Jack-o-Lantern Ang Ku Kuih

Ingredients:

70g Carrots

60g Glutinous rice flour

10g Wheat starch

1 tbsp sugar

40ml Hot water

1/2 tbsp cooking oil

105g Mung bean paste

Cocoa powder

Dried Cranberries

Directions/Instructions:

1. Peel the carrots, slice them into thin slices, steam over medium heat for 20 mins until it is cooked through, and mash it into a puree.
2. Mix carrot puree, glutinous rice, wheat starch, and sugar.  Add hot water in portions and knead it into a moderately firm dough.  The amount of water is for reference only.  Add in portions, do not add it all at once, add it according to the dry humidity of the dough.  Then add cooking oil and knead evenly.
3. Divide the dough into 7 portions (23-24g ea) and cover with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.  Leave 2g dough for the pumpkin face.
4. Divided the mung bean paste filling into 7 portions (15g ea).  Cover with plastic wrap.
5. Cut banana leaves to a suitable size and apply a layer of oil on the surface to prevent sticking.
6. Cut dried cranberries into long strips as pumpkin pedicles.
7. In a small bowl, put the small dough 2g and add an appropriate amount of cocoa powder and water.  Adjust it to the consistency of paste.
8. Wrap the mung bean filling into the carrot dough, shape it into a pumpkin.  Use a toothpick to press out the pumpkin lines.
9. Dip the toothpick into the cocoa paste and draw a pumpkin face; press a small groove on the top and put dried cranberries to make a pumpkin pedicle.
10. Place the pumpkin on the oiled banana leaves.  Steam for 9 mins on medium-low heat, open the lid every 3 mins.  Wipe off the moisture and continue to steam until cooked.
11. Brush a layer of cooking oil on the surface while it is hot.

Sweet & Spicy Korean Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

500g chicken wings

1/2 cup CJ Beksul frying mix

2 tbsp cornflour

2 eggs

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Oil for frying

Marinade

1-2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp vinegar

Sauce

3 garlic ~ minced

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup rice syrup

2 tbsp gochujang paste (Korean hot pepper paste)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions/Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, add the chicken together with all the marinade ingredients.  Set aside for 30 mins or overnight.
2. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy frying pan or pot over medium heat for about 10-12 mins until it reaches 350 deg F.  
3. While the oil is heating, combine the chicken marinade with CJ beksul mix, cornflour, and eggs.  Mix together well.
4. Add the coated chicken to hot oil one by one.  Fry them for 12 mins until the chicken is crunchy or golden crispy.  Once turn golden crispy, dish out the chicken over a bowl to remove the excess oil.
5. Let the oil heat up for 2 mins over medium heat until it reaches 380 deg F.  Re-fry the chicken for another 3-5 mins until very crispy or crunchy.
6. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat.  Stir in minced garlic until light brown for about 30 seconds.  Add the ketchup, rice syrup, gochujang, vinegar and stir well with a wooden spoon.  Reduce the heat to low and stir until bubbling.  Remove from the heat.
7. Add all the crunchy chicken and mix well with a wooden spoon and sprinkle some roasted sesame seed.  Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately.

Tip:

If do not have the Korean frying mix flour, you can substitute for the following:

• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Hong Kong Crispy Noodle (Seafood)

 

Ingredients:

1 packet Chow Mein/Wanton Noodle/Hakka Noodle

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic ~ minced

2-3 sliced ginger

1-1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp black/white ground pepper

1-1/2 tbsp chicken powder

1-liter water

2 egg ~ beaten lightly

Cornstarch solution (2 tbsp cornstarch +4 tbsp water)

Vegetables

1/2 carrot ~ sliced thinly

Chinese green vegetable (Bok choy)

Seafood

100g beef ~ thinly sliced

8-10 prawn

1 fishcake ~ thinly sliced

1-2 squid ~ cut into ring

6 pcs scallop ~ cut half

Directions/Instructions:

1. Boil water in a large pot and bring it to boil over medium flame.  Then add noodles, 1 tbsp oil, and salt.  Boil until noodle is almost cooked for about 3 mins.  Stir occasionally in between.
2. Transfer the noodle to a colander to drain excess water under cold water to stop from over boiled.  Remove any excess stickiness.
3. Transfer the noodle to a baking tray.  Spread the semi-cook noodle and sprinkle 2 tbsp cornstarch.  Divide the noodle into 4-6 portions and set aside.  Let it dry at room temperature for 30 mins to remove any excess moisture.
4. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium flame.  Deep fry boiled noodles in batches until light brown and crispy.  Drain excess oil and transfer onto absorbent paper.  Place crispy noodles on a wide and slightly deep serving plate.
5. Heat oil in a wok, add minced garlic, and stir fry for about 30 seconds.  Add carrots and seafood.  Stir-fry briefly until the prawns starting to turn opaque.
6. Then add soy sauce, oyster sauce, ground black/white pepper.  Stir to mix for a min.
7. Add boiling water, chicken powder, and ginger slices.  When the broth comes to a boil, lower to a simmer and add the green vegetables.  
8. Then add the beaten egg and cook for another min.  Thicken the gravy to desired consistency with cornstarch solution.
9. Ladle hot gravy over the crispy noodles with pickled green chili at the side.  Serve immediately.

Crispy Fish

Ingredients:

1lb boneless sole fish fillets

Pinch salt

Pinch black pepper

1/4 cup white wine/rice wine

Coating

2 cup corn starch

2 large eggs ~ beaten

2 cup bread crumbs

5 slice bread ~ diced

Sauce

Tartar sauce recipe here

Directions/Instructions:

1. Cut out the brown surface of the bread slices then cut the bread into dices and set aside.
2. Split each fish fillet from the middle lengthwise then slant the knife at 45 deg angle and slice the fish into chunky pieces.
3. In a bowl, combine fish with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and white wine/rice wine.  Mix it well.
4. Coat the marinated fish pieces with starch first, then dip into the beaten egg and coat half of the fish with diced fresh bread.  Pad the bread dices to make them stick to the fish and dust some breadcrumbs and pad tightly so it will stick together.
5. In a cooking pan, bring enough cooking oil to 100-120 deg C (220-250 deg F), deep fry the fish until golden.  Remove from oil and drain.
6. Serve the fried fish with tartar sauce or any sauce to your like on the side.

Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:

1 shallot ~ minced

15g pickles ~ minced

1 tbsp parsley ~ minced

1 tbsp white vinegar

1/8 tsp ground rosemary

1 tsp sugar

pinch salt & black pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

1 hard-boiled egg ~ minced

1 cup mayonnaise

Directions/Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the above ingredients together and use a fork to mince the hard-boiled egg.  Mix well.