Hainanese Chicken Rice Pau

[ Collaboration with Dancing Chef and Singapore Home Cooks ]

* "Hainanese Chicken Rice" Pau using Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste *

Presenting my new creation using Dancing Chef Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste!

My family loves chicken rice, so I thought of a "on-the-go" finger food with chicken rice flavour that's different from the conventional.

The concept is like a kong bak bao or gua bao but chicken rice flavour :) In fact, this is versatile and can be made into the traditional enclosed bao too.

Chicken rice paste is added to the Pau dough; in addition I added pandan juice for the green colour Pau as I like the aroma of pandan chicken rice.

The Pau has a subtle taste of chicken rice (smells really aromatic during steaming!) and is good to eat on its own but even better with poached chicken, ginger sauce, chilli sauce as well as cucumber, chilli shreds and coriander. *Both the ginger sauce and chilli sauce have Dancing Chef chicken rice paste added too!

It's literally like eating chicken rice, without the rice!

Isn't this cute, I love small size finger food like this, which can be eaten in one or two bites :p

Preparing this Pau is not difficult, just a tad tedious, but trust me it will be popular, especially for those who love chicken rice and/or pau or both LOL :p

For the original chicken rice flavour Pau, the dough is made using Pau flour, baking powder, sugar, yeast/sugar/water mixture, chicken rice paste and water.

Mix all the ingredients together using spatula till a rough dough forms and then knead for 10 mins. Initially the dough might be a little wet and sticky, sprinkle just a little bit of flour will help but not too much, just keep kneading and the dough will turn smooth and non-sticky. Cover and proof for 30 mins.

For the pandan chicken rice flavour Pau, the dough is made using Pau flour, baking powder, sugar, yeast/sugar/water mixture, chicken rice paste and pandan juice.

Likewise, mix all the ingredients together using spatula till a rough dough forms and then knead for 10 mins. Initially the dough might be a little wet and sticky, sprinkle just a little bit of flour will help but not too much, just keep kneading and the dough will turn smooth and non-sticky. Cover and proof for 30 mins.

Once dough is proofed, roll it out to about 5-6mm, use a 7cm mould to stamp the dough skins. Gather the scraps and repeat. If the dough shrinks, let it rest for 5-10 mins before stamping again. I manage to get 7 pcs.

Next use a rolling pin to roll each dough skin into oval shape thickness about 3-4mm. Brush the dough skin with some olive oil, fold it into half, place onto a piece of pau or baking paper (cut into 6cm square), and finally proof for 30 mins. Once proofing is done, steam on high heat for 20 mins and the pau skin is ready!

Repeat the same steps for the pandan chicken rice dough.

My freshly steamed chicken rice flavour paus, they look quite good, don't they? The pau is quite soft and fluffy with nice aroma and subtle chicken rice taste, I couldn't resist eating it plain ;)

Hainanese Chicken Rice Pau

(Makes 14 small size portions, 7pcs of original flavour and 7pcs of pandan flavour)

(A) Pau dough

Original chicken rice flavour (7 pcs)

• 100g Pau flour or Hong Kong flour
• 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder
• 20g caster sugar
• 30g Dancing Chef Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste (include some oil in the packet)
• 35-38g water
• 1/4 heap tsp instant yeast
• 1/4 heap tsp caster sugar
• 1.5 tsp water

Pandan chicken rice flavour (7 pcs)

• 100g Pau flour or Hong Kong flour
• 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder
• 20g caster sugar
• 30g Dancing Chef Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste (include some oil in the packet)
• 35-38g Pandan juice (blend 10 pandan leaves with 80-100g water, strain to get juice)
• 1/4 heap tsp instant yeast
• 1/4 heap tsp caster sugar
• 1.5 tsp water

1. Steps are the same for both flavours.
2. Mix yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl, set aside till the mixture turns frothy.
3. Add flour, baking powder and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl, stir till well blended.
4. Add chicken rice paste, water (or pandan juice) and yeast mixture into the mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients together till a rough dough forms.
5. Transfer the rough dough onto a kneading mat. Knead the dough for 10 mins. The dough may be a little wet and sticky initially, dust just a little bit of flour but not too much. Keep kneading and the dough will turn smooth and non-sticky.
6. Cover and proof the dough (first proof) for 30 mins.
7. Once dough is proofed, roll it out using rolling pin to about 5-6mm thickness.
8. Use a 7cm scalloped round mould to stamp out the dough skins. Gather scraps and repeat. If the dough shrinks, rest for 5-10 mins before continuing. Total yield is 7 pieces for each flavour.
9. Using the rolling pin to roll the dough skin into oval shape about 3-4mm thickness. Brush the surface with some olive oil, fold into half, place onto a piece of pau paper (6cm square). Repeat for all, cover and proof for another 30 mins (second proof).
10. Once the dough skins are proofed, steam on high heat for 20 mins and the Pau are ready to serve. Best eaten warm.

(B) Poached chicken

• 2-3 pieces boneless chicken thighs
• 2 stalks spring onion, 3 slices ginger, 2 cloves garlic

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, add chicken thigh, spring onion, ginger and garlic.
2. Let the ingredients simmer for 10 mins.
3. Remove the chicken thighs and place in iced water for 10 mins.
4. Drain and brush the thighs with sesame oil, set aside till ready to use.

(C) Chilli sauce

• 2 pcs big red chilli
• 2 pcs chilli padi
• 20g Dancing Chef Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp chicken stock
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp sugar
• Juice from 1 lime

1. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor till fine and well-blended. Adjust seasonings to taste.

(D) Ginger & Spring Onion Sauce

• 20g Dancing Chef Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste
• 2 stalks spring onion, finely chopped
• 80-100ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp sugar
• corn starch water

1. Add chicken rice paste and spring onion to a small pot, stir fry on low heat for 30s.
2. Add water and sugar, stir till well-mixed.
3. Thicken with corn starch water if the sauce is too watery.

(E) Assemble

• 14 pcs original and pandan flavour chicken rice pau (from A)
• 14 pcs chicken thigh (from B, cut the chicken thigh into sizes that fit the pau)
• Cucumber, coriander, chilli shreds
• Chilli sauce, Ginger & spring onion sauce (from C & D)

1. To serve, take a piece of pau, open up, place cucumber, chicken thigh, coriander and chilli into the pau, and finally drizzle some chilli sauce and ginger spring onion sauce.
2. Best eaten warm.

NOTES:

• This pau is best eaten warm, it will turn a little hard when cold (just like mantou). To reheat, steam for 5 mins. 
• As no preservatives, bread improvers or softener is added, the pau is best eaten on the same day, or keep in fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat before eating.
• I made the pau to be small size, eaten in 1-2 bites. For regular or bigger size pau, increase quantity of ingredients and use bigger mould to stamp the dough.
• This dough can be made into conventional enclosed pau too, or simply eaten as mantou.

This Pau is visually appealing and taste yummy, suitable for parties and gatherings, especially for the upcoming National Day!

So this is also my tribute to Singapore's 54th Birthday :)

Hope that all of you like my creation :)

Dancing Chef™️: One Paste, Many DishesBe (surprisingly) different

#DancingChefSG

AUGUST PROMOTION:  Dancing ChefTM Pastes 100g 2 for S$5.00 (UP: S$2.85) Available at Cold Storage, Giant, NTUC FairPrice and Sheng Siong

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Beef & Chicken Rendang Burgers

[ Collaboration with Dancing Chef and Singapore Home Cooks ]

* Beef & Chicken Rendang Sliders using Padang Rendang Paste *

I'm very fond of making mini burgers because I think they look so cute and I feel less sinful about eating them sine they are mini ;p

I've been making different flavours of sliders such as classic beef & cheese, fish fillet and teriyaki chicken, this time I thought of using #DancingChef #RendangPaste to create my very own Beef & Chicken Sliders, an East-meet-West creation.

For the chicken patty, I use boneless chicken thigh and cut them into pieces around 5-6cm. Marinate the pieces with the Padang Rendang paste for around 2-3hrs. Coat the marinated chicken with tapioca flour, rest for 5 mins then deep-fry on medium heat till crispy and golden brown.

For the beef patty, I use minced beef; marinate the beef with the paste for 2-3hrs, shape into mini patties around 5cm, then pan-fry on medium heat till browned on both sides.

*If your family doesn't take beef, simply use chicken only and omit beef.

I also use the leftover paste to make a thick and creamy sauce, to add to the burger as well as a dipping sauce for the fries. The sauce tastes so aromatic, creamy and yummy! Similar to McD's curry sauce but much more fragrant and rich. I like!

And not forgetting the mini burger buns which I baked using the Yudane method, which yields a soft and fluffy texture, very suitable for making burgers. Dough weight for each bun is 35g, and each burger is around 5 - 5.5cm in diameter.

If you don't have time to bake your own burger buns, Gardenia and Sunshine have mini butter rolls which can be used as well.

Assembling the burgers is always fun, feel free to add any ingredients you fancy or none at all! For me, besides the chicken and beef patties, I added just coral salad leaves, cucumber, rendang sauce, as well as some cherry tomatoes and pickled gherkins as decorations.

Just look at these tantalising sliders, I bet you couldn't stop at one! They make great party food and everyone especially kids love burgers right?

The rendang marinate and sauce goes really well with the chicken and beef, it's a western burger yet with our favourite curry and spices flavouring that we Asians love. The paste is not overwhelming and not too spicy, even my son who doesn't take much spicy food enjoyed the burger.

I'm going to serve these for my next gathering!

Beef & Chicken Rendang Sliders
(Makes 12 sliders)

• 250g boneless chicken thigh, cut into 6 pieces around 5-6cm
• 300g minced beef
• 1 packet Dancing Chef Padang Rendang Paste
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 150g coconut milk
• 1 stalk lemongrass, smashed
• 3 pieces kaffir lime leaves, remove centre vein and tear into pieces
• 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
• Tapioca flour, cooking oil
• Salad leaves, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, pickled gherkins, mayonnaise

1. Marinate chicken pieces wth 2 tsp of rendang paste for 2-3hrs.
2. Marinate minced beef with 1 heap tbsp of rendang paste and finely chopped shallots for 2-3hrs.
3. Rendang sauce: Add remaining rendang paste (around 50-55g left), coconut milk, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves into a cooking pot, bring to boil, stirring continuously to prevent burning. Add desiccated coconut and reduce heat, simmer till sauce thickens. Set aside.
4. Coat the marinated chicken pieces with tapioca flour and set aside for 5 mins. Deep-fry the chicken pieces using medium heat till golden brown and crispy.
5. Shape the minced beef into patties around 5-6cm diameter each. Pan-fry the beef patties using medium heat till browned on both sides.
6. Assemble the burgers: Slice burger bun into half, spread a dollop of mayonnaise on the bottom half of the bun, top with a few pieces of salad leaves, follow by a slice of cucumber. Add a tsp of rendang sauce, top with chicken or beef patty, add another tsp of rendang sauce, cover with top half of burger bun. Finally decorate top of burger bun with halved cherry tomatoes or sliced pickled gherkins using toothpick or skewers.

*If not using beef, replace with another 250g boneless chicken thigh.

Mini Burger Buns (bonus recipe!)

(dough weight is about 500g, makes 14 buns about 35g each)

Japanese Yudane

(prepare night before)

• 50g bread flour
• 50g boiling water

1. Place the bread flour in a heat-proof bowl. Add boiling water and quickly mix the flour with the water using a spatula.
2. Initially the dough will be bits and pieces but keep pressing and bring the dough together, a rough dough will form.
3. Cover the bowl with clingwrap and once the dough cool to room temperature, transfer the bowl to chill in fridge till next day.

Dough

• Yeast mixture: 20g lukewarm water, 6g instant dry yeast, 5g caster sugar
• 200g bread flour
• 1 recipe Japanese Yudane (above recipe)
• 1 recipe yeast mixture (above recipe)
• 50g water 
• 45g caster sugar
• 2g fine sea salt 
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 egg white (reserve remaining half for brushing on burger bun)
• 40g unsalted butter, cubed and slightly softened

1. In a small bowl, mix water, yeast and sugar and let the mixture rest for a few minutes to turn frothy.
2. Add bread flour, Yudane, yeast mixture, water, sugar, salt, egg yolk and egg white into a mixing bowl. Using a dough hook, mix the dough ingredients on low speed (speed 1 KitchenAid) for a minute, then switch to medium low speed (speed 2) and knead the dough till rough dough forms. 
3. Add the butter, piece by piece into the dough. Once all the butter cubes are added, turn up mixer speed to medium (Speed 4) and knead the dough for about 10-12 mins. The dough is ready when it leaves the bottom of the bowl and "rides up" to the top of the dough hook. Or use the window pane method by stretching a piece of dough, it will be stretchy and almost translucent without breaking.
4. The dough is quite soft and slightly sticky, oil both hands and take out the dough from the mixing bowl. Lightly knead for a minute, round the dough and place the dough into a well-oiled bowl for first proof. Cover the bowl with clingwrap and let the dough proof for about 30-45 mins or till dough doubles in size. *based on summer weather, hot & humid
5. After 30-45 mins, take out the dough and knead lightly to press out the gas. Divide the dough into desired portions. Dough weight is about 500g, I divided the dough into 14 pieces of 35g each. Slightly round the dough portions, cover them with clingwrap and rest for 10 mins.
6. After 10 mins, tighten and round the dough (by cupping the dough in the middle of your palm), and place the dough on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover loosely with clingwrap and proof for 45 mins. *Preheat the oven at 200 degree celsius after 30 mins.
7. Bake the burger buns at 190-200 degree celsius for 10-12 mins. *turn down temperature to 180 or 190 degree celsius, and cover buns with aluminum foil if the buns browned too fast.
8. Let the buns cool on a wire rack. If keeping till next day, cool completely before storing in an airtight box.

Thai-Themed Meal: Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cake), Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice), Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)

[ Collaboration with Borges Singapore and Singapore Home Cooks ]
Dish 1 - Braised Chicken with Bamboo Shoot & Mushroom
Dish 2 - Thai-themed ~ Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cake) and Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice)

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been using olive oil and grapeseed oil for most of my cooking in the recent years, because they are healthier and boast of multiple health benefits. Many people have this misconception that olive oil and grapeseed oil can only be used for western cooking or drizzling on salad; however both oils are good for stir-frying and deep-frying as well! I usually alternate between the two types of oil for my cooking (as well as baking).

Once again appreciate the opportunity given by Borges Singapore and Singapore Home Cooks to demonstrate the use of olive oil and grapeseed oil in our common daily Asian dishes :)

For my second dish (or rather dishes), I'm going Thai since I'm currently residing in Thailand =D That said, many Singaporeans simply love Thailand as well as Thai food, judging from the frequent trips that I see on FB by friends and snaking queues at Thai eateries in Singapore. My family included :p

I've been trying to cook more thai dishes, since I've access to more thai ingredients now. Today's dishes are Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cake), Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice), Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad), all popular and quite easy to cook at home, and I'm using Borges Grapeseed oil to cook them (except for Som Tum which doesn't require oil).

Some useful info about Grapeseed oil (source from Borges Singapore and Singapore Home Cooks):

• Cholesterol Free. Contains vitamin E and A. 
• Ideal for Wok, sautéing, frying and fondues.
• Mild taste, light and nutty overstones that allows the flavours of other foods to shine through when used for frying and cooking.
• Contains acid linoleic essential fats.
• Low in saturated fats. No Trans Fat.
• Carbohydrate and sodium free.
• No added preservatives, flavourings or colorings.
• With a smoke point 210-245ºC, it is ideal for stir-frying, fondues and deep-frying.

The Grapeseed oil is unique by its polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration and natural antioxidants that contribute to regulating the free cholesterol presence and radicals in the body. Grapeseed oil has a relatively high smoke point approximately 420ºF (260ºC), so it can be safely used for stir-fries, sautéing and fondue. In addition to this smoking point, Grapeseed oil has other positive attributes in relation to cooking. It has a clean, light taste that can be described as “nutty”.

Tod Mun Pla or Thai Fish Cake is a popular snack or appetiser which is very easy to make at home. Simply blend fish meat, red curry paste, egg yolk and sugar into a paste, add long beans, kaffir lime leaf and thai/holy basil, shape into a patty and pan-fry. Taste really good with sweet chilli dipping sauce. I make my own sweet chilli dipping sauce as well, so that I can adjust the sweetness and spiciness level. Mine is less sweet with more vinegar (for a more tangy taste).

Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cake)
(makes about 18-20 pcs)

Ingredients

• 500g fish meat (choose more tender fish, I use dory and tilapia)
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (storebought)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 stalks long beans, cut into thin slices
• 8 pcs kaffir lime leaves, cut very finely
• Handful of thai basil or holy basil
• Fish sauce (to taste, if necessary)
• 10 tbsp Grapeseed Oil (Borges)

Steps

1. Cut fish meat into small pieces. Add the fish meat, red curry paste, egg yolk and sugar into a food processor or chopper and blend till a paste forms.
2. Taste-test: Wet both hands and a teaspoon, scoop a spoonful of paste and form into a patty. Heat a frying pan with 1 tbsp of oil and pan-fry the patty till golden brown on both sides. Taste to see if salty or flavourful enough. I use store-bought red curry which is quite salty and flavourful. If not, add 1 tbsp more of red curry paste and/or 1 tsp of fish sauce to the fish paste.
3. Once fish paste is ready, add long beans, kaffir lime leaves and basil, use a spatula to fold the ingredients till well-mixed.
4. Heat frying pan with 10 tbsp of oil (my pan is 26cm) on medium high heat. Wet both hands and a tablespoon, scoop a spoonful of paste and form into a patty using the hands. Pan-fry the shaped patties in the frying pan till golden brown on both sides.
5. Best serve hot with sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 big red chilli
• 3-4 thai chilli/chilli padi (to taste)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
• 1/3 cup white or rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp water
• Garnish: sliced shallot, cucumber and coriander

 Steps

1. In an electric chopper or food processor, add garlic and both chilli and blend coarsely (bits are visible).
2. Place blended garlic and chilli bits into a small pot, add sugar, vinegar, salt and water and bring to gentle boil over low heat. Taste and add more sugar or chilli if necessary.
3. Stir till mixture turns syrupy and remove from heat. The mixture will thicken slightly more once cool down. 
4. To serve, top with sliced shallot, cucumber and coriander.

Pineapple fried rice is yet another favourite dish, as it has a tinge of sweetness from the pineapple (and raisins), aroma from curry powder, seafood freshness from the prawns and different textures from the rice and cashew nuts.

Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice)
(serves 4-5)

Ingredients

• 3-4 tbsp Grapeseed Oil (Borges)
• 10 pcs prawns, deveined and sliced into half
• 2 eggs
• 530g cooked rice (preferably overnight)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 10 pcs cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 150g pineapple flesh, cut into small pieces
• 60g cashew nuts, lightly toasted
• 4 tsp thai soy sauce
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1.5 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 4 stalks spring onion, finely chopped
• Garnish: coriander, thai lime

Steps

1. Heat up a large deep frying pan or wok on medium high heat, add 2 tbsp of grapeseed oil and saute the sliced prawns till just cooked. Dish up and set aside.
2. Add 1 tbsp of oil, add the eggs and scramble lightly. Once eggs are almost cooked, add the rice and toss to mix well with the eggs.
3. Push the rice aside, add 1 tbsp of oil and saute the onion till slightly cooked (changes colour), then toss the onion with the rice.
4. Add the seasonings and toss the rice to mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Mine is on lighter side.
5. Add cooked prawns, cherry tomatoes, pineapple, cashews into the rice. Toss to mix well.
6. Off heat and add spring onions and toss to mix well.
7. Best serve hot (in pineapple bowl or plates).

And finally Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)! This is such a refreshing salad that our family eats it so very often as it's crunchy and appetising with different textures and taste. Many times the HB would tabao from the evening market on his way back from work. It's convenient to buy from street stalls as you can find it everywhere, but the thing is sometimes they are too spicy and sweet for my palate. Of course the advantage of homemade is, you can adjust the taste to suit your own tastebud.

The below recipe is on the lighter side, feel free to adjust the seasonings. As my mortar and pestle is  small and I don't have a big proper som tum mortar, I make my som tum in my own steps by batches, which is not the authentic way of preparing it. Please google or check youtube videos on how it's done properly.

Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)
(serves 4)

Ingredients

• 200g julienned green papaya (I use a slicer tool to slice the papaya into thin strips)
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 stalks long beans, cut into 1cm pieces
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3-4 thai chilli, add more to taste
• 2 tbsp fish sauce, add more to taste
• 1-2 tbsp palm sugar, add more to taste
• Juice from 1 thai lime, add more to taste
• 3 tsp tamarind juice, add more to taste
• 3 tbsp raw skinless peanuts, toasted till slightly browned
• 1 tbsp tiny dried shrimps, lightly toasted

1. Soak the julienned green papaya in iced water for 10 mins. After 10 mins, dry using salad spinner or kitchen towel.
2. Add the green papaya into a large mixing bowl, use a pestle to lightly pound/crush the papaya strips.
3. Add cherry tomatoes and long beans into the mixing bowl and lightly pound/crush them using the pestle.
4. Add the tiny dried shrimps into the salad.
5. Add the peanuts into the stone mortar, lightly crush the peanuts into halves or smaller pieces. Add the peanut pieces into the salad.
6. In the same stone mortar, pound the garlic and chilli till a coarse paste. Add fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice and tamarind juice. Lightly pound and stir till the palm sugar is melted.
7. Pour the sauce from the mortar into the mixing bowl, toss everything together till well-mixed. 
8. Taste the salad and adjust taste to preference.
9. The salad tastes best freshly prepared.

Hope everyone enjoys these thai dishes! I'll try to post more thai recipes in time to come (if I have the time!). Stay tuned :)

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Want the best from the Mediterranean? We are giving away three sets of Borges Gift Basket worth $60 at http://bit.ly/2INmCz4 

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#BorgesRecipes

Butterfly Pea Flower Nasi Lemak

It's been more than three months since my family relocated to Chonburi, Thailand. Although I mentioned that I would resume my blogging once we settle down, the truth is, I've been procrastinating. Yes, I have visited some interesting places, dined at some lovely cafes and restaurants and been cooking a lot, but simply couldn't find the mojo to write. I really have a lot of backlogs. Urgh.

So yes, I'm forcing myself to kickstart with this piece! Initially thought of starting with a Thai recipe since I've been cooking more Thai food, but on the other hand, I've also been cooking SG local dishes due to our cravings :p

Frankly this is my first time cooking a whole set of Nasi Lemak from scratch. In SG it's simply too convenient and relatively easy to find reasonably good Nasi Lemak; plus I'm lazy lah! But now that we are away and it's not readily available anymore, I start to miss it.

My Nasi Lemak set consists of Butterfly Pea Flower Coconut Rice, Tumeric Chicken Wings, Nyonya Achar, Tempe, Sweet Sambal Chilli, Ikan Bilis with Peanuts as well as hardboiled egg. I separated the process into different days so that it's not too rush. Spent a day making the Nyonya Achar, another making the Sweet Sambal Chilli and marinate for chicken wings and finally ready to cook the rice, fry the wings, assemble and eat!

How does my Nasi Lemak set look? Love the addition of butterfly pea flower tea to the coconut rice, it gives the rice a lovely bluish hue and somehow the whole set looks much more sexy, exotic,  appealing :p

Here are the recipes, with reference from several sources, such as Nasi Lemak Lover, Noob Cook, LadyHomeChef (hosted under Miss Tam Chiak).

Butterfly Pea Flower Coconut Rice
(1 cup of rice, serves 2A1C)

• 20 pcs dried butterfly pea flower
• 1/2 cup boiling water

1. Infuse the dried flowers in boiling water till the flowers are fully bloomed, around 30mins.
2. Set aside 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp infused butterfly pea flower water

• 1 cup Thai Jasmine rice, washed and drained
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 pcs lemon grass, lower portion, smashed
• 3 pcs pandan leaves, tied into a knot
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 pcs shallot, slightly smashed
• 2 slices galangal

1. Add coconut milk, sugar and salt to a small pot, bring to boil till sugar is dissolved.
2. Off heat, add lemongrass and pandan leaves to the coconut milk and let them infuse till mixture is cooled down.
3. Stir in the infused butterfly pea flower water.
4. Place rice into rice cooker, add the coconut-butterfly pea flower mixture (together with the lemongrass and pandan leaves) and stir to mix well.
5. Add shallot and galangal, and set the coconut rice to cook.
6. After rice is cooked, let it rest for 10 mins before fluffing the rice.

Tumeric Chicken Wings
(serves 3)

• 6 chicken wings
• 3 pcs shallot
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp shallot oil
• Cooking oil for brushing

1. Pound shallot, garlic and coriander seeds in a mortal into a paste.
2. Add turmeric powder, curry powder, salt and shallot oil and stir till well-mixed.
3. Place chicken wings and marinate paste into a ziplock bag.
4. Seal and rub the marinate till each piece of chicken wing is well-coated.
5. Marinate for at least 4hrs or overnight in fridge.
6. Remove from fridge 30mins before cooking to bring the wings to room temperature.
7. Place the chicken wings in the basket of an air-fryer, brush cooking on both sides of the wings.
8. Air-fry for 15 mins at 180 degree celsius, turning over once after 8-9 mins.
9. Best serve hot. 

Nyonya Achar
(makes 5 jam bottles)

• 2 small cucumbers (about 450g)
• 1 small carrot (about 200g)
• 100g cabbage leaves
• 200g pineapple flesh, cut into small pieces
• 40g skinless peanuts, roasted and pounded
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted
• 3 tsp sea salt

1. Cut the cucumbers into 3-4cm sections, cut each section into quarters and slice away the seed block. Next cut the cucumber into thin strips. Add 1 tsp of sea salt to the cucumber strips and toss to coat well. Set aside for 1hr. After 1hr, squeeze out the excess water from the cucumber strips, pat dry, spread them out on a flat tray and air-dry for 1hr.
2. Cut the carrot into 3-4cm sections, then cut the carrots into size of matchsticks. Add 1 tsp of sea salt to the carrot sticks and toss to coat well. Set aside for 1hr. After 1hr, squeeze out the excess water from the carrot sticks, pat dry, spread them out on a flat tray and air-dry for 1hr.
3. Cut the cabbage leaves into bite-size pieces. Add 1 tsp of sea salt to the cabbage pieces and toss to coat well. Set aside for 1hr. After 1hr, squeeze out the excess water from the cabbage pieces, pat dry, spread them out on a flat tray and air-dry for 1hr.
4. Place the cucumber strips, carrot sticks, cabbage leaves and pineapple pieces into a large glass bowl and set aside.

Rempah

• 7-8pcs shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 pcs candlenut
• 3 pcs dried chili, soak in hot water till soften, remove seeds and cut into small pieces
• 3 pcs big red chilli, remove seeds and cut into small pieces
• 1 stalk lemongrass, lower section only, sliced thinly
• 5 slices galangal
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp shallot oil
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 100g brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Place the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, dried chilli, red chilli, lemongrass, galangal and shallot oil into a blender, blend into a smooth paste.
2. Add 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a pan or wok, add the rempah paste and turmeric powder and stir-fry till paste is aromatic.
3. Add the vinegar, water, sugar and salt to the paste and bring to simmer.
4. Remove from heat, let the rempah paste cool slightly and add the rempah paste into the mixing bowl of vegetables. Add the pounded peanut and sesame seeds. Stir to mix everything well.
5. Let the achar cool down completely before bottling. Divide the achar into glass containers (prewash with boiling water) and store in fridge. Let the achar pickle overnight for flavours to develop before consumption. Bottled achar can be stored in fridge for up to 4 weeks, but best eaten within 2 weeks.

Sweet Sambal Chilli
(makes 1 jam bottle)

• 8 pcs shallot
• 5 cloves garlic
• 15 pcs dried chilli, soak in hot water till softened
• 4 pcs big red chilli
• 3 pcs chilli padi
• 1 tsp belachan, toasted
• 1 tsp shallot oil
• 1/4 cup cooking oil 
• 100g brown sugar/white sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Remove seeds from the dried chilli, red chilli and chilli padi and cut them into small pieces. Retain some seeds if wish to have a more spicy sambal.
2. Place the shallot, garlic, chilli, belachan and shallot oil into a blender and blend till a smooth paste.
3. Add cooking oil into a wok, then add the rempah and fry on medium low heat till the sambal is cooked and aromatic (turns from bright orangey red to dark red).
4. Add sugar and sea salt and mix till gula Melaka is melted.
5. Let the sambal cool completely before bottling.

Tempe - store-bought (I lugged back from SG) and freeze. Simply deep-fry or air-fry till golden brown (around 10 mins at 180 degree celsius).
Ikan Bilis and Peanut - store-bought. I air-fry them around 15 to 20 mins at 160 degree celsius, till golden brown.
Hardboil egg - place egg into water (fully covered) and boil for 10-12 mins.

To serve, simply assemble all the ingredients onto a serving plate.

I must say I super love my Nasi Lemak set, it's visually appealing with myriad of colours and tastes totally tantalising! So does my HB and kiddo. (The kiddo only ate the coconut rice, chicken wings and egg))

The coconut rice is fragrant but not too oily or overwhelming. I chose to air-fry the chicken wings as it's more convenient, less oily and cooks more evenly. This chicken wing has a kampung feel to it, like those sold at Malay stalls. Super love the sweet, spicy and tangy achar, so aromatic and flavourful with the spices. Homemade achar seems to taste "fresher". And the sweet sambal chilli, super like it as well, only thing is, I retained a bit of chilli seeds and the sambal is a tad too spicy for me. But the HB says it's just nice.

Very pleased with my first attempt, and this shall be on my regular menu probably once a month =D

Premium quality clean products from Sasha's Fine Food

Collaboration with Sasha's Fine Food

Back in August, I had the great privilege to partner with Sasha's Fine Food to create dishes with their premium quality products. Check out the dishes:

Dish 1 - Honey mustard rosemary roasted chicken

Dish 2 - Asian chicken skewers with peanut sauce
Dish 3 & 4 - Teriyaki salmon, Chirashi Sush

Dish 5 - Vietnamese-style Honey Pork & Rice Noodle Salad

Sasha's Fine Food is an online F&B company that sourced ethically produced goods with preference to free-range, organic and/or fair trade food and drinks, and at the same time avoiding foods with unacceptable or unhealthy addictive. There's a wide variety of produce available in the webstore, from meat and fish to dry goods and groceries, dairy to beverages.

And in October, I was once again blessed to collaborate with Sasha, this time with an even larger batch of produce - Stir-fry beef from Hellaby New Zealand, Salmon portions from Mount Cook Alpine New Zealand, Cold Smoked Salmon from Aoraki Smokehouse New Zealand as well as various cuts of local chicken which are hormone and antibiotic free from Southern Malaysia.

I had a blast cooking with all these premium quality products, and below were some of the dishes I cooked.

Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl - using Hellaby Stir-Fry Beef from New Zealand

This has been on my to-cook list for some-time. Love the combination of the sweet and succulent beef with spicy tangy kimchi and the runny yolk! 

Beef Bulgogi Rice Bowl

470g stir-fry beef
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp cooking rice wine
2 tbsp pear puree
2 tbsp Coke Zero

1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp sesame seed
1 tsp gochujang
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks spring onion, finely chopped
1 stalk coriander with root, finely chopped

Simply marinate the stir-fry beef overnight, quick fry over a very hot grill pan and serve with kimchi, rice and poached egg.

Baked Chicken Thigh and Potato - hormones free, antibiotics free chicken thigh

This is such a quick and easy one-pot dish, great for busy days. Simple yet wholesome and tasty!

Just toss chicken thighs, potatos, carrots, onion, garlic along with olive oil, thyme, salt and black pepper, arrange in a casserole and bake for about 60-70 mins.

Serve with rice, pasta, salad or even on its own.

Chicken Cordon Bleu - hormones free, antibiotics free chicken breast

This is yet another dish that I wanted to try for the longest time. And surprisingly it's not as difficult as I thought. I made small rolls so that it's easy to eat and even the kiddo loved it.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 small chicken breast
4 slices ham
4 slices cheese
Salt & pepper
Corn starch, egg, panko breadcrumbs

Use a meat tenderiser to flatten the chicken breast, marinate lightly with salt and pepper on both sides, place a slice of ham follow by cheese, roll up into a log, clingwrap and place in chiller to set. Before cooking, coat with corn starch, egg and finally panko breadcrumbs. Deep-fry the chicken roll on low heat till light brown. Remove from heat, rest for 5 mins, then deep-fry in high heat till golden brown. Drain, slice into pieces and serve with honey mustard sauce.

Honey Mustard Sauce
10g butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
2 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp honey

Melt butter in a pan, add flour and stir to make a roux. Add milk and cream and bring to boil, then add fresh thyme, wholegrain mustard and honey to taste.

Chicken Teriyaki Onigirazu - hormones free, antibiotics free boneless chicken thigh

My kiddo and I love this Japanese-style "rice sandwich" as it's quick and easy to put together and very convenient to eat. Simply marinate the chicken thigh with teriyaki sauce, air-fry till cooked and assemble with seaweed, japanese rice and some vegetables like cucumber and carrots.

Lemon Garlic Herb Butter Bake Salmon - Salmon portions from Mount Cook Alpine New Zealand

This was the first time I tried baking salmon with herb butter and I must say it was really tasty!

 

The herb butter was so fragrant and the salmon was so sweet and tender!

Add minced garlic, chopped herbs like parsley, thyme & dill, lemon juice, salt & pepper to unsalted butter, mix well, spread on top of salmon and veggies, bake and ready to eat!

My son who's a salmon lover couldn't stop raving about how tender and juicy the salmon was.

Tobiko Mayo Salmon - Salmon portions from Mount Cook Alpine New Zealand

This was specially prepared for the kiddo as he loves salmon, Japanese mayonnaise and tobiko! One portion of this and he was totally satisfied, and he already requested me to make it very often for him.

Making it was such a breeze as well. Mix Japanese mayonnaise with tobiko, spread the mixture generously on top of the salmon, and air-fry till golden brown.
 

Air-fried Salmon with Mango & Pomegranate Salsa - Salmon portions from Mount Cook Alpine New Zealand

Was feeling the heat one of the days and didn't have much appetite so made a fruit salsa to go with air-fried salmon (seasoned with sea salt and black pepper).

Who knew that this combination worked so well together? Totally refreshing!

Smoked Salmon Tartine - Cold Smoked Salmon from Aoraki Smokehouse New Zealand

Last but not least, a dish that I have to rave about! This gorgeous smoked salmon from Aoraki Smokehouse tasted so smooth and tender with subtle smokey and salt taste that I felt like eating it everyday!

Served them on toasted sour dough bread with cream cheese & dill as well as avocado yogurt and greens.

Once again, shout-out and big thanks to Sasha's Fine Food for giving me this opportunity to try the lovely produce and hope to work with her again in the future!

Curry Potato Stuffed Chicken Wings

After attempting the Thai-style Stuffed Chicken Wings back in August, it is now a hot favourite at home!

I was thinking to myself, Thailand got Thai-style Stuffed Chicken Wings, so maybe Singapore also can have our very own Sing-style Stuffed Chicken Wings?

Chicken curry is one of the favourite food of Singaporeans, and I believe a common dish to serve during family gatherings and parties. Personally it's a must-prepare dish for me when I organise any gatherings. How about converting it into a party snack, by stuffing curry potato into chicken wings?

Yep, so I set myself to work on it. With Prima Taste Nonya Curry Paste, it actually saves me from a lot of extra work like preparing and frying the rempah. That leaves me to debone the chicken wings, fry the curry potato, stuff the wings, marinate them, air-fry and lastly prepare the sauce, all using just one packet of the curry paste :)

Curry Potato Stuffed Chicken Wings
(makes 8 pieces)

Ingredients

• 8 pcs chicken wings, mid-joint or winglet section only
• 1 packet Prima Taste Nonya Curry Paste
• 1 Russet potato, cut into small cubes
• 4-5 shallots, finely slices
• Cooking oil (for frying and brushing)
• 1 packet of coconut milk (there will be leftover)
• 50g Gula Melaka
• Sea salt

Steps

1. Debone the chicken wing mid-joint portion. Twist the mid-joint and wing tip to break up the bones. Insert a small knife into the mid-joint front and back to cut the meat, if need be use the fingers to ease the meat off the small bone and twist it out. Use the knife to scrape the meat away from the bigger bone, folding down the skin and slowly twist/cut it out. Set aside.
2. Prepare curry potato filling. In a frying pan, add 1 tbsp cooking oil, fry the sliced shallots till fragrant, then add the cubed potato. Fry for 1-2 mins. Add 1 tbsp of the curry paste, fry with the ingredients to mix well. Next add 1 tbsp of coconut milk, mix well and cook the curry potato till slightly softened, season with a pinch of sea salt, to taste. Set aside to cool down slightly.
3. Prepare stuffed chicken wings. Take a piece of mid-joint, open up and stuff a few pieces of curry potato inside. Repeat for remaining wings.
4. Marinate the chicken wings. In a small bowl, mix remaining curry paste with 8 tbsp of coconut milk. Coat the stuffed chicken wings thoroughly. Chill the wings in fridge overnight, preferably 12 hours. *there will be leftover marinate, reserve them for dipping sauce the next day (chill in fridge).
5. Prepare the curry dipping sauce: Add the reserved marinate with 2 tbsp of coconut milk and 50g of gula melaka and bring to boil till gula melaka melts. Transfer to serving bowl.
6. Cook the stuffed wings. Before cooking, remove the wings from fridge to bring to room temperature. Arrange the stuffed wings in the air-fryer. Brush the wings with some cooking oil. Air-fry the wings at 160 degree celsius for 16 mins, turning over after 8 mins. Then turn up temperature to 200 degree celsius and air-fry the wings for another 5-6 mins, turning over after 2-3 mins. The stuffed wings are golden brown and ready, transfer to serving plate and enjoy hot with curry dipping sauce.

I'm really pleased about how the stuffed wings turn out! They are sooooo yummy, with flavourful curry taste (because of the overnight marinating) and different textures of crispy skin outside, succulent meat & soft potato inside. It's good to eat on its own but even better with the curry dipping sauce. In fact, the curry sauce bears a resemblance to the one at McDonald's, maybe just additional nuance of spices.
 
In case you are wondering, my recipe states 8 pieces, but there are only 7 pieces of wings in the photo. Actually I air-fried one to test the timing and temperature first.

Super love love love this local version of Stuffed Chicken Wings, and it's going to be a staple in my menu from now onwards.

Anyways, I'm submitting this as my second entry for the "Prima Taste Authentic Asia Cooking Sauces Contest" organised by Prima Taste and Singapore Home Cooks.

#MyPrimaTaste

Wish me luck!!