Great Burdock Soup with Corn and Chinese Herbs | Easy Asian Cooking

Great Burdock Soup with Corn and Chinese Herbs (药材玉蜀黍牛蒡汤)

This soup is a variation of Great Burdock Soup with White Radish, Carrot and Shitake Mushroom (牛蒡汤), with meat. I have consumed half of the 2-meter-long great burdock and decided to transform the remaining half (1 meter) into soup as well, but this time I paired with corn and Chinese herbs. Both are Chinese-styled clear soups with a distinct of sweetness, but between the two I veer on this. Maybe the flavors of great burdock, spare ribs, corn and Chinese herbs complement and working off one another seamlessly, making this soup is a winner.

This recipe was built from scratch, I just whacked all ingredients I have in hands in a stockpot. The broth tastes mostly of long-cooked pork ribs with enough Chinese herbs and great burdock to flavor, but not overwhelm.

If you have moments of brain drains in which you run out of ideas what to cook next while having Chinese herbs abound at your kitchen cabinet, you may want to try this out. The great burdock soup recipe goes like this.

Ingredients :

300g pork ribs, cut into bite-size pieces

1-meter-long great burdock (牛蒡), brush off any muds on its skin while rinsing under cold running water, cut 2-inch lengthwise, and then into half 

1 corn, cut across into approximately 2-inch thickness

3 pcs of dang gui (Pharmaceutical name : Angelica sinensis) 当归
5 pcs of dang shen (Pharmaceutical name : Codonopsitis Pilosulae) 党参
12 red dates (Chinese dates or red jujube) 红枣, halved and de-seeded
6 pcs of bei qi (Pharmaceutical name : Astragalus propinquus) 北芪
2 tbsp of qi zi (Chinese wolfberries or goji berries) 枸杞子
1500ml water

Ingredients : Great Burdock, Corn and Chinese Herbs

Method :

1. Rinse pork ribs, great burdock, corn and all Chinese herbs thoroughly and drain, set aside.

2. Parboil or scald the pork ribs into boiling water and skim off any floating scum. Blanched pork ribs is then removed and set aside. Water discarded.

3. In a clean stockpot or deep claypot, pour in 1500ml water and let it boils. When the water is rolling boil, put the blanced pork ribs, corn, great burdock and all the Chinese herbs into the pot. Turn to low heat and simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Alternatively, slow cooker (crockpot) or double-boiler can be used.

4. Add a pinch of salt to taste 5 minutes before serving the burdock soup.

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Steamed Pork with Pumpkin and Yam Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

This is a variation of Hakka dish with assemblage of sliced pre-fried pork belly, yam and pumpkin that are steamed in a full-bodied gravy sweetened by sugar and shaoxing wine and balanced by a savory counterpoint of fermented red beancurd (南乳) and fermented soy bean paste (豆酱). This savory sauce thoroughly infuses all three layers of pig skin, fat and lean meat after long hours of steaming that elevates this classic to new gustatory buds.

Here's another recipe for pork belly, so my poor reader, you will just have to 'pig out' with me! The picture above may not justify how flavorsome this pork dish is, but I'll wager it's among the most delicious.

The ingredients of steamed pork with pumpkin and yam (南瓜芋头扣肉) have some resemblances with Hakka steamed pork belly with yam (客家芋头扣肉), with additional pumpkin and fermented soy bean paste, but omitting Hakka nam yee red sauce. The pork belly is gelatinously tender, reminiscent of Hakka steamed pork belly with yam. The texture of the pumpkin is cooked just to tender, soft but not beyond mushiness, in contrast to the yam, which is way too much mushy after long steaming. Both pumpkin and yam add hint of sweetness to the dish, complement well with the savoriness of pre-fried pork slices which are smothered in the bath of fermented red beancurd (南乳) and fermented soy bean paste (豆酱) sauce mixture.

So, why still waiting? Get ready to pig out with this easy steamed pork with pumpkin and yam recipe (南瓜芋头扣肉食谱).

Ingredients :
5 cups oil for deep-frying
150g yam, peeled and cut into thick slices (芋头)
150g pumpkin, peeled and cut into thick slices (南瓜)
500g pork belly (五花肉或三层肉)
1 tsp dark soy sauce (黑酱油)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (芫茜)

Seasoning :
3 cubes fermented red beancurd (南乳)
1/2 tbsp fermented soy bean paste (豆酱)
1 tbsp light soy sauce (生抽)
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp shaoxing wine (绍兴酒)
1 tsp dark soy sauce
250ml water

Method :
1.  Heat up oil for deep-frying, deep-fry yam until golden brown. Dish up and drain.

2. Rub pork belly skin with 1 tsp dark soy sauce and marinate for a short while. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Dish up and drain. Leave it to cool down and cut into thick slices.

3. Leave 1 tbsp oil in wok, saute chopped garlic and chopped coriander leaves until aromatic. Add in seasoning and bring to boil. Dish up.

4. Arrange pork, yam and pumpkin repeatedly in sequential order into a steaming bowl. Pour over the prepared sauce (from method 3) and steam over high heat for 1 1/2 hours or until pork belly is tender. Before serving, you may want to invert onto a serving plate lined with lettuce with sesame oil drizzled on top. To do this, place the serving plate over steaming bowl, then invert it quickly.

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Stewed Hakka Fried Pork Belly with Black Fungus Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

This Hakka dish is a perfect mingling of chewy pork belly morsels and crunchy black fungus, slowly stewed in low heat in the bath of Hakka nam yee red sauce to please discerning appetites.

Once you laid your hands on Hakka nam yee red sauce (客家南乳酱) and kept it refrigerated, you just simply can't stop making a series of Hakka cuisines before the storage period of nam yee sauce due. After making Hakka Steamed Pork Belly with Yam (客家芋头扣肉) (Cantonese "khau yoke"), it seems like trigger an avalanche of desires to get my hands on its "cousin dish" - Stewed Hakka Fried Pork Belly with Black Fungus (客家炸肉) (Cantonese "zhar yoke"), which I'll lay out here. Here comes a good dose of Hakka fattiness. :-)

Similar to "khau yoke", the soul ingredient that make this "zhar yoke" an unforgettable flavor is five spice powder, but with a somehow stronger hint of five spice powder and more stew-meat in texture than in the "khau yoke". My mother-in-law usually deep-fry the sliced pork belly and store in fridge before Chinese new year and this makes the dish really easy by just stewing with the rest of the ingredients for reunion dinner.

Here's my in-law's Hakka "Zhar Yoke" Recipe (客家炸肉食谱). This legacy divulged by my sister-in-law.

Ingredients :

600g pork belly, wash and drain well, then slice thickly into an inch each or bite-sized pieces (五花肉或三层肉)

100g black fungus, soak in water till fungus soft and cut quarterly (木耳), pat dry with kitchen towels

1 egg (beaten), 4 tbsp plain flour (面粉) - for coating meat slices before deep-frying

5 cups oil for deep-frying

800ml water
1 tbsp chopped garlic

Seasoning :

4 tbsp Hakka nam yee (fermented red beancurd) red sauce (客家南乳酱)

1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

light soy sauce to taste

Marinade :

4 tbsp Hakka nam yee (fermented red beancurd) red sauce (客家南乳酱)

1 tsp five spice powder (五香粉) - to make the meat more flavorful in addition to nam yee sauce

Extract of ginger+shallots+garlic in proportion of 2:1:1 tbsp (See method 1 below)

Method :

1. Blend ginger, shallot and garlic finely (approximate proportion should be 2:1:1) to become paste and extract out the juice mixture, set aside for marinade.

2. Combine pork belly with all the marinade above and marinate for at least 2 hours. Preferably marinate overnight in the fridge (wrapped with cling wrap) to allow sliced pork belly to absorb the marinade well.

3. Heat up oil to deep-fry black fungus (to exude aromas for the dish).  Dish up and sieve excess oil or drain with kitchen towels.

4. For marinated pieces of pork belly, dip in the beaten egg and then followed by plain flour, deep-fry until the pork belly slices become golden brown and crispy. This is to prevent the meat pieces from being too dry after deep-frying. 

5. Heat up 2 tbsp cooking oil in a wok or stock pot, saute 1 tbsp chopped garlic, add in 4 tbsp Hakka nam yee red sauce (客家南乳酱), 800ml water and bring to boil. Add in pre-fried pork belly pieces and black fungus, stir to mix well. Cover, simmer with low heat for 45 minutes or stew until the pork is tender. Add dark soy sauce and light soy sauce to taste. Garnish with coriander leaves before serving.

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Pork Belly Stewed in Dark Soy Sauce (Tau Yew Bak) Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Pork belly chunks is braised in an aromatic dark sauce flavored with star anise, cinnamon, white pepper and whole bulbs of garlic. Pork belly stewed in dark soy sauce (Tau Yew Bak) is a memorable nostalgia Chinese provincial dish that went on national scale. Though simple, it never disappoints our tastebuds with its intense flavors and spice.

When talking about nostalgic country style homecooked food, this comfort homey dish - pork belly stewed in soy sauce (Tau Yew Bak in Hokkien) will naturally comes into my mind. This is part of my mum's legacy and I must say I grew up with this. Pork belly stewed in dark soy sauce is a very Penang Hokkien dish and its popularity has even reached our Teochew kitchen. The dish may vary in every Chinese kitchen with different cooking styles, as cooking this family tradition dish is intuitive, liberating and improvisational instead of following a set of strict instructions from a recipe.

Learning how to cook can be a daunting task, but not with this how to recipe. Whilst some Hokkien homes like to use five-spice powder for marinade, I prefer star anise and cinnamon stick. You can add in some amount of fried bean curds (tau kua in Hokkien) and Chinese mushrooms to have a more substantial dish. For those weight watchers, this sinful and cholesterol laden pork belly can be substituted with chicken or lean pork.

Ingredients :

600g pork belly with gelatinous skin, cut into 1 inch length or bite-sized pieces (五花肉或三层肉)
4 whole bulbs of garlic, keep whole with papery skin peeled off
1 piece of star anise
1 piece of cinnamon stick, roughly 5cm in length
4 hard boiled eggs, with shells removed
Some water

Marinade :
4 tbsp of soy sauce
4 tbsp thick dark soy sauce
1/2 cup of rock sugar (can be substituted with brown sugar or 3 tbsp castor sugar)
1/2 tsp white pepper

Method :

1. Marinate pork belly slices with soy sauce, thick dark soy sauce, rock sugar and white pepper for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight in refrigerator. 

2. Heat up a claypot. Without adding any oil, pour the marinated pork and the excess marinade into the claypot, keep stirring the pork to prevent scorching. Add in in the whole garlic, keep stirring until the gravy is thickened and the pork belly slices are tender.

3. As soon as sugar begin to caramelize, add just enough water to cover the pork and garlic. Bring to boil, reduce to low heat and stew for 40 minutes (with the claypot lid covered) or until the liquid is reduced to about half its amount. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking.

4. Add in hard boiled eggs (with shell removed). Coat the eggs with sauce mixture and toss frequently. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Add some water (if required) to prevent the sauce from drying up. Taste and add additional soy sauce or salt as desired.

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Assam Pork Curry Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

This savory tamarind-based pork curry dish is perfectly complemented by the rich coconut gravy, chilli paste, curry powder, sugar and spices which adds a distinctive sweet, sour and spicy flavors that guarantee to spike the appetite. This Indian pork curry appeals to more than taste alone.

With rich cultural milieu, Malaysia is a culinary heritage that spans several hundreds years. Over a period of time, the culinary expertise of different cultures and races have been influenced by one another and have been brought together, resulted in a delicious fusion of local specialties and the original traditional fare. Hence, there's a different variation of pork curry dish, which is originally an Indians piquant traditional fare.

Below is a quick, easy and hassle-free recipe which calls for assam paste (or assam jawa), the Malay word for tamarind, which gives the dish its sour taste. To enhance the sourness, dried slices of tamarind fruit (assam/asam keping in Malay) are also added to the dish. Mouth-wateringly different, Indian food is generally 'chilli hot', blended with subtle additions of aromatic herbs and spices to lessen the 'bite'. This dish has no exception.

Mingling sourness from tamarind, sweet kick from sugar, spicy note from curry powder and chilli paste, the heady fragrant of curry leaves, distinctive richness of coconut gravy and earthy flavor from pork, this assam pork curry dish  is a harmonious blend of the sweet, sour and spicy flavors designed to appeal to both the eyes and palates.
While this may be one of the most easy pork curry recipes you can find, don't be surprised by its superior taste. Learn how to cook assam pork curry with below simple recipe.

加哩猪肉片食谱

Ingredients :
300g sliced pork (cut into strips)
100ml thick coconut milk
50ml water
2 tbsp tamarind paste ("assam" paste), mixed with 50ml water and squeezed out tamarind juice
2 tbsp oil

Curry Spices :
4 tbsp chopped shallots
2 stalks lemon grass, mashed up
2 tbsp curry leaves
1 tbsp curry powder
3 tbsp chilli paste
3 pieces dried tamarind (assam jawa keping in Malay)

Seasoning :
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce

Method :
1. Heat up 2 tbsp oil and saute curry spices until fragrant.

2. Add in pork slices and stir well. Add in coconut milk, water, tamarind juice, seasoning and bring to boil. Cook until meat is tender. Dish up and serve hot.

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Home Cooking Recipe Index | Easy Asian Cooking

A summarized Asian home cooking entree recipes for you to cook at home. This recipes index mean to ease recipes navigation, browsing and searching according to categories, from soup to poultry, pork, seafood, vegetables and beancurd.

Main Dish :

Soup Recipe

Nourishing, easy to digest, comfort, quick to cook and convenient, hot soup provides the perfect meal-in-a-bowl that you can make for brunch.

• Double-boiled Ginseng Roots and Chicken Soup Recipe 洋参须炖鸡汤食谱
• Papaya Soup with American Ginseng & Black Chicken Recipe 南杏木瓜乌鸡汤食谱
• Snow Fungus & Fish Maw Soup Recipe 雪耳鱼鳔羹食谱
• Chinese Herbal Black Chicken Soup Recipe 药材乌鸡清补汤食谱
• Shark’s Fin Melon Soup 鱼翅瓜汤
• Watercress and Red Dates Soup 西洋菜红枣排骨汤
• Bak Kut Teh ("Pork Bone Tea" Soup) 肉骨茶
• Abalone with Chicken Soup 鲍鱼炖鸡汤
• Great Burdock Soup with White Radish, Carrot and Shitake Mushroom 冬菇萝卜牛蒡汤
• Great Burdock Soup with Corn and Chinese Herbs 药材玉蜀黍牛蒡汤
• Old Cucumber Soup Recipe 老黄瓜汤
• Braised Chicken in Fragrant Sauce Recipe

Poultry Recipe

This chapter lifts the cooking thong on delicious homecooked poultry main courses made on top of the stove at lunch and dinner time. With below quick and easy recipes, the hidden secrets of heavenly poultry revealed - How to cook them and how to savor every mouthful.

• Clay Pot Chicken with Chinese Sausage Recipe 瓦煲腊味鸡食谱
• Deep-fried Tom Yam Chicken Recipe 冬炎炸鸡食谱
• Herbal Chicken in Aluminium Parcel Recipe 银式焗当归马来鸡食谱
• Kung Pao Chicken Recipe 宫保鸡丁(又称宫爆鸡丁)食谱
• Salted Chicken in Glutinous Rice Wine Recipe 黄酒咸醉鸡食谱
• Steamed Chicken with Preserved Wet Plums Recipe 梅子蒸鸡食谱
• Fried Chicken with Spicy Mayonnaise Recipe 美乃滋炸鸡食谱
• Stewed Turmeric Chicken Recipe 黄姜鸡食谱
• Chicken Vindaloo Recipe
• Honey Chicken in Red Gravy Recipe (Ayam Masak Merah)
• Chicken with Lemongrass and Asparagus Recipe
• Healthy Crunchy Oatmeal Grilled Chicken Recipe
• Braised Duck with Yam Recipe 芋头鸭
• Vietnam-style Fried Shrimp Paste Chicken (Har Jiong Gai) Recipe 越南式虾酱炸鸡
• Crispy Juicy Chicken Recipe 香脆西汁鸡
  

Pork Recipe

Pork holds up to just about any combination of spices you can imagine.  Redefine the flavors of pork with these pork recipe without having to labor extensive efforts in kitchen or compromises on taste and texture.

• Spare Ribs in Black Bean Sauce Recipe 蒜子豆豉骨食谱
• Stir-Fried Pork Belly Recipe 火爆花腩食谱
• Assam Pork Curry Recipe 加哩猪肉片食谱
• Pork Belly Stewed in Dark Soy Sauce (Tau Yew Bak) Recipe 黑酱油焖三层肉食谱
• Hakka Steamed Pork Belly with Yam Recipe 客家芋头扣肉食谱 ("khau yoke")
• Stewed Hakka Fried Pork Belly with Black Fungus Recipe 客家炸肉食谱 ("zhar yoke")
• Steamed Pork with Pumpkin and Yam Recipe 南瓜芋头扣肉食谱
• Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe 咕嚕肉食谱
• Braised Spare Ribs with Bean Curd Stick Recipe 支竹(腐竹)焖排骨食谱
• Braised Spare Ribs with Chinese Sausage and Yam Recipe 腊肠芋头排骨食谱
• Spare Ribs In Mayonnaise Recipe 鲜果排骨

Seafood Recipe

Although fresh seafood is hard to be hunt down in some regions, it is definitely worth the search. Whether fresh or frozen you still cannot beat the craving that seafood installs in you. Add some flair to seafood with the following quick and easy homecooked recipes.

• Braised Sea Cucumber with Spare Ribs Recipe 海参焖排骨食谱
• Crispy Butter Prawns Recipe 脆口牛油虾食谱
• Hot & Spicy Belacan Prawns Recipe 香辣马来栈虾食谱
• Nyonya Style Steamed Fish 娘惹式蒸鱼食谱
• Thai Style Deep-fried Fish Fillet Recipe 泰式脆鱼条食谱
• Prawn In Spicy Milk Sauce Recipe 奶香虾食谱
• Thai Style Steamed Fish Recipe 泰式蒸鱼食谱
• Steamed Herbal Seabass (Ikan Siakap) Recipe 药材蒸石甲鱼食谱
• Deep-fried Fish Fillets in Breadcrumbs with Basil and Lemon Mayonnaise Recipe
• Tangy Thai Tom Yam (Tom Yum) Fish Recipe 泰式冬炎鱼食谱
• Fish Head Curry Recipe 加哩鱼头食谱
• Fried Prawn with Ginger Sauce Recipe 姜茸虾碌食谱
• Steamed Ginger Paste Fish Recipe 姜茸蒸鱼
• Ikan Assam Pedas (Spicy and Sour Tamarind-Flavored Fish) Recipe
• Tom Yum (Tom Yam) Soup With Shrimp and Fish 泰式冬炎鱼与虾食谱

Vegetable Recipe

With the modern emphasis on eating plenty of vegetables, serving at least a vegetable course at lunch or dinner time make sense. Whether you go for a dish that's quick and easy or a little out-of-the-ordinary, below hearty and family-style comfort vegetable recipes are at your fingertips.

• Bitter Gourd with Mushrooms & Chicken Recipe 冬菇鸡炒苦瓜食谱
• Eggplant with Chilli Prawns Recipe 香滑茄子虾仁食谱
• Stir-fry Four-angled Beans with Sambal Chilli Belacan 三巴虾米马来栈炒四角豆(翼豆)食谱
• Stir-fry French Bean with Minced Meat and Preserved Radish Recipe 酱爆季豆食谱
• Stir-fried Kam Heong Chinese Long Beans Recipe
• Stir-fried Ginger Kale (Kai Lan) Recipe 
• Stir-fried Sweet Potato Leaves with Taucheo (Fermented Yellow Soybean Sauce) Recipe 番薯叶炒豆酱与红辣椒食谱
• Vegetables Gingko In Belachan Recipe 峇拉煎白果什菜

Beancurd Recipe

Up the spice on this bland ingredient that parasitically relies on others for it’s flavor. Perhaps it’s time to give beancurd (tofu) a second look we are musing. Quick and easy beancurd dish do not get any easier with below recipes.

•  Steamed Bean Curd with Minced Meat and Preserved Radish Recipe 菜香豆腐食谱（菜脯肉脺蒸豆腐）
• Yong Tau Foo Recipe 酿豆腐食谱
• Unique Taste Soy Beancurd (Tofu) Recipe
• Stir-fried Chicken and Beancurd with Crispy Ginger Shreds Recipe
• Stir-fried Bean Curd with Minced Meat Recipe 葱香肉松豆腐食谱

Condiment & Sauce Recipe

A series of sauce recipes you can prepare prior to cooking and kept refrigerated for later use for versatile dishes.

• Hakka Nam Yee (Fermented Red Beancurd) Red Sauce 客家南乳酱食谱
• How to Make Sambal Belachan and Sambal Petai 叁峇峇拉煎臭豆食谱

Rice & Noodles Recipe

• Penang Asam Laksa (Sour Fish-based Soup with Noodles) Recipe 槟城加沙食谱

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