Eu Yan Seng Bak Kut Teh

My father loves to eat Bak Kut Teh. When I was young, I remember my father bringing the family to the coffee shop at Bugis for Bak Kut Teh almost every week. But the stall had to shift as the site was redeveloped. The current site is the empty plot of land next to Bugis Junction.

My father still eat Bak Kut Teh frequently. In Singapore, he would go to Rong Chen Bak Kut Teh at Sin MingRoad. The soup is clear with a huge spare rib and lots of pepper. Not really my kind of Bak Kut Teh. I prefer the darker soup served in claypot with more herbs. In Johore Bahru, there are a lot of coffee shops just serving claypot Bak Kut Teh.

Had tried a few brands of Bak Kut Teh premixes and some of them are quite good. I like Uncle Sun but I think it's expensive at $4.90 a packet. But if you're preparing a big pot of soup for a bigger family, it's a good choice to consider. Since there are so many brands of Bak Kut Teh premixes in the market, I thought I can slowly try them all :P in search of the best Bak Kut Teh premix...

Anyway, I bought a box of Eu Yan Seng Bak Kut Teh last week and finally used it this evening...
Well, when the soup was boiling, it was fragrant, just like bak kut teh should be...

But when I finally got to taste it, I was really disappointed. It was really bland and I can't taste pepper at all. I had to add my own soy sauce and peppercorns. 

Personally, I think it's the worst Bak Kut Teh Premix that I've tried so far. But the worst is yet to come... I still have another 9 packets in the box...

Ku Low Yok

Prepared Ku Low Yok (Sweet & Sour Pork Cubes) for dinner this evening. Served it in half a pineapple. Going to try to use the other half tomorrow for pineapple fried rice :)

Ingredients:

300g pork (wu hua rou) (Pound with back of chopper before cutting into cubes)

oil for deep frying

corn flour for coating

1 green capsicum, cut into small pieces

1 tomato, cut into wedges

1 onion, quartered

a quarter pineapple, cut into pieces

Marinade pork in:

1 egg

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (helps to tenderize the meat)

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp water

Sauce:

1 tbsp plum sauce

3 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tbsp chilli sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp white rice vinegar

100ml of water

Method:

1) Coat marinate cubed pork in corn flour.

2) Deep fry pork till golden brown. Dish up & drain. Set aside.

3) In another frying pan, heat a tbsp of oil. Stir fry onion till fragrant. Add capsicum, tomatoes & pineapple. Pour in sauce & cook until it thickens.

4) Add in fried pork & mix well. Dish up & Serve.

Jin Dou Spare Ribs

Tried cooking Jin Dou Spare Ribs for the first time. I'm not a great fan of spare ribs (not much meat, just bone) but Jerome is. So Jerome liked this sweet & sour side dish. I served this with a simple steam toufu on beansprouts and white rice. I had to resort to using fingers to eat the spare ribs & ended up licking my fingers clean of the Jin Dou Sauce. Finger lickin' good? Hmm...

Jin Dou Spare Ribs - Deep Fried Prime Ribs with a Sweet & Sour Sauce

Recipe for Jin Dou Spare Ribs

(adapted from "Hawkers' Fair... Sauces")

Serves 2 as a side dish

Ingredients:

500g spare ribs, cut into pieces

Marinade:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

1 egg

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tbsp custard powder

3 tbsp water

Jin Dou Sauce:

50ml black vinegar

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 tbsp tomato sauce

2 1/2 tbsp plum sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp five spice powder

50ml water

Other:

some corn flour water, for thickening (1tbsp cornflour mix with 100ml water)

Method:

1) Marinade sapre ribs for at least 3 hours, best overnight. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Dish up and set aside.

2) Combine all the ingredients for Jin Dou Sauce and bring to a boil for 3 mins. Add in spare ribs and mix well. Thicken with cornflour water and dish up. Serve hot.

Honey Pork

This recipe is from "Classic Nonya Dishes" by Patricia Lee from Chilli Padi. When Jerome & I were staying at Katong area, we went to Chilli Padi for dinner on quite a few occasions. Honey Pork is a dish that we would always order. The pork is cut into strips, marinaded & deep fried. The honey sauce that coats the pork is what made the dish a winner. We just can't seem to get enough of it. So now that we've shifted & I've bought her cook book, I can try the recipe at home :) I'm going to try using chicken meat next time & see how it goes.

Honey Pork

Adapted Recipe for Honey Pork

Ingredients:

Deep Fried Pork:

300g lean pork

Marinade:

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tsp of sesame oil

dash of pepper

oil for deep frying

Sauce:

1 tsp of oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

50g or  4 tbsp of mixed vegetables

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp plum paste
2 tsp honey

Method:
1) Pound the pork with the back of chopper and cut into strips. Marinade pork  for at least 30 mins.
2) Heat oil for deep frying & deep fry the pork strips till golden brown. Dish up & set aside.
3) Heat 1 tsp of oil. Saute chopped garlic till fragrant. Add the mixed vegeatbles. Reduce heat & add the plum sauce, oyster sauce & honey.
4) Add in the fried pork & stir fry till the pork is well coated in the sauce.
5) Dish up & serve immediately.

Bar Chor Mee II

Just prepared Bak Chor mee (minced pork noodles) for lunch again. This time I used Wantan noodles, those finer type. Still prefer the mee pok noodles. I've also used vegetables-fishballs this time, but the plain white ones are still better... Bak Chor Mee Recipe.

Bak Chor Mee (Minced Pork Noodles)

Japanese Curry with Pork Cubes

After a lunch of Katsu Chicken, I followed up with a Japanese Pork Curry for dinner :P Today is Japanese food day! Personally, I would have preferred to use chicken meat. Since we had chicken for lunch already, I chose pork instead. Next time, I'll try using beef.  This is a super quick meal, ready in less than half an hour. And the best part, it's tasty!

Japanese Curry Bento

Japanese Curry with Pork & Vegetables

(I added a big onion, a potato, carrot & capsicum)

Japanese Curry Sauce Mix

Easy... Just add water.... & all the ingredients you like...

A recipe is provided at the back of the box. Just get the ingredients that you want ready and your Japanese Curry is just 20 minutes away...

Bak Chor Mee (Mushroom & Minced Pork Noodles)

Hubby was having a craving for Bak Chor Mee ( a very common hawker dish in Singapore) & wanted me to try cooking it. I have never prepared any Bak Chor Mee before & this creation is based entirely on an experiment. I didn't refer to any recipe, just tried re-creating it based on how it's suppose to taste. And quite pleased with how it turned out & managed to satisfy my hubby's craving :)

Not too bad for a 1st attempt & think I'm going to keep it the way it is. A lot more ingredients in a bowl of noodles than when we can buy from the hawker :)

A bowl of Yummy Bak Chor Mee...

(Why am I feeling hungry again? )

Recipe for Bak Chor Mee ( Mushroom & Minced Pork Dry Noodles)

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

(feel free to change, subjected to individual's taste preference)

(A)

200g Minced Pork (marinade with some light soy sauce, pepper & sesame oil)

5 pcs of chinese dried mushroom, soaked & cut into slices

1 tbps oil

some chopped garlic

200ml water

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

pepper

sesame oil

(B)

200g Mee Pok Noodles

10 pcs fishball

some green leafy green vegetables

Noodle Sauce: (Mix all together in a big bowl)
1 tbsp black vinegar

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp tomatoe sauce

1 tbsp chilli sauce

1 tbps sambal chilli

2 tbps water

dash of pepper

Method:

Mushroom & Minced Meat:

1) Heat up 1 tbsp oil in wok. Add mushroom & stir fry. Add water & seasoning. Bring to a boil & cover wok. Allow to simmer for 15mins or till mushrooms are soft. Add minced pork and stir fry till cooked. Add additional seasoning if necessary. Set aside.

Fishballs, Vegetables & noodles

2) Prepare all the sauces for noodles in a bowl. Set aside.

3) Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook vegetables & fishballs. Dish up & set aside.

Loosen up the noodles before dropping them into the water. Cook, dish up & mix noodles well in the prepared sauce.

4) Divide the noodles into 2 bowls & add all the other cooked ingredients. Garnish with some chopped spring onions & serve immediately.

Tonkatsu with Japanese Curry Bento

Tried this for the 1st time :)

Tonkatsu (Breaded Pork Chop) with Japanese Curry Bento

Recipe for Breaded Pork Chop
Ingredients:
2 pieces of pork chop
marinade in: soyasauce & pepper
1/2 cup all purpose-flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup of bread crumbs
oil for deep frying

Method:
1) Marinade pork for at least 30 mins.
2) Coat pork in flour, then in egg & finally in bread crumbs.
3) Heat oil in wok & deep fry pork till a nice golden brown.
4) Dish up and remove excess oil on kitchen paper.
5) Cut & serve hot.

Japanese Curry Cubes

Japanese Curry Sauce Mix

Japanese Curry
1 Japanese Curry Sauce Cube
250ml of water
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
1 potatoe, peeled & cut into small cubes
* You can add almost anything u like: meat, vegetables.
(I added hotdogs as I had some leftovers from breakfast.)

1) Heat up 1 tbsp oil in saucepan. Saute onion till fragrant.
2) Add water, then potatoes. Boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 mins.
3) Add other ingredients as desired.
4) Add curry cube. Stir occasionally and mix well till gravy becomes thick.
5) Serve hot.

Stir Fry Minced Meat with Potatoes

A savoury dish, good with porridge.

Ingredients

200g minced meat (marinade with some soya sauce, sesame oil & pepper)

1 potato, peeled & cut into slices

1 medium-size onion, cut into rings

200ml water

1tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp dark soya sauce

Method:

1) Heat up 1 tbps oil in wok. Saute onions till fragrant.

2) Add water. Add potatoes. Cover & simmer for 10mins.

3) Add minced meat & mix well.

4) Add seasoning of oystersauce & dark soya sauce.

5) Dish up & serve.

Wantan Noodles

Just prepared this for lunch. One of my favourite hawker food since young.

Dry Wantan Noodles with Char Siew & Fried Wantan

Wantan Soup

Ingredients for Basic Wantan:
(Makes about 40 to 50 wantans)

200g of minced pork

wantan skin

3-5 pcs of water chestnuts, chopped (this gives the wantan the crunch)

1 stalk of corriander leaves, chopped

(Optional, prawns (cut into pieces) & chopped carrots)

Seasoning: 1 tbsp of light soya sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, dash of pepper

Method:

1) Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

2) Taste Test: Add additional seasoning if necessary.

(Boil a small pot of water. Wrap a wantan, cook it & eat it.)

3) Wrap up all the wantan the way you like.

Prepare a small dish of water to help "glue up".

For Deep Fried Wantan:

1) Heat up oil for deep frying.

2) Deep fry wantan till its golden brown.

3) Drain and remove excess oil of kitchen paper.

4) Keep in oven with low heat to keep it hot & crispy till ready to serve.

5) Serve hot with dipping sauce (eg, ketcup or chilli sauce)

For Wantan Soup:

1) Prepare stock for soup. Cook suitable leafy green vegetables (eg. caixin or xiao bai cai)

( I'm a lazy cook so I just used a Korr Ikan Bilis Cube with a litre of water for my soup base)

Do not overcook vegetables. Turn off the flame.

2) Boil another pot of water & cook the wantan till they float & the colour of wantan skin lightens to very pale yellow.

3) Scoop the cooked wantan into the prepared soup.

* The reason for using a separate pot to cook the wantan is to remove the extra flour/starch on the wantan skin. This will keep the final wantan soup clear & tastier.

For Dried Noodles:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

200g of wantan/ cantanese noodles

Sauce:

2 tbps Maggie tomatoe ketchup

2 tbsp Maggie chilli sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp black vinegar

2 tbps water

1) Mix all the ingredients for sauce in a big bowl (enough to mix the noodles in later on).

2) Boil a big pot of water. Loosen up the noodles and cook the noodles for a few minutes. Test if it's cooked by trying a noodle. Do not overcook the noodles else they will become soggy.

3) Sieve up the noodles, shaking off excess water. Mix the noodles well in the big bowl of prepared sauce.

4) Dish up and divide noodles on 2 separate plates. Serve with boiled vegetables, sliced char siew & fried wantan.

5) Serve immediately & enjoy it hot.

Ku Low Yok

Cook it as a dish or for a one-dish meal... Can be replaced by chicken meat

Ingredients:
300g pork (wu hua rou) (Pound with back of chopper before cutting into cubes)
oil for deep frying
corn flour for coating
1 green capsicum, cut into small pieces
1 tomato, cut into wedges
1 onion, quartered
a quarter pineapple, cut into pieces

Marinade pork in:
1 egg
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (helps to tenderize the meat)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp water

Sauce:
1 tbsp plum sauce
3 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp white rice vinegar
100ml of water

Method:
1) Coat marinate cubed pork in corn flour.
2) Deep fry pork till golden brown. Dish up & drain. Set aside.
3) In another frying pan, heat a tbsp of oil. Stir fry onion till fragrant. Add capsicum, tomatoes & pineapple. Pour in sauce & cook until it thickens.
4) Add in fried pork & mix well. Dish up & Serve.