Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)

Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)

I remember my mother loves to make this Tang Yuan

(Glutinous Rice Balls) during Dong Zhi (Winter Solstice) Festival.

Today, is the Dong Zhi (Winter Solstice) Festival,

marking us one year older.

Nowadays, people are celebrating it lesser.

Hopefully, by another 20 years or more,

this Chinese tradition wouldn't evaporate into the thin air.

I am blogging this recipe to maintain this Chinese tradition forever

and ever.

180g Glutinous Rice Flour.

150ml Water or lesser.

1 piece of 'Pin Tong' (in Cantonese).

Few drops of Red Colouring.

(Note : You can purchase this Pin Tong from Sundry Shop.

It is sweet in taste.)

Get ready two pots with boiling water.

Get ready two plates and dust with some

Glutinous Rice Flour.

Pour the Glutinous Rice Flour into a bowl.

Pour 1/2 of the water into the Glutinous Rice

Flour and mix well.

If not well combined, pour again the water and

mix again.

Once the batter does not stick to the bowl anymore,

then it is done. If not, pour more water. If too sticky,

then pour more Glutinous Rice Flour.

Divide the batter into half.

Pour a few drops of red colouring into the other

half of the batter and mix well.

Now you have red and white batter.

(It is not really red....to me is pink colour....ha ha ha)

With spoon, scoop out 3/4 spoonful of the batter

and flatten it with your palm and fingers.

(Note : Make sure both of your palms and fingers are floured.

If not, it will stick to your palm or finger.)

Then, place some of the Pin Tong in the middle

of the flatten batter.

Then, roll into round shape.

Once rolled, place on top of the floured plate.

And repeat the same until all the batter finished.

1st pot - with boiling water, place the rolled balls

into the boiling water. Once it is floated on top of the

water, then it is cooked.

Once the balls floated on top of the water,

use a slotted spoon to scoop it out and then

place the balls in another pot of simmering boiled water

in order for the balls not to stick among one another.

Do it until all the balls have been cooked.

Turn off all the fire.

Get ready one pot of Ginger Water (Syrup).

- For this recipe, please click here.

With a serving bowl, pour in some of the

Ginger Water (Syrup) and place a few of the cooked

Glutinous Rice Balls and then serve either warm

or cold. The choice is yours.

Isn't it is 'ho sek' (in Cantonese) for delicious?

Lastly, from tomorrow onwards, I will be away for two weeks holiday

on and off with my family and won't be blogging any recipes

but will be back next year.

Wishing ALL

"HaPpY ChRiStMaS" & "HaPpY NeW YeAr"

Ginger Water (Syrup)

Ginger Water (Syrup)

3 Screwpine Leaves (Daun Pandan).

7 slices of Young Ginger.

90g Rock Cane Sugar (you can use Caster Sugar).

1,500 ml Water.

Boil the Water with the Screwpine Leaves and Rock Cane Sugar.

Once the Rock Cane Sugar has been dissolved,

put in the Young Ginger and boil another 15 minutes

with medium fire.

After 10 minutes, turn off the fire.

Leave aside.

Boiled Ginger Water (Syrup)......you can use it for

any desserts you desired.

Baked Chicken With Nando's Sauce

Baked Chicken With Nando's Sauce

Looks appetizing?

Last few weeks ago, while my family and I having
dinner at Nando's Mid Valley, I noticed a few customers
bought few bottles of Nando's sauces. Out of curiosity,
I asked the waitress, what to do with the sauce and
she kind enough telling me that I can use the sauce
to bake or stir fry chicken meat. So, I bought one bottle
of Nando's Garlic Peri-Peri Sauce.

One bottle of Nando's Garlic Peri-Peri Sauce.
(there will be balance, please put in the fridge)
2 Chicken Whole Legs (wash and drain).
2 Chicken Wings (wash and drain).
3 Potatoes (wash, drain, peel and cut).
3 Carrots (wash, drain, peel and cut).
1 handful of French Beans (wash, drain and cut).

Chicken Whole Legs and Wings
- Please poke with fork or knife in order for the
sauces to marinate deeply inside the chicken meat.

Cut those vegetables into desired size.

Marinate the chicken meat with
5 tablespoons of Nando's Garlie Peri-Peri Sauce,
2 tablespoons of Soya Sauce,
1/2 tablespoon of Pepper and
2 tablespoons of Honey.

Mix thoroughly.
Marinate for 4 hours or overnight.
I did it for overnight.

Pour in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil into the dish.

Then pour in the vegetables and mix thoroughly with the oil.

(Note : If you prefer your vegetables to be crunchy, you do this way BUT
if you prefer your vegetables to be soft, then you have to par-boil
your vegetables for less than 5 minutes.)

Put in all the chicken meat on top of those vegetables
and lastly, pour in all the balance of the sauces all over the
chicken meat and vegetables.
Bake at 190 Degree Celsius for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, take out the dish and
in order to cook further, again mix thoroughly the vegetables
with the sauces underneath and turn the chicken meat to the other side.
Remember to scoop those sauces underneath to coat the chicken meat.
If you don't do this way, your vegetables and chicken meat will be very dry.
Cook further 30 minutes.

(Note : Temperature and duration - All depends on the size of your oven).

Once done, take it out and serve immediately.

My son said it is very flavourful and the chicken meat very tender and juicy.
He said I should have cooked more!
Told him will make more when my husband is back from overseas.

Isn't it is easy to make? You should try it out!

I feel happy when my family is happy eating my cooked food.
To me, money cannot buy happiness.
:)

Mince Pie

Mince Pie

Mince Pie, also known as Minced Pie,

is a small British sweet pie traditionally served

during the Christmas season. Without it, it is not Christmas.

I was introduced to this sweet pie by my ex-British boss

last 15 years ago. My family loves this sweet pie.

I read in the internet that it was started from as early as 13th century.

(Click here for more details on Mince Pie)

One jar of Mincemeat (in the USA, it is called Fruit Mince).

One egg (beaten).

Shortcrust Pastry (click here for the recipe).

(Note : Eventhough, it is called Mincemeat, there is no meat in it.

It is mixture of raisins, sultanas, apricots, glace cherries,

candied citrus peel, apple, various types of nuts and mix spices.)

Once your pastry has been cooled in the fridge

for more than 3o minutes, take it out and cut into half

on top of a floured table. Make sure your rolling pin

also floured.

Roll the pastry to the thickness of your choice.

With one sheet of pastry, place 1 or 2 teaspoons

of the mincemeat. (depends on the size of the pastry cutter).

Then, cover it with another sheet of pastry.

Cut it with your pastry cutter.

(Full moon design)

(Half moon design)

Close it, all round the pie, with your fingers.

Press firmly but not too firmly.

(Note : If not firmly, the mincemeat will spill out /

too firmly, the pattern will disappear)

Brush the pies with beaten egg.

Baked at 190 Degree Celsius for 40 minutes

or until brown.

You must make sure that it is totally cool,

if not the baking paper will stick to your pie.

You don't want that, am I right?

My daughter had the 1st try and said

the pastry is crispy and filling is rich.

Wishing all my family, friends, colleagues (far and near)

a Very Happy Christmas Day And

Happy New Year.

[I am submitting this Mince Pie to

Aspiring Bakers #14 : Creative Christmas Bakers (December 2011)

hosted by Hankerie]

Groundnuts

Groundnuts

I still remember that during the Seventies and Eighties,

there are Kacang Men selling kacang (nuts)

with their beca (bicycle) around our housing area or market

or maybe having their stall near a few well known cinemas e.g.

Odean, Pavilion, Cathay, Rex and etc (too bad that these

cinemas has been demolished to make way for new building).

One of the nuts that the Kacang Man selling are this boiled Groundnuts

which is my husband favourite, I think a lot of Malaysian also like it!

Am I right?

4 handfuls of Ground nuts.

Boil a pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt.

Once the water is boiled, pour in the Groundnuts

and boil until the nuts are cooked or soft.

These Groundnuts very 'Ngan Keng in Cantonese'

(stubborn).....I boiled for 45 minutes.

With colander, drain the water.

While the Groundnuts are still piping hot......peel off the

outer skin and eat it immediately.

(I know my husband can't wait to dig in because

while I was boiling the Goundnuts, I have forgotten to cover the pot and

it was him who cover the pot and told me that by covering

the pot, the Groundnuts will cook faster....

Aiyah! as if I do not know it....I just forgotten mah!..."No worry,

I did not said aloud to him.....only in my head-lah)