively sugar snap peas) (甜豆)

1 red chilli pepper (a.k.a cayenne pepper) (红辣椒), cut into pieces

Some dried shrimps (虾米), soaked, chopped

A bit of shrimp paste (locally known as belachan) (峇拉煎), about 1cm

1/2 tbsp chilli boh (blended chilli paste but not sambal)

2 pips garlic

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp tapioca flour (薯粉), mix with 1 tsp water

Seasoning :

1 tsp light soy sauce

A pinch of sugar

50ml water

Method :

1. Sweet snow peas better to be trimmed off the ends before cooking. Pinch off the stem and then pull the string down the full length of the pod. Repeat the procedure on the other side. If desired, you may leave the strings intact. Some have a calyx and that should be removed for aesthetic as well as practical reasons. A quick snap of the wrist with or without a paring knife will do the trick.

2. Heat up a pot of hot water, blanch all vegetables for a while. Remove for later use. Drain on a sieve to discard excessive water.

3. Heat up a wok (or skillet) with some oil, add in minced dried shrimps, stir fry until fragrant. Add in belachan, chilli boh and all seasonings, stir fry over low heat until fragrant and boiled.

4. Return vegetables, stir quickly over high heat, keep stirring while pouring tapioca flour mixture. Stir till gravy thickens. Serve with steamed white rice.

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Crispy Juicy Chicken Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Crispy Juicy Chicken香脆西汁鸡

Too often, we extol the virtues of the posh restaurant even as we eventually give the thumbs up to our favourite local hawker's stalls or home-cooked meals, when we have to choose. Admittedly, it's less painful on our wallet as sometimes we can whip them right out of our own kitchen without breaking a sweat and savor a simpler but equally exquisite western fare. Dunk this succulent chicken cubes which is wrapped in crispy skin in the savory sauce before shovelling into your mouth, each bite is simply palatable.

This is the how-to home-cooked recipe for you to recreate this easy-to-prepare crispy chicken morsels at your own abode.

Ingredients :
1/2 chicken, deboned and cut into few large chunks
some tapioca flour

Marinade :
1 egg
Dash of sugar
Dash of salt
Some rice wine (白米酒)

Seasoning :
1/2 tbsp sour plum sauce (酸梅酱)
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
Some sesame oil
1 tbsp Lea & Perrins sauce (李派林酱油)
1/2 tbsp chilli sauce
1/2 tbsp tomato sauce
3 tbsp water

Method :

1. Remove bone from chicken. Mix with marinade and marinate for 15 minutes.

2. To prepare gravy, heat up a wok (or skillet), add in all seasoning, cook till boiled, when the gravy reduced, dish up onto a plate for later use.

3. Heat up wok with oil again, coat chicken with corn flour and deep fry till crispy. Cut chicken into pieces and arrange on prepared gravy.

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How to Make Ikan Assam Pedas (Spicy and Sour Tamarind-Flavored Fish) | Easy Asian Cooking

Yesterday I made this Nyonya dish as a weekday night dinner. Once I sank my teeth into this bowl of ikan assam pedas, I was mesmerised and overwhelmed. Yeah, for those who adore Penang asam laksa (sour fish-based soup with noodles), you will definitely head over heels in love with this. Tastewise, both bears a strong resemblance, which flavor is predominantly perked up by ginger flower and polygonum. My hubby is not much of tamarind-soured soup addict, so he can't vouch for its taste. Well, it's up to you if you are going to believe my verdict or not.

Ikan assam pedas (literally translated as spicy and sour tamarind-flavored fish) is one of the epitome of Malaysian fare. While the saltwater fish (Chubb mackerel, Spanish mackerel, Threadfin or Stingray are commonly used) is the centerpiece of this dish, others secret ingredient are polygonum (daun kesum 加沙叶), ginger flower (bunga kantan 加沙花), lemongrass (香茅), red chillies, shallots and fresh turmeric (黄姜). To make the soup more tangy and savory, shrimp paste (belachan) and tamarind skins (assam gelugor 阿叁皮) are added.

Now here's the how-to recipe for ikan assam pedas (spicy and sour tamarind-flavored fish). Suffice it to say, it's such a appetite-whetting dish that leave you asking for more. Enjoy!

Ingredients :

4 Chubb mackerel or Indian Mackerel (ikan kembong)
or Spanish mackerel (ikan tenggiri)
or Threadfin (ikan senangin)
or Stingray (ikan pari)
2 pcs tamarind skins (assam gelugor or assam keping 阿叁皮)
4 stalks polygonum (a.k.a Vietnamese coriander, daun kesum in Malay or known locally as laksa leaves 加沙叶)
1 phaeomaria (a.k.a ginger flower or bunga kantan in Malay 加沙花)
3 rice bowls of water
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar (to taste)

Soup base ingredients, to be blended (or pounded) :
6 shallots
2.5cm fresh turmeric (kunyit 黄姜), skinned
1 stalk lemongrass (serai 香茅), sliced finely
5 fresh red chilli peppers (fresh cayenne peppers) 红辣椒
3cm shrimp paste (belachan) 峇拉煎

Method :

1. Clean fish and discard gills and intestines, set aside.

2. Wash polygonum (daun kesum or laksa leaves), discard stalks, set aside.

3. Cut phaeomaria (ginger flower or bunga kantan) into quarter (lengthwise), set aside.

4. Using a blender or food processor, blend all the soup base ingredients until fine. Alternatively, you can use pestle and mortar to pound them into a fine paste.

5. Now pour in 3 rice bowls of water into a stockpot. Add in all the blended mixture (or pounded paste), tamarind pieces, polygonum and phaeomaria, stir well with a ladle. Bring to boil for a few minutes until the soup is fragrant.

6. Add sugar and salt to taste. Stir well. Then add fish into the soup. When the soup reaches rolling boil again, reduce to low heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot. This hot and sour fish soup goes well with steamed white rice.

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How To Make Tom Yum Soup With Shrimp and Fish | Easy Asian Cooking

Remember tangy Thai Tom Yam (Tom Yum) fish, a clear, spicy and sour soup? Well, the lingering aftertaste was haunting me and my big cravings was kicking in early this morning - I still remember how's the creeping chilli hot awaken my lethargic appetite that day. Whilst it's still early to whip up a dish at the crack of dawn, I just scoured the video from YouTube hoping to find a good Tom Yum soup recipe to satiate my gluttonous mind, at least. And voila! I found this Tom Yum soup video with a nice and rejuvenating background song - "Right Here Waiting" by Bryan Adams (Written by : Richard Marx). Enjoy!

Ingredients :

Chicken stock or chicken powder
1 stalk lemongrass
4 kaffir lime leaves (sold fresh or frozen at Asian food stores)
12 medium or large raw shrimp, trim off shrimp head, rest intact
1 white meat fish (any type, e.g. black pomfret et cetera), cut across into 2 or 3 portions
3 tbsp of tom yam paste (or alternatively 1 tsp chilli paste with soy bean oil (辣椒膏))
2 tbsp fish sauce
5 red or green bird's eye chillies (quantity adjusted to your preference), finely sliced
1 tomato
6 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 lime, squeeze out the juice
Coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped, to be sprinkled on top of the soup
Spring onions (scallions), sliced finely, to be sprinkled on top of the soup
1 red chilli pepper (Cayenne chilli pepper), seeded and sliced (optional)
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)

Method :



Source

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Stir-fried Bean Curd with Minced Meat Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Stir-fried Bean Curd with Minced Meat

A variant of steamed bean curd with minced meat and preserved radish. Instead of steaming the beancurd (tofu) with minced meat and preserved radish toppings, this recipe is calling for beancurd to be deep-fried for delicious crispiness before topped with minced meat and shitake mushroom mixture which is mingled well with seasoning and reduced for a scrumptious sauce.  Texturally different, you'll have a soft, crumbly and squishy bean curd interior and crisp-tender exterior, which is nicely balanced by the richness of the accompanying lumpy sauce and the earthiness of shitake mushroom and minced pork belly. Sprinkling of chopped spring onions add a final green touch to the dish, making the dish a feast for the eye and the palate.

Here's the how-to recipe to help you embark on the realm of bean curd. Here you go! 葱香肉松豆腐食谱

Ingredients :
1 box Chinese-style soft bean curd (soft tofu)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 shitake mushroom, soaked and chopped
100g pork belly, chopped
2 pips garlic, chopped
Some spring onion, sliced

Seasoning :
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
Dash of sugar (to taste)
A pinch of pepper powder
120ml water

Method :

1. Cut bean curd into 2 pieces. Dip into boiling water for a while, pat dry with kitchen paper towels and set aside. Heat up oil in a non-stick skillet, slowly slide in bean curd, keep a watching eyes while deep-frying, turn to the other side to avoid burning. Dish up when the bean curd turn to golden brown. Arrange the deep-fried bean curds onto a serving plate.

2. Remove oil and leave about 2 tbsp oil in the skillet. Saute onion and garlic until fragrant, then add in pork belly and mushroom, stir well and add in seasoning. Stir-fry quickly till gravy is reduced and become thicken. Dish up and pour over the bean curd, then sprinkle with chopped spring onions to garnish.

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Vietnam-style Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken (Har Jiong Gai) Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Vietnam-style Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken ("Har Jiong Gai") 虾酱鸡

Fried chicken goes global. From Korean-style garlic fried chicken, Japan-style toriniku tatsuta-age, Indonesian-style ayam penyet, Thai-style fried chicken to Vietnam-style "har jiong gai 虾酱鸡" (fried shrimp paste chicken), the crispy skin and moist white meat literally make the world go round.

I used to have belachan (stinky but luscious Malaysian shrimp paste) fried chicken in Super Tanker hawker centre situated in Penang Lip Sin garden and the acquired taste resembled this home-cooked Vietnam-style fried shrimp paste chicken, with a very distinctive pungent and briny shrimp paste flavor. The secret of this flavorful fried chicken relies heavily on the shrimp paste marinade, a brownish-grey-colored condiment made from fermented shrimps (scroll down to see shrimp paste photo). You have to let it marinates for minimum 2 hours and long enough to allow the mixture of strong salty taste of the shrimp paste, ginger juice, rose wine and sugar to seep into the chicken, giving it a distinctive aroma and flavor. The flour (tapioca flour and plain flour mixture in the ratio of 1:1) coating adds a light crispy crust to the exterior, providing a delightful crunch while you chomp on it in your mouth. This fried shrimp paste chicken ("har jiong gai") is simply leaving my hubby and daughter went nut for it, it's such a plate-sweeper!

This shrimp paste chicken can commercially be found in many Hong Kong-style restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia. I'm going to lay out Vietnam-style fried shrimp paste chicken ("har jiong gai" or 越南式虾酱炸鸡) recipe here. If the pictures above make you coveting and ravenous with hunger, why not try to lay your hand to make this Vietnam-style fried chicken in your own kitchen? It's an easy home-cooked recipe without require you to break a sweat.

Ingredients :
1/2 chicken, cleaned and chopped into bite-sized pieces
Enough oil for deep-frying
Calamansi limes, sliced tomato or sliced cucumber, for garnish

Chicken Marinade :
5cm length of ginger, grate and squeeze to get 1 1/2 tbsp ginger juice
2 tbsp Chinese rose wine (玫瑰露酒)
1 1/2 tbsp Chinese shrimp paste (Cantonese pronounced as "har jiong", 虾酱)
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp sugar

For Coating :
50g tapioca flour (木薯粉)
50g plain flour

Method :

1. Grate ginger and squeeze to get 1 1/2 tbsp ginger juice. In a large bowl, combine ginger juice with rose wine, shrimp paste, rice flour and sugar. Add chicken and mix well. Cover airtight with cling film wrap and let marinate, refrigerated for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Vietnam-style Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken (Har Jiong Gai) : Ingredients and How-To Steps

2. Heat oil until it shimmers and a light haze forms. Sift both tapioca flour and plain flour together onto a plate, and dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture to coat lightly but thoroughly. Shake off excess flour.

3. Fry chicken a few pieces at a time until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Drain in a metal sieve. Drain briefly on kitchen paper towels and serve immediately, garnished with cucumber, tomato slices and cut limes.

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Spare Ribs In Mayonnaise Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-Cooked Spare Ribs In Mayonnaise

Doused with rich mayonnasie, condensed milk, orange juice and lime juice mixture, these butter pan-fried spare ribs is bursting with buttery flavors. The dish is topped with chopped coriander leaves which is perfectly complements the rich flavors of the spare ribs. For those on a tight purse string but wish to satiate your craving for sumptuous meal, why not recreate a fine-dining experience at home and indulge in this no-frills, stripped down, simple home-cooked fare instead? It may not knock your socks off or promise an extravagant dining experience as exactly what you have in a cozy restaurant, but for me, sometimes enjoying culinary adventures at our own abode and serving our love one is more fulfilling and satisfying, at least, the dish is cooked with heart and soul.

Here's the how-to recipe for spare ribs in mayonnaise (鲜果排骨) to step you through.

Ingredients :
1 spare ribs (400g) (排骨)
1 orange (peeled, diced) (鲜橙,去皮,切粒)
1 small stalk coriander, chopped (芫茜)
1/2 tbsp butter (牛油)

Seasoning :
6 tbsp mayonnaise (美乃滋)
1/2 tbsp condensed milk (甜奶)
1 tbsp orange juice (橙汁)
1/2 tbsp lime juice (酸柑汁)

Marinade :
A pinch of salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 egg
2 tbsp water
2 pips garlic, minced

Method :

1. Clean well spare ribs, chop into pieces and put into a big bowl. Add in marinade and mix well, let them stand in fridge for 3 hours.

2. Heat up wok, add in butter, cook till melts. Pan fry both sides of spare rib over low heat till cooked. Remove for later use.

3. Mix well all seasoning with orange and pour over cooked spare ribs. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve.

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Steamed Ginger Paste Fish Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Steamed Ginger Paste Fish

For those who adore ginger and seafood, here's another gingery treat for you when your big cravings kicks in, besides fried prawn with ginger sauce.  It doesn't matter if your gluttonous mind rules your belly or the other way round, as long as your taste buds being titillated, your spurts of cravings being satiated and you're inundated with intoxicating steamed fish treat at the end of your day! Make sure your fish slabs are uber fresh and steamed until its texture is soft but not mushy, then every spoonful you'll be delighted with meaty sweetness of the fish and pungency of the ginger, making it a blissful meal of the senses.

Here's the how-to recipe for you to steam ginger paste fish at home. Enjoy your home-cooked dish!

Ingredients :

2 thick slices fish fillet (any meaty fish)

Gravy :

80g finely chopped matured ginger

2 tbsp ginger marinade

Seasoning :

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒) (optional)

1 tbsp rose wine (玫瑰露酒) (optional)

Garnish :

1 tbsp chopped spring onion

1 stalk coriander leaves, sectioned

1 tbsp shredded young ginger

1 tbsp shredded carrot

1 tbsp sesame oil

Method :

1. Combined gravy and seasoning ingredients in a small bowl, stir well.

2. Clean fish slices and pat completely dry, then place on a heatproof dish. Spread the combined mixture (in Method 1) over the fish slices. Steam over high heat for 12-15 minutes or until fish is just cooked through.

3. Add sesame oil to the steamed fish and garnish with chopped spring onion, coriander leaves, shredded ginger and carrot before serving. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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Stir-fried Sweet Potato Leaves with Taucheo (Fermented Yellow Soybean Sauce) Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Stir-fried Sweet Potato Leaves with Taucheo

Just like many affectionate parents who tend to shower us with heaps of goods the moments we are about to bid farewell, my mother-in-laws packed some sweet potato leaves to be brought back with us to Penang sometimes ago when we back to Negeri Sembilan. There're aplenty of homegrown sweet potato leaves by a close relative which just been freshly plucked and partially ended up in our car. Without mulling the next morning, sweet potato leaves were dimidiated, half portion was stir-fried with taucheo (fermented yellow soybean sauce or taucu, 豆酱) and sliced red chilli peppers (cayenne pepper), and the other half stored back into the fridge to be cooked with sambal belachan (stinky but luscious Malaysian shrimp paste) later.

This green veggie, with leaves that wilt as easily as spinach while the stems retain a nice crisp-tender bite, are perfectly paired with salty and savory taucheo, with sliced red chilli peppers impart a hint of spiciness. Though the ingredients may seem too simple, it made a quick satisfying meal and a great companion to go with fluffy steamed rice. Whilst oftentimes I like to imagine myself lavishing in exotic or elaborate dishes, sometimes I just like my dish to be plain, easy-to-prepare and homey.

For health-conscious, nutrition facts of sweet potato leaves may interest you. This simple vegetable is packed with nutrition, low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol. It is also a good source of vitamin E, niacin and phosphorus and also very rich in dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Sweet potato leaves, according to Chinese belief, replenish blood and as a diabetes diet. It is also suitable to those who embrace the vegetarian lifestyle as potato leaves is the only vegetable with Iodine, a common substance found in seafood.

Here's the easy recipe for stir-fried sweet potato leaves with taucheo. (番薯叶炒豆酱与红辣椒)

Ingredients :
Some sweet potato leaves (番薯叶), washed, trimmed and drained
2 1/2 tbsp of taucheo (fermented yellow soybean sauce or taucu, 豆酱)
1 red chilli pepper (cayenne pepper, 红辣椒), deseeded and sliced thinly
2 pips of garlic, skin removed and minced
2 tbsp of vegetable oil

Method :

1. Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet, saute the minced garlic until it turns slightly brown.  Add in potato leaves and turn to high flame, do a quick and brisk stir, then add in sliced red chilli pepper (cayenne pepper) and taucheo (fermented yellow soybean sauce). Stir well to mix. Sprinkle some water to keep it moist. Turn off the flame after 2-3 minutes and serve hot with steamed rice. No need season with salt or soy sauce as the taucheo itself is salty enough to flavor the dish.

Home-cooked Stir-fried Sweet Potato Leaves with Taucheo

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Braised Chicken in Fragrant Sauce Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Braised Chicken in Fragrant Sauce

Remained unrivalled in taste, this dish is reminiscent of "Bak Kut Teh", a nourishing herbal soup that Malaysian proclaim as our national fare. The rich broth is flavorsome with mishmash of aromatic herbs and spices essence, dominated by sweet licorice aroma of the star anise and licorice (or liquorice).  This hodgepodge of sweet-woody fragrance of cinnamon stick, pungent-sweet aroma of cloves, aromatic-astringent aroma of cardamons, bitter taste of dried tangerine peel, citrusy-earthy aroma of the galangal, spicy heat of white peppercorns, unique lemony aroma of Szechuan peppercorns are nicely imbued with sweet touch of rock sugar, are all harmonized into a distinctive taste which is perfectly subtle on the tongue, providing a lingering after-taste. The chicken is falling-off-the-bone tender and has been soaking up all the herbal goodness from the broth. Simply nourishing!

Here's the recipe for braised chicken in fragrant sauce for you to replicate the store-bought "Bak Kut Teh" pre-mixes. The recipe is calling for one whole chicken, but if you don't have such a big appetite or only have limited number of guests or family members to serve, then you should consider to prepare the chicken proportionally.

Ingredients :

1 whole chicken, approximately 1.2kg, cleansed

3 eggs, cleansed thoroughly

A dash of sesame oil

Stock ingredients :

5cm cinnamon stick (桂皮)

2 star anise (八角)

8 cloves

3 cardamons, lightly smashed

2 slices licorice / liquorice (甘草)

2g dried tangerine peel (陈皮)

2.5cm knob galangal (南姜), smashed  [Substitute : 2 times amount of fresh young ginger]

2cm knob old ginger, smashed

4 cloves garlic with skin, lightly smashed

1 tsp white peppercorns, smashed

1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns (四川花椒)

25g rock sugar

150ml light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 litres water

Method :

1. Bring half a wok of water to a rolling boil. Hold the chicken by the legs and head and dip into boiling water. Allow the water to seep into the chicken cavity, then the water being pour back into the wok. Repeat this 4 to 5 times to thoroughly clean the cavity. Discard the water.

2. Combine all stock ingredients in a deep stockpot and bring to a boil. Put in the chicken and 3 eggs. When the stock reach a rolling boil, reduce the heat and simmer over a medium heat for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender. Remove the egg halfway through, crack the egg shells and then return the eggs to the stock.

3. Leave the chicken to soak in the stock for another 20-25 minutes, then turn off the flame. Remove the chicken and leave it to cool before chopping into bite-sized pieces. Then halve the eggs. To serve, pour some stock over the chicken and drizzle a dash of sesame oil over.

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Braised Spare Ribs with Chinese Sausage and Yam Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Braised Spare Ribs with Chinese Sausage and Yam

When there're moments of brain drains of what to cook for the next meal, sometimes rehashing what's worked before is a good idea, without breaking a sweat or slipping out of a comfort zone. This spare ribs dish is an alteration of previous poultry dish, clay pot chicken with chinese sausage, with different pairing ingredients to go with Chinese sausage (lup cheong).

There's something just so delectable about biting into sliced lanky Chinese sausage (or lup cheong as it's locally called) which is slowly braised with spare ribs, dried prawn and fried yam in a sweetish (with a hint of salty) sauce, predominantly redolent of Shaoxing wine. Not absolutely for the health-conscious, these waxy sausage render the unique umami flavors that carries hints of sweetness and smokiness to the dish as a whole. Yam pieces, on the other hand, bearing a taste and texture contrasting to Chinese sausage, are braised until they're soft and provide a melt-in-your-mouth sensation. Despite the slight salty, shrimpy flavors imparted by dried prawns, spare ribs retained their earthy flavors and not been overpowered by the sauce mixture after braising.

Here's the how-to recipe for home-cooked braised spare ribs with Chinese sausage and yam (腊肠芋头排骨). Enjoy!

Ingredients :

300g yam, cut into thick slices
1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp dried prawns, soaked
1 pair Chinese sausage, sliced
500g spare ribs
3 cups oil for deep-frying

Seasoning :
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
Dash of sesame oil and pepper
400ml water

Method :

1. Heat up oil in a skillet for deep-frying, deep-fry the sliced yam until golden brown. Dish up and drain on kitchen paper towels.

2. Leave 1 tbsp oil in skillet, saute chopped garlic and dried prawns until fragrant. Add in sausage, spare ribs and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in seasoning and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add in the pre-fried yam and simmer for another 15 minutes. Dish up and serve with steamed rice.

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Fried Prawn with Ginger Sauce Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Fried Prawn with Ginger Sauce (姜茸虾碌)

What a gingery indulgence! For those who adore pungent, spicy, sweet gingery aroma, you'll find this dish intriguing. As counterpoint to plumpy, opulent sweetness of prawns trapped inside the shell, the outer coating which is concocted from juicy ginger puree and biting bird's eye chillies, is hot enough to make you experience more than a tingling tug at your taste sensation!

Here's some trick to perfect this shrimp treat! Oil must be hot enough during deep-frying to ensure prawns are thoroughly cooked to preserve its juiciness and crispiness. Then under deft fire control, coat the fried prawns with ginger puree and bird's eye chillies mixture briskly and dish up in no time, to prevent them from over-cooked.

Here's the how-to recipe for you to cook fried prawn with ginger sauce (姜茸虾碌) at home.

Ingredients :
500g medium sized prawns
5 cups oil for deep-frying
150g young ginger, skin removed, mix with 50ml water and blend into puree
1 tbsp chopped bird's eye chillies
3 tbsp chopped spring onions (scallions)

Seasoning :
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp Shao xing wine

Method :

1. Deep-fry prawns until golden brown. Dish up and drain on kitchen paper towels to discard excess oil.

2. Leave 1 tbsp oil in wok, saute ginger puree and bird's eye chillies until fragrant. Add in seasoning, prawns and stir-fry at high heat until well-mixed. Stir in chopped spring onions (scallions) and stir briskly, dish up and serve with steamed rice.

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Braised Spare Ribs with Bean Curd Stick Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Braised Spare Ribs with Bean Curd Stick

Ever wonder what dried beancurd stick (bunched tofu skin or 腐竹) should be paired with when you found it laying in the kitchen cabinet just begging to be cooked? Well, I did few days ago. For mom, one of her favourite dish she is hounded to make again and again is frying this dried bean curd stick until it is firm and crispy, then stir-fry with assorted vegetables and turned it into vegan treat. For me, I am not going to replicate this contemporary fare and always on the look-out for alternative recipe to turn this bean curd stick into something else. When I chanced upon this recipe from Amy Beh and with all the trimmings come in handy, I made this dish into our lunch yesterday.

Bean curd stick is soaked until it's pliable, then braised together with spare ribs, dried chillies, star anise and cinnamon stick. The sauce mixture after braising is redolent of Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒, or Chinese sweet fermented rice wine), distinctive licorice taste from star anise, pungent taste from cinnamon stick and also tinged with heat and sweetness from dried chillies. Whilst the sauce flavors is seamlessly harmonized, I found the spare ribs' texture a bit hard to the bite, I reckon it's due to insufficient of braising liquid which is enough to cover the spare ribs (I only poured in 250ml of water to mix with sauce mixture) and maybe need to prolong the braising time to one hour. Despite this, the dish did satiate our taste buds.

Here's the how-to recipe for braised spare ribs with dried bean curd stick. 支竹(腐竹)焖排骨食谱

Ingredients :
500g spare ribs, cut into pieces
2 star anise (八角)
4cm cinnamon stick (桂皮)
5 dried chillies, cut into pieces
3 pieces of dried bean curd stick (支竹或腐竹), soaked and cut into pieces (a.k.a tofu skin, bean skim, yuba)
1/2 tbsp oil

Seasoning Mixture :
2 tbsp Shao xing wine (绍兴酒)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
400ml water

Method :

1. Heat up one or two tbsp oil in a skillet, saute star anise and cinnamon stick until fragrant. Then add in dried chillies, spare ribs and stir well.

2. Add in seasoning and simmer at medium heat for 30 minutes. Add in the soften bean curd stick and simmer for 15 minutes or until spare ribs are tender. Dish up and serve hot with steamed rice.

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Stir-fried Chicken and Beancurd with Crispy Ginger Shreds Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Stir-fried Chicken and Beancurd with Crispy Ginger Shreds

With shreds of crispy gingery goodness spread on top of the dish, this reminiscent of postpartum meal I had two years ago. Resting beneath this mound of deep-fried ginger shreds is heap of tender chicken morsels mingled with deep-fried firm beancurd cubes. With crackly-crunchy deep-fried basil leaves and some sliced red chillies interspersed within, the dish is redolent of heady fragrance of basil and the right amount of piquancy in the sauce which is rounded up together with sweet and salty notes. Homey, dainty and absolutely scrumptious!

This easy to prepare dish is also served as a confinement meal. You can adapt it the way you fancy. Just add an extra amount of ginger for its wind-dispelling goodness, then you are good to go. Here's the how-to recipe for you to cook stir-fried chicken and beancurd with crispy ginger shreds at home.

Ingredients :
200g deboned chicken thighs, cubed

2 pieces firm beancurds / tofu (known as taukua in Hokkien dialect), cubed

140g ginger, shredded

2 sprigs basil leaves, stems discarded

2 red chillies, sliced diagonally

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp sesame oil

A pinch of salt

Oil for deep-frying

Chicken Marinade :

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)

1/2 tsp pepper

1 egg white

3 tbsp corn flour, for dusting

Seasoning (Sauce) :

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp fish sauce

3/4 tsp sugar (or to taste)

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)

1 tsp minced bird's eye chillies

100 ml water

Thickening agent :

1 tsp potato flour mixed with 2 tbsp water

Method :

1. Marinate chicken with marinade for 15 minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the beancurd and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a deep skillet and deep-fry beancurd until golden. Dish up and drain on several pieces of absorbent kitchen paper towels. With the remaining oil, deep-fry half portion of ginger shreds until golden crispy. Then put in basil leaves and deep-fry for 10-20 seconds. Remove and drain off the excess oil using a fine steel sieve.

3. Reheat the oil and fry the chicken until lightly golden brown. Drain excess oil using an absorbent kitchen paper towels.

4. Then heat up 2 tbsp of oil and 1/2 tsp of sesame oil in a clean skillet. Add the remaining half of the ginger shreds and saute under low heat. Add in chillies, sauce mixture, pre-fried chicken and beancurd. Bring to a quick boil and then simmer for 1-2 minutes. Thicken with potato flour mixture. Dish up and garnish with pre-fried crispy basil leaves and ginger shreds.

Home-cooked Stir-fried Chicken and Beancurd with Crispy Ginger Shreds

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Fish Head Curry Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Fish Head Curry

I have been wanting to cook fish head curry for awhile but at the other times I was so engrossed with other activities that I put this on hold.  This was until a whirlwind wet market tour last weekend when I caught a glimpse of the commercially available instant fish head curry paste in local groceries stall. It attracted me in no time, awakened my sudden whim to make fish head curry for brunch and bought it back unhesitatingly, even though this dish is not included in my initial weekly meal planning list.

Fish head curry is a classic Penang-style spicy and tamarind-soured fish head stew with eggplant (a.k.a. brinjal or aubergine), tomatoes, okras (lady fingers) and a handful of bird's eye chillies to add an extra spicy kick. The reddish gravy is thick with chillies, hot enough to make us break out in a sweat. Instead of stirring in coconut milk for final touch, I added in tamarind juice which is sour enough to gear up our stomach juices. As I placed a spoonful of steamed rice caressed by curry, I can feel the twitch of my tongue. Utter bliss! I then soothed my throbbing tongue with another spoonful of white rice to go with stir-fried chicken and beancurd. Then another spoonful of fish head curry again. What a vicious cycle!

Here's the simple how-to-cook recipe for fish head curry. With fish head curry instant pack (which costs me merely RM 3.30 per pack), you don't have to take the trouble into pounding your pestle and mortar or grinding with food processor to transform fresh herbs and spices (chillies, spices, onion, garlic and curry leaves) into curry paste. You can come out with a bowl of piping hot fish head curry in a jiffy!

Ingredients :

1 pre-packed instant Indian seafood curry paste (I used A1 brand)
1 big fish head, cut into big chunks
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
7 okras (lady fingers), cut across into half
1 eggplant (a.k.a brinjal or aubergine), cut into wedges
6 bird's eye chillies, retain whole (you can adjust the amount according to your preference)
2 onions, cut into wedges
Tamarind juice or 120ml coconut milk
400ml water

Ingredients for Fish Head Curry

Method :

1. First, steam sliced okras and eggplant separately for roughly 10 minutes until the textures soften.

2. Pour instant Indian seafood curry paste into a clean wok. Add in onions, bird's eye chillies and tomatoes. Stir-fry using medium heat for one minute. Pour in 400ml water and bring to a boil. Then add in steamed okras and eggplant and slightly stir until all are drenched in the curry.

3. Then add in fish head. When the curry is about cooked, pour in some tamarind juice or coconut milk, serve hot with steamed rice.
(Make sure fish head is added last and not over-cooked, else it'll become mushy with fishy odour)

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Stir-fried Ginger Kale (Kai Lan) Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Stir-fried Ginger Kale (Kai Lan)

Sometimes I come across stuff in life that bring great exhilaration and are worth mentioning at least once, this is one of them. Hubby and I used to dine in one of the small Chinese restaurant in Sg. Nibong (I forgot the name of the restaurant) and were really impressed with the way kale (kai lan) was cooked. Instead of usual stir-frying or steaming that most Chinese eateries offer, kale leaves was shredded, deep-fried and topped with a generous sprinkling of crispy silver fish, cuttlefish shreds, scallops shreds and ginger shreds. Lying beneath this mound of deep-fried shredded melange were strips of blanched crispy kale stems smothered in sweetish sauce. This ethereally light dish leaving us with a nice crunchy chomp and pleasant crisp-tender bite, was the ultimate deep-fry green making us almost deliriously happy.

I replicated the dish today referring to Amy Beh recipe. This plate of stir-fried ginger kale really reminisces of the dish we're having at that restaurant. There is nothing more enjoyable and cozy than preparing this frugal meal, recreating our own fine-dining experience and enjoying our meal at the tranquility of our own home.

Here's the how-to recipe for stir-fried ginger kale (kai lan).

Ingredients :

250g kale (kai lan), rinsed 芥兰

2 tbsp ginger, shredded

1 dried scallop, steamed for 10 minutes and shredded finely

5g shredded cuttlefish, rinsed

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp small white bait (silver fish), washed

1 tbsp sesame oil

Enough vegetable oil for deep-frying

Ingredients for Stir-fried Ginger Kale (Kai Lan)

Seasoning :

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1/8 tsp pepper

A splash of Shaoxing wine (optional)

1/2 tsp corn flour

4 tbsp water

Method :

1. Separate kale (kai lan) into leaves and stems. Dab leaves completely dry and cut into fine shreds.

2. Heat enough vegetable oil and add a tsp of sesame oil to a deep skillet. Deep-dry shredded kale leaves until crispy. Dish up and drain off excess oil using a fine steel sieve. With the remaining hot oil, deep-fry ginger shreds, shredded scallops, white bait (silver fish) and cuttlefish shreds until golden and crispy.

3. At the meantime, blanch kale stems in boiling water for 20 seconds. Remove and put on a serving dish. To prepare sauce, heat sesame oil and saute garlic until fragrant. Add seasoning ingredients and bring to a boil. Then pour the sauce over the blanched kale stems.

4. Sprinkle the pre-fried shredded kale on top of stems, followed by cuttlefish shreds, ginger shreds, shredded scallops and white bait silver fish. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

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Braised Duck with Yam Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

I never cook duck dishes due to my abhorrence for duck, even though I know my hubby has been longing for this. A delinquent wife huh? But it doesn't matter as my hubby has earlier espied this recipe from the cookbook, found his way into the kitchen and came out with this dish one fine weekend. As long as there're other staple dishes to fill up my tummy, the presence of this braised duck is negligible for me.

Whilst I detest intense fowl-flavored duck dishes, I do not deter those mild fowl-flavored duck which flavors have been diminished after deep-frying. Due to this, I had waited with bated breath for its appearance, hoping that it was not the former case. Guess what? It turned out to be what I had anticipated. The savory duck is deep-fried for delicious crispiness and therein had assuaged the strong fowl-flavor. Then it was braised together with pre-fried yam until the yam became feathery soft and provided the melt-in-the-mouth sensation whilst the duck is tender yet retain a slight resistance when it is chewed. By consuming more than two pieces, I reckon I have had conquered the duck that made me cringe as a child. Not bad huh? *wink*

Learn how to cook braised duck with yam (芋头鸭) with below recipe.

Ingredients :

1/2 duck (about 1/2 kg), cut into pieces

8 cups oil for deep-frying

300g yam, cut into pieces

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp chopped shallot

Marinade :

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp light soy sauce

Dash of pepper

1 tsp corn flour

Seasoning :

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

Dash of sesame oil and pepper

750ml water

Some shredded spring onions and coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

1. Combined duck with marinade and marinate for at least one hour. When the duck pieces are ready, half-fill a deep skillet with oil, when the oil turns swirling hot, deep-fry the duck until golden brown. Dish up and drain in kitchen paper towels.

2. Then deep-fry yam pieces until lightly brown. Dish up and drain in kitchen paper towels.

3. Heat up 1 tbsp oil, saute chopped garlic and shallots until fragrant. Add in duck, yam, seasoning and bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the duck is tender and gravy is thick.

4. Dish up, sprinkle some chopped spring onions and coriander leaves on top and serve with steamed rice.

Braised Duck with Yam

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Unique Taste Soy Beancurd (Tofu) Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Unique Taste Soy Beancurd (Tofu)

Sometimes I wonder what make me tick and satiate with life, I did not know then. But now apart from my family, I feel intrigued by anything scrumptious on the plate that aroused my taste buds, bringing forth a delirious gastronomic delights.  Today, the enticement of the picturesque recipe in the Amy Beh cookbook made me surrender, then dashed right into the kitchen and came out with this dish.

The recipe did guide me through to transform a plain, bland and squishy soy beancurd (tofu) into something special. Interiorly, tofu retains its natural flavors with a mild garlicky, oniony, gingery and spicy tastes which marry well as a result of an half-hour-steaming. Exteriorly, the criss-cross-cut tofu is coated with a layer of sweet glaze,  a thick viscous yet luscious sauce which obtains its flavors predominantly from rock sugar, rice vinegar and Shaoxing wine, to name a few. A confused melange huh? I thought that's why the dish is labeled as unique taste. Well, I must admit that I aren't big into this sugary syrup, but at least am happy to know that tofu can be prepared in this fashion.

If you have a sweet tooth, you might fancy this recipe. Below how-to recipe will help you to embark on. Enjoy!

Ingredients :
1 big piece soft beancurd (aka soft tofu or silken tofu) 水豆腐, 嫩豆腐或滑豆腐
3 cm knob galangal, lightly smashed
5 cm cinnamon stick
2 star anise
5 cloves
1 whole big bulb of garlic, with skin on
3 stalks spring onions, lightly smashed
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp oil
500ml water

Seasoning :
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
40g rock sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp concentrated chicken stock
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine 绍兴酒 (optional)

Thickening :
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp water

Garnishing :
A sprinkling of chopped spring onions
Some coriander leaves

Method :

1. Heat oil and sesame oil in a wok. Add galangal, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, garlic and spring onions. Fry until fragrant, pour in water and add seasoning. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to mere simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Gently place beancurd in a big steaming bowl. Pour in the cooked sauce and steam the beancurd for 25-30 minutes.

3. After steaming, gently remove the beancurd into a serving platter. Make a criss-cross cut on the beancurd.

4. Bring the sauce mixture to a boil and add thickening. Pour the sauce over the beancurd and serve with a sprinkling of chopped spring onions and coriander leaves.

Unique Taste Soy Beancurd (Tofu)

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Stir-fried Kam Heong Chinese Long Beans Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Stir-fried Kam Heong Chinese Long Beans

Those who regularly patronize seafood eateries must be very familiar with 'kam heong lala (fragrant clams)' or 'kam heong crabs' which always available in the seafood restaurant menu, be it in the form of dine-in or takeaway.  Pronounced as 'kam heong' in Cantonese, the phrase literally translated as fragrant, flavorful or 甘香 in Mandarin.  'Kam heong' sauce is exceedingly versatile, as you can prepare it in bulk, store properly in the fridge and pair them with any seafood, chicken, pork or vegetables whenever you're hard pressed for time, without compromising on the flavors yet not labor-extensive.

The soul ingredient for kam heong dishes lies heavily in curry leaves which elevate the whole dish into another dimension. Basically all you need is to pour in copious amount of curry leaves in order to pep up your strong tastebuds. If you are big into biting chilli-hot, be lavish of bird's eye chillies addition. My tastebuds tolerance towards chilli-hot (heat scale) is comparatively low to that of my hubby, any addition beyond 5 bird's eye chillies is sure to ruffle my features. Thus, I add in my ceiling amount of bird's eye chillies into this dish.

I incorporated vegetables into 'kam heong' sauce today instead of pairing it with usual seafood ingredients.  Chinese long beans (aka yardlong beans, long-podded cowpeas, asparagus beans or snake beans) retain a nice crisp-tender bite despite being lacquered with lumpy 'kam heong' sauce. When bulked up with the briny taste of dried shrimps, a burst of onion and chilli powder flavors, this savory piquant dish is sublime.

When you opt for this stir-fried 'kam heong' Chinese long beans, be sure to attune your five senses to enjoy every taste. So are you ready? Let's get down to cook!

Ingredients :
250g long beans, cut into 5cm lengths
1 onion, quartered
4 tbsp dried shrimps, soaked and ground coarsely
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced shallots
2 sprigs of curry leaves, stem discarded, use leaves only
5 bird's eye chillies, chopped
Sufficient oil for deep-frying

Seasoning  (Sauce mixture) :
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 dark soy sauce
4 tbsp of water

Method  :

1.  In a skillet, deep-fry long beans in hot oil for 20-30 seconds. Dish up and drain on a wire mesh ladle to drain off excess oil.

2. Leave about 2-3 tbsp oil in the skillet and saute chopped dried prawns, minced garlic and shallots until fragrant. Add in curry leaves and bird's eye chillies. Stir to mix well and until aromatic.

3. Return the Chinese long beans to the skillet and pour in the sauce mixture (seasoning). Stir to mix well all the ingredients. Dish out in a serving plate and serve hot with steamed rice.

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