A Not so Successful Okonomiyaki

I attempted to make okonomiyaki, a popular Japanese snack consists mainly of vegetables and seafood/ meat of your chioce.....

 

and....ended up pouring too much batter in with the vegetables and got a pancake-like snack instead. Well, it still tasted good, though I'm pretty sure it would have tasted better if the vegetables had been covered in less batter. Will definitely try making this again. Oh I gotta add that this is a very versatile dish, and a good way to clear leftover vegetables in your fridge. I just threw in whatever vegetables I have in my fridge!

Ingredients

Cabbage, shredded

Red bell pepper, cut into strips

Yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

Brinjal, cut into strips

Carrot, shredded

or, whatever you have in your fridge, just don't miss out the cabbage

pork, beef, squid or prawns - optional and based on your own preference

Pancake batter

1/2 cup plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup water

1 tsp dashi powder - I omitted this as I do not know where to get this

1 egg

Method

1. Prepare batter. If you're using dashi powder, add the powder to warm water and mix till dissolve. Let it cool to room temperature.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder together. Add the water slowly to the bowl, mixing thoroughly. Let the batter sit for at least 2 hours.
3. Add the vegetables (and pork, beef, prawns or squid) to the batter. Toss the mix lightly.
4. Heat a frying pan and add a teaspoon of cooking oil.
5. Scope the batter mix to the pan and let it cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 5min or till its cooked on one side.
6. Flip the okonomiyaki and cook the other side for another 5min or till its cooked through. Dish up.
7. Add mayonnaise and chili sauce to the okonomiyaki and add bonito flakes on top.

Homemade Bak Kwa

Basic Crepe Recipe

First attempt at making crepe at home. The basic crepe batter is tasty and versatile (just add sugar / salt to get a sweet / savory crepe) but my crepe making skill still has lots of room for improvements.

A plain crepe, doesn't look very appetizing huh

My futile attempt at producing a savory crepe, consisting of cheese, purple cabbage and tuna. My crepe was not very big to start with (limited by my saucepan size) and I was toooo greedy and added too much cabbage, these resulted in a hard time rolling the crepe up, with fillings overflowing from everywhere. Well, it may look ugly, but the taste is not that bad haha

Sweet crepe - now this looks nicer doesn't it? Served with ice cream and fresh berries, this makes a nice and easy dessert to compliment your meal!

Basic Crepe Recipe


Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
1 large egg
3/8 cup milk
1/4 cup water
20g melted butter
butter / oil for coating the pan

For sweet crepe:
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For savory crepe:
1/8 tsp salt
dried herbs or other ingredients of choice


Method

1. Whisk all ingredients till combined.
2. Refrigerate the batter to allow the bubbles to subside.
3. Heat up a saucepan. Coat pan with butter / oil and pour 1/4 - 1/3 cup of room temperature batter into middle of pan and swirl to get an even crepe. (No matter how hard I swirl I couldn't get a nice and even crepe, needs more practice I guess)
4. Its ready when the sides are brown and the crepe can be easily peeled from the pan. Flip and cook for a short while.
5. Repeat with rest of batter. (Unused batter can be kept for up to 48hrs)

Steamed Carrot Cake II

Prepared a steamed carrot cake again and am quite happy with the results this time. The carrot cake "unmoulded" smoothly without breaking (I had a hard time unmoulding the carrot cake the first time) and the ingredients are more evenly distributed this time.

Happy to see that the ingredients are evenly distributed =)

This time round I simply pan-fried it and ate it with sauce, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside! Simple and quick!

Or Chien Style Fried Omelette

Just add oysters and you'll have your hawker style oyster omelette!

Ingredients

2 tbsp tapioca starch)
1 tbsp rice flour       )  mix into a thin batter

8 tbsp water            )
2 eggs, beaten (I used 2 white and 1 yolk)
Chinese cooking wine
Light soya sauce
2 cloves of garlic, diced
pepper to taste
spring onions, diced
Oil for frying


Method

1. Heat oil in frying pan. Pour in flour batter and cook till batter is half set before adding eggs.
2. When eggs are almost set, push eggs aside, add some oil and fry garlic for a few seconds.
3. Add seasoning and fry with omelette and cook till eggs are ready.
4. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions and serve hot.

Baked Potato Samosa

Plate of samosa ready to be baked / freeze (to consume later). Surprising the wrapping did not take very long. Once you get the hang of it its actually very fast.

Freshly baked samosa, look and taste as good as the fried ones, only healthier!

Ingredients

Ready made popiah skin
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup mixed vegetables
Cumin powder
Curry powder
Chili flakes
Salt & Pepper
Juice from half a lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch of ginger, minced

Method

1. Steam diced potatoes till its cooked. Mash half of the potatoes while hot and combined with the balance half.
2. Heat oil in frying pan. Fry garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add in curry and cumin  powder and fry till fragrant.
3. Add in mixed vegetables and potatoes, season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Dish up when potato filing is ready.
4. Divide popiah skin into 3 rectangular strips. Wrap potato filings into popiah skin and seal with water / egg wash.
5. Brush some oil onto the samosa and baked at 200C for 15-20min till crispy and golden brown.
6. Serve hot.

Baked Spring Rolls and Spin-Off

Spring rolls or poh piahs are my favourite childhood snacks. I like the crunchy exterior and the savory vegetables wrapped inside, but of course, not very healthy as it is usually deep fried. I decided to try to have it baked rather than frying it since its more healthy. And the result is quite good. The poh piah is crunchy as well. A good alternative to the fried ones =)

A spin-off from poh piah -- paratha wrap. Delicious and filing, good as a meal with soup or on its own.

Steamed Black Sesame Kuih

Chanced upon this recipe here and decided to do it since I have all ingredients on hand and this seems healthier.

I like black sesame so I like the subtle black sesame taste in this kuih. And I like to peel it off layer by layer, just like how I always eat 九层糕 "9 Layer Cake".

See the layers in the kuih

Ingredients

 
180g tapioca flour
25g rice flour
50g black sesame powder
180ml boiling water
180ml water
130g sugar
3 tbsp thick coconut milk

Method

1. Mix tapioca flour, rice flour and black sesame powder together.
2. Use boiling water to dissolve sugar. Add in the rest of the water and coconut milk.
3. Pour liquid content into the flour mixture and stir till smooth. Sieve mixture if lumpy.
4. Steam the kuih layer by layer on high heat in a greased tray. 
5. Cut into serving size when cold using a plastic knife.

Tau Suan

This is my favourite dessert. Hubby would always buy this for me whenever I feel like having dessert. However, those sold outside are usually very sweet and contains more water than beans. Decided to try making this at home since its so easy.

I over-steamed the beans and they became very soft, but the end results is satisfactory, just the right sweetness and consistency that we like. Hubby even comment that this taste like those sold outside, just less sweet and with more beans =)

Would taste even better with you tiao!

Ingredients

150g split beans, soaked overnight
About 1L water
Sugar to taste
Potato Starch + 2tbsp water

Method

1. Steam split beans till cooked, about 20min.
2. Add steamed split beans to water and bring to boil. Add sugar to taste. Add potato starch mixture till desired consistency.
3. Serve hot.

Water Chehstnut Cake

Ingredients

250g water chestnut powder
200g raw cane sugar (can adjust to taste)
4 cups water
150g water chestnut, diced
50g wolfberries, soaked for 5 min

more water for steaming

Method

1. Combine water chestnut powder with 2 cups of water
2. Prepare water for steaming.
3. In a pot / saucepan, melt sugar in remaining 2 cups of water, add in diced water chestnut and wolfberries and bring to a boil. Add in the liquid mix in (1), stirring continuously to mix thoroughly. The mixture will thicken. Once the mixture is well combined and thicken, off the heat and transfer mixture to a 7" round tin for steam.
4. Steam for 40min till cooked.
5. Best served chilled.

Hubby said the cake is too hard, would either reduce powder or increase water the next time.

Paratha Wraps

These are simple spin-offs from the tuna and assorted veg buns. I've got some fillings left from the buns and hence added mayonnaise to it and turn it into wraps using roti parathas. Its simple and yummy, crispy on the outside and creamy smooth on the inside! A great way to use up leftovers!

Wholewheat paratha wraps for me

and plain paratha (which is more crispy) for hubby =)

Muah Chee

Ingredients

200g glutinous rice flour
300ml water
1 Tbsp canola oil
A pinch of salt
Ground peanut and sugar to taste

Sesame powder and sugar to taste

Method

1. Combine glutinous rice flour, water, salt, and mix until well combined. Steam the mixture on high heat for 15 minutes.
2. M.eanwhile, combine the ground peanuts and sugar, and sesame powder and sugar.
3. Remove the glutinous rice mixture from the steamer and let cool briefly, about 5 minutes. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic for about 5 minutes.
4. Pinch or cut the dough and toss into the peanut mixture. Serve immediately.

Kuih Bingka Ubi Kayu

Ingredients

500g Tapioca, grated
3/4 cup sugar (I reduced to 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup think coconut milk
1/3 cup butter, melted (I replaced with canola oil)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a loaf pan. Bake at 170C for 40-45min till cooked.

Pancakes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 tsp baking soda  
1/2 tsp baking powder 
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 tbsp sugar 

1 egg, separated

1cup buttermilk

2 tbsp melted butter

butter for greasing pan

Method

1. Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter. 
2. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. 
3. Check to see that the pan is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The pan is ready if the water dances across the surface. 
4. Lightly butter the pan. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.) 
5. Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the pan and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the pan-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set. 
6. Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Hold in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes.

Yield: 5-6 pancakes

Ugly Apple Tart

Mini Pork Floss Puffs

Egg Tarts

 

Looks ugly? Think so but I'm happy =). This was made using ready made puff pastry, will try doing the shortcrust pastry skin next time =)