Pak Tong Gao 白糖糕

These days, you can hardly find this Pak Tong Gao 白糖糕 in Dim Sum Restaurant.  

It is something similar to honeycomb cake but it is white instead of brown due to the type of sugar used.  I have never serve this to my kids and am not sure how they take to it.  

Usually, this steam cake takes a few days to prepare but I chanced upon another recipe that uses just 2 hours to do it.  

With limited time today, I explored this option.

Findings: The texture is airy and does not stick to the teeth. Unfortunately, it is way too sweet for us.  Even hub who has a higher tolerance to sweetness, agrees to it.

Note: Someone tried out 90g of sugar and finds it still sweet.  So you might want to reduce it further.

Adapted: Source 

What you need:

140g rice flour

140g sugar (I will reduce this to 100g)

300ml water (150ml + 150ml)

3 pandan leaves, knotted

½ tsp dried yeast

¼ tsp salt

¼ tbsp cooking oil
¼ baking powder

Method:

Add 150ml water to the rice flour and mix well.

Bring sugar with 150ml water, salt and pandan leaves to a boil and stir until sugar dissolved.

Pour boiling syrup into rice flour mixture.  Stir well and strain mixture.  Leave aside to cool.

Dissolve yeast in 2 tbsp lukewarm water and add to cooled rice mixture.  Stir well, cover and leave to leaven for 1½ to 2 hours till small tiny bubbles appear.

Grease and preheat a 6” round tray in steamer.

Add cooking oil and baking powder to leavened mixture, stir well and pour into heated tray.   Steam for 20 minutes on high heat.

Remove and let it cool before cutting.


Enjoy!

Siew Mai

When I dine at Dim Sum Restaurant, my favourite is Har Kow over Siew Mai.  One of the reason was I dislike the fatty meat they put inside the Siew Mai.  

Thus I always wanted to make Siew Mai.  I always thought that Siew Mai is made entirely of minced pork until a few years ago, my aunt helped me to buy a Hong Kong Dim Sum book and what I learnt from there was a good Siew Mai is meat at the bottom and prawns on top.  

So I decided to replicate that.  I also used Shanghai Dumpling Skin rather than the normal wanton skin thus the lighter colour.

Findings: I am still very bad at shaping the Siew Mai.  Mine is like fat and sloppy.  Definitely needs room for improvement.


What you need:

Dumpling wrapper
Minced pork
Fresh prawns, chopped roughly
Roe

Method:

Marinate minced pork and fresh prawn with soya sauce, sesame oil and pepper separately.

Place minced pork in the centre of the dumpling wrapper.

Next add chopped prawns.

Top off with roe before steaming on high heat for 15 mins.

Serve hot with chilli sauce





Care to join me for a Siew Mai lunch?

Fried Wanton

At long last, I bought a Philips Airfryer XL!  I wasn't impressed with the first model they had previously.  After seeing my sister's, I was even more convinced that I made the right choice not getting one as the capacity is definitely not ideal for a family of 4.  

Now the newer model came into the market.  A bigger capacity which I feel is right for a small family unfortunately, not only the price was one factor that held me back, I was intimated by the size of it.  I needed to find a space on my kitchen counter and finally I got rid of another appliance and managed to squeeze in just right.

The first attempt was Fried Wanton, though the texture is crispy but it lacks the deep fried golden colour.

Perhaps I brush a layer of oil on these wanton, the airfryer might be able to give them a golden hue.  

Overall, it is less messy than deep fried method.  

What you need:

Minced pork

A packet of wanton skin

Soya sauce

pepper

sesame oil

Method:

Marinate minced pork with soya sauce, pepper and sesame oil for at least 1 hour.

Place a tsp full of meat on the wanton skin.

Seal with water.

Air fry at 180 deg for 15 mins.  Turning it half way through.

蘿蔔糕 Mom's Radish Cake

This post was long overdue.


During the CNY,  without fail, mom always prepared her famous radish (turnip) cake.  After having a round of it, I was craving for more.  Decided to make a batch on my own.

My hand is still not functioning well, and I procrastinated to the point that if I don't make this, my radish will go into the bin.

Being a miser as not to waste food, I plucked up the courage and decided to go for it.  It was taxing as I was using most of my left hand instead of right but I was pleased with myself after accomplishing it.  Guess my left hand will soon grow stronger after this injury.

By the time I am done with the steaming, I lost the daylight for photography.  Not that I am in the mood for some elaborate photoshoot but I want it to be at least decent enough to post.

Going to keep some for hubby went he comes home as he likes my mom's too.


Will be nice to feed this to my girl for breakfast rather than trying to finish up those Lunar New Year cookies. 

Note: This version is like those available in Hong Kong Dim Sum.  
  

What you need: 

907g shredded white radish (strained)
750ml water
76g Chinese sausage, chopped finely
38g dried shrimps, soaked, roasted and chopped finely
3 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
Pepper

For garnish:

6 shallots, sliced thinly and fried till crispy 
Spring onions

Method: 

Mix together to make the batter 
340g rice flour 
2 tbsp tapioca flour 
600ml water

Method: 

Combine radish, fried shrimp, sausages, and water in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 mins.  Bring it to a boil.

Turn off heat and add batter, stir until mixture thickens

Pour the thickened mixture to a tray and steam at high heat for ½ hour (smoothen the surface with either the back of the spoon or spatula.

Test, if not cook, another further 10 mins.

Cool thoroughly before cutting.

Garnish with fried shallots and spring onions.

I’m submitting this post to the Hong Kong/Macau event of Asian Food Fest (AFF) organised by Wendy from Table for 2 and hosted by Annie from Annielicious Food

Enjoy!