Begedel

Begedel

Ingredients (makes about 20 pieces):

300 g potatoes, to be peeled and sliced thickly
100 g minced beef
3 stalks daun saderi/sup, to be finely chopped
2 stalks daun bawang, to be finely chopped
20 g ready-made fried shallots
1 tsp salt
250 ml cooking oil for deep frying
1 egg, to be lightly beaten

Ingredients to be blended/pounded:

½ tsp serbuk jintan manis
½ tsp serbuk jintan putih
1 tsp ground white pepper
2 garlic cloves, to be peeled and fried in a little oil until soft
2 shallots, to be peeled and fried in a little oil until soft

Method:

Heat oil in a wok and deep-fry the potato slices until golden. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside to cool down. Pound or mash them into a paste. Stir-fry the minced beef without oil until dry. Remove and set aside.

Mix together potato paste, beef, pounded ingredients, daun saderi/daun sup (I used flat parsley leaves instead), fried shallots and salt to taste in a bowl. Form dough into the size of an egg and flatten it a bit. Dip in beaten egg and deep-fry until golden. Drain on absorbent paper before serving.



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Serunding

Ingredients:

1 fresh coconut
salt and sugar to taste
some gula melaka (palm sugar)
½ tbsp fresh tamarind, to be mixed with a little water and strained

Ingredients to be blended/pounded:

1 stalk dried chillie, to be cut and soaked in warm water
1 cm fresh turmeric, to be sliced
1 cm fresh lengkuas (galangal), to be sliced
2 stalks serai (lemon grass), to be sliced
5 cloves garlic, to be sliced
2 big onions, to be sliced
1 level tbsp ketumbar biji, to be soaked in warm water
1 level tbsp jintan putih biji, to be soaked in warm water
1 level tbsp jintan manis biji, to be soaked in warm water

Method:

Remove skin from coconut and grate. Then, fry grated coconut in a wok without oil until dry.

Heat some oil in a wok and stir-fry pounded ingredients until fragrant. Add in tamarind water, salt, gula melaka and salt (be careful with the salt!). Cook until boiling. Add in coconut and reduce to low heat and stir well. Cook until the coconut mixture is a bit crispy and dry. By adding more gula melaka will make the dish more “pretty” and appetising.

Note: Unfortunately, I was not able to get a good pic of the serunding due to bad lighting.


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Kuah Nasi Rawan (Nasi Rawan Gravy)

Ingredients (serves 8):

125 ml cooking oil
2 cm galangal (lengkuas), to be lightly crushed
3 lemon grass (serai), to be lightly crushed
600 g beef, to be cut into small pieces and boiled in water until tender
¾ l water (or use boiling water from beef to get more flavour)
3 pcs dried tamarind (asam gelugur)
3 tbsp kerisik (see note below)
3 daun limau purut leaves (purut lime leaves)
4 daun salam (bayleaves)
1½ tsp salt

Ingredients to be blended/pounded:

2 tbsp ketumbar biji, to be soaked in warm water
1 tbsp jintan manis biji, to be soaked in warm water
1 tbsp jintan putih biji, to be soaked in warm water
2 tsp black peppercorns
5 buah keluak seeds (see note below)
3 cm belacan
25 stalks dried red chillies, to be deseeded and soaked in warm water
20 shallots, to be sliced
5 garlic cloves, to be sliced
2 cm fresh ginger, to be sliced

Method:

Heat oil in a pot and stir-fry the pounded ingredients, crushed galangal and lemon grass until fragrant. Add in beef pieces, 500 ml water, dried tamarind pieces, kerisik, daun limau purut and daun salam. Mix well and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Add in balance of water according your choice of consistency and let it simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with begedel, paru goreng or fried chicken, serunding, sambal belacan and rice.

How to make kerisik: Fry about 200 g freshly grated coconut without oil until crispy and golden in colour. Pound in a mortar and pestle until fine or oil starts to ooze out. Kerisik can be kept in an airtight container for about 14 days.

How to prepare buah keluak: Brush and clean the shells of buah keluak to get rid of mud and dirt. Soak them in water for about 3 days if possible, but according to my mum, they can be used after being soaked for about ½ to 1 hour. To take out the seeds: Crack the smooth part of buah keluak shell. Be careful not to hit it hard. Remove the seeds (if one breaks the seeds, it looks like black “shoe cream” paste) and use them according to recipe.


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Babi Pong Teh (Pork with Tauceo)
This is a classic Peranakan dish, often served on special occasions. Chicken may be substituted to make Ayam Pong Teh.

Ingredients (serves 4 as part of an Asian meal)
Pork or chicken marinade
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp white pepper
½ tsp salt

700 gm/1 lb 8 oz belly pork, with skin left on (or substitute 1 chicken)
2 pieces of rock sugar, each about the size of a golf ball
3 tbsp oil
20 shallots, sliced finely
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp tauceo (pounded if using whole beans)
2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional, not used in all recipes)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
Salt to taste
8-10 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked to soften
1 can bamboo shoots or 2 large potatoes, peeled
750 ml/3 cups water

Garnish - green chillies, cut into rings

Procedure
Cut pork into large chunks with skin left on (if using chicken, cut into 8-12 serving pieces). Prepare marinade and season meat for at least an hour.

Cut mushrooms into halves, then cut bamboo shoots or potatoes into chunks.

Pound or process shallots, garlic and tauceo to form a paste.

Heat oil in a wok and fry tauceo paste until fragrant. Add marinated meat and ground cinnamon if using, and continue to stir fry to make sure the meat is thoroughly coated. Add bamboo shoots, Chinese mushrooms, dark soy sauce and 500 ml/2 cups water. Bring to the boil, then turn down heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Add the two pieces of rock sugar and leave to simmer until the meat is very tender and sauce is thick. Adjust salt level to taste. Add more water if the contents of the wok become too dry.

Serve in a deep bowl, garnished with cut green chillies.

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Seared Fillet Beef in Plum Sauce

Ingredients (serves 4 as part of an Asian meal)
450 gm/1 lb fillet steak
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed with ½ tsp salt
½ head Chinese cabbage (Tianjin or Napa cabbage)
Oil for frying
½ tsp sugar
6 stalks spring onions, cut into 1.25 cm/½ inch segments
2 tbsp oil
4 tbsp plum sauce
1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water to form a paste
1 tsp sesame oil

Procedure
Trim the beef, removing any fat and gristle. Cut into slices of 1 cm/ ½ inch thickness. Press each slice of meat with the flat side of a cleaver and your hand to flatten it slightly. Combine the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, sugar and garlic. Add to the beef and turn the slices to ensure that they are coated thoroughly. Leave to marinate for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, shred the cabbage finely. Heat oil in a wok and when hot, add the shredded cabbage. Stir fry until cabbage shrinks and exudes water. Fry until all liquid has evaporated , and the shreds start to turn crisp, then sprinkle with the sugar and remove with a slotted spoon. Place on a serving dish.

Rinse out the wok, add 1 tbsp oil and when hot, fry half the beef, pressing the slices against the side of the wok and turning to brown both sides. Remove and set aside. Add another tbsp oil and repeat with the remaining beef. Add any remaining marinade, the chopped spring onions and the first batch of beef and toss together.

Stir in the plum sauce and about 1 tbsp of water. Cook for about 1 minute until thoroughly heated, then add the cornflour paste. Stir until sauce has thickened, then add the sesame oil. Serve on the bed of fried cabbage.


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Prawn and Bean Curd Puffs in Oyster Sauce
A classic dish from the Cantonese kitchen. I have served this dish many times and it has always been well received, even by people who do not really like bean curd.

Ingredients (serves 4 as part of an Asian meal)
250 gm/8 oz raw shelled and deveined prawns
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp cornflour
1 egg
½ tsp grated fresh ginger
½ tsp sesame oil
250 gm/8 oz fresh tofu
1 tbsp pork or chicken fat, chopped (optional)
Oil for deep frying

Sauce:
180 ml/¾ cup chicken stock or water
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
Pinch white pepper
3 dried Chinese mushrooms, reconstituted and sliced into small cubes
6-8 slices char siew (Chinese BBQ pork), chopped into small cubes (optional)
1 tbsp green peas
1 spring onion, chopped into fine rings
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp cornflour

Procedure
Put the prawn meat into a food processor with the salt, cornflour, egg, ginger sesame oil and chicken or pork fat if using; process until all ingredients are finely minced and you obtain a smooth paste.

Drain the liquid from the bean curd and pat dry with kitchen paper. Add the prawn mixture and blend well with a fork.

Combine the sauce ingredients except the cornflour, and heat to boiling. In the meantime blend the cornflour with 1 tbsp of water to form a paste. Stir cornflour paste into the sauce until it boils and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat a wok, add enough oil for deep frying and fry spoonfuls of the prawn mixture until they are puffy and golden brown all over. This may have to be done in several batches. Drain them well on kitchen paper, then place them on a serving dish. Pour the hot sauce over them and serve immediately.


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Stir fried Squid with Bean Sprouts
A simple but tasty “home-cooked” dish

Ingredients (serves 4 as part of an Asian meal)
300 gm/10 oz fresh squid
400 gm/15 oz bean sprouts
1 pc ginger, 1.25 cm/½ inch in length, peeled and sliced thinly
1 red chilli, de-seeded and cut into slivers
1-2 stalks spring onions, trimmed and cut into 1 cm/ ½ inch segments
2 tbsp skinned broad beans, fresh soya beans or green peas
pinch sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
oil for frying

Procedure
Rinse the bean sprouts (remove tails if desired). Blanch bean sprouts in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Cut squid tubes into rings. Remove beaks and eyes from the tentacles but otherwise leave them whole. Heat oil and fry the squid rings and tentacles for about 15 seconds until they just turn white. Remove.

Rinse out frying pan, then heat a little bit more oil and add the ginger and chilli shreds and stir fry for a few seconds, then add the beans/peas and spring onion segments, and after a few more seconds, the blanched bean sprouts and a pinch of sugar. Stir fry, then return the squid to the pan. Season with the soy sauce, salt and Shaoxing wine, then add the cornflour-stock mixture and heat until it thickens. Sprinkle sesame oil on top and serve.


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Prawns with Meat Dumplings
This is one of the soupy dishes for which the local Hokkien (Fujian) community in Singapore is well known.

Ingredients
225 gm/8 oz peeled prawns, deveined and tails left on (keep shells and heads)
225 gm/8 oz minced pork (or substitute chicken)
6 water chestnuts, peeled
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp sesame oil
ground white pepper
16 wuntun skins
250 gm/9 oz broccoli florets
2 spring onions
6 slices ginger, of which 2 slices cut into shreds
3 tbsp oil
250 ml/1 cup chicken stock

Procedure
Heat a little oil in a hot wok and add the ginger shreds. Add the prawn heads and shells and stir fry until they turn red. Add the chicken stock and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, then strain through a sieve, mashing shells and heads with a heavy spoon to extract all the flavour. Discard the shells and set aside the stock. (This step may be omitted if you prefer not to have such a 'fishy' stock, but Hokkien cuisine is renowned for its use of seafood.)

Mince the water chestnuts and mix them with the pork. Blend in the salt, 2 tsp Shaoxing wine, 1½ tsp soy sauce, 1½ tsp cornflour, the sesame oil and a pinch of white pepper. Beat mixture vigorously with a fork until well blended, and divide into 16 portions. Wrap each portion in a wuntun skin.

Cut the spring onions into 1 cm/½ inch segments. Mix the rest of the cornflour with 1 tbsp water to obtain a paste.

Steam the wrapped meatballs for 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the spring onions and ginger. Add the broccoli and stir-fry with a pinch of salt. When broccoli is almost done, add the peeled prawns. Pour 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine along the side of the wok, then add 1½ tsp soy sauce and the prawn-chicken stock. Bring to the boil, add the meat dumplings and thicken with the cornflour paste. Serve.


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My favourite recipe with compliments from one of my girlfriends.

Szechuan Tofu

Ingredients:

2 pieces tofu, to be diced
200 g minced beef
200 g minced chicken
3 tbsps finely chopped spring onions
2 tsps finely chopped garlic
4 dried black mushrooms, to be soaked with water and sliced thinly
a few red chillies, to be finey sliced
cooking oil for sautéing

Seasoning ingredients:

1 tsp broad bean paste
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp granulated chicken stock

Method:

1. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a wok. Sauté both minced meat until cooked.

2. Add in garlic and black mushrooms. Fry for about 1 minute.

3. Add in tofu and seasoning ingredients. Stir slowly and let it simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle red chillies and spring onions on top. Serve hot with rice.


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Fish cooked with Chinese 5-spice powder
I ate a version of this dish at the hawker centre at Maxwell Road, and very delicious it was as well! This is my attempt at recreating it. You can serve the fish as a main course, or as part of an Asian meal. The recipe given below is for the former, as part of a meal please halve the ingredients stated.

Ingredients (serves 4)
1½ tbsp dark soy sauce (use the normal dark, not the thick variety)
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1½ tbsp Shaoxing wine (omit or replace with chicken stock if preferred, but this will affect slightly the taste of the final dish)
4 cm/1½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
8 stalks spring onions, sliced into 1 cm/½ inch segments
4 white fish fillets, each weighing about 200 gms/7 oz
45 gm/1½ oz brown sugar
1½ -2 tsp 5-spice powder
1 tsp sesame oil
125 ml/½ cup cooking oil
225 gm/8 oz spinach leaves (or substitute Chinese broccoli or flowering cabbage if preferred)
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Procedure
Combine the two soy sauces, Shaoxing wine, ginger, chopped/crushed garlic and spring onion segments. Pour over the fish fillets and leave to marinade for 1 hour.

Dissolve the brown sugar in 250 ml/1 cup of hot water, and add the 5-spice powder.

In a large wok, heat the cooking oil. Fry garlic slices until they turn golden. Do not allow to burn! Remove and set aside. Drain off oil, leaving about 4 tbsp. Reheat oil, then fry fish fillets (you probably have to do so in two batches) until golden brown. Put all the fish fillets back in wok, add any remaining marinade and the sugar/5 spice powder mix. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 3 minutes.

Poach the vegetables in boiling water (length of time will depend on choice of vegetable - the shortest time will be for spinach); remove from the heat and drain well. Place on a large serving dish. In a small frying pan, dry-roast the sesame seeds until they start to pop, then remove from the heat.

Stir 1 tsp of sesame oil into the sauce. Remove fish and place on top of vegetables. Sprinkle with fried garlic slices and sesame seeds. Spoon the sauce over the top and serve immediately

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Hot & Spicy Squids

Ingredients:

650 g squids, to be sliced crosswise
1 large onion, to be cut into wedges
6 slices fresh ginger
3 dried chillies, to be cut into 1 cm pieces
2 red chillies, to be deseeded and quartered lengthwise
1 green bell pepper, to be deseeded and cut into wedges
1 tbsp chopped garlic
cooking oil for stir-fry

Seasoning ingredients:

3 tbsps oyster sauce
2 tbsp sour plum sauce
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Method:

1. Boil water and soak the squids. After a short time, remove them and soak in cold water. Remove and drain.

2. Heat oil in a wok. Sauté the dried chillies and garlic until fragrant. Then, add the onion, sliced ginger, red chillies, green bell peppers and squids. Fry on high heat until cooked.

3. Add seasoning ingredients and mix well. Dish up onto a serving plate and serve hot with rice.


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Another version of fried chicken which has become our family's favourite:

Tasty Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

one whole chicken
5 cloves garlic, to be peeled
4 shallots, to be finely chopped
cooking oil for deep frying and stir-fry

Marinate ingredients:

3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp maltose (malt sugar)
a pinch of salt

Seasoning ingredients:

2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp thick soy sauce

Method:

1. Clean the chicken and dry with cloth. Cut chicken into medium-sized pieces. Mix with marinade ingredients and put aside for 15 minutes.

2. Fry the chicken pieces in hot oil until cooked. Remove and drain.

3. Heat oil in wok. Sauté the grlic and shallots until fragrant. Then, put in the chicken and seasoning ingredients. Cook on high heat for a short while. Remove when cooked and serve hot.


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