Chicken Kway Teow With Bitter Gourd

Chicken Kway Teow With Bitter Gourd is consider as a street food in Thailand but I have to cook myself in Singapore and of course I can't find it in Singapore.

If you don't love bitter taste from bitter gourd, you can follow my technique how to choose bitter gourd. I learn this technique from my mom and I found out that it's not that much bitter.

Earlier, my husband couldn't eat bitter gourd, he also can eat after I cooked for him. He said it was not bitter as he had tried before.

Mostly this dish, they use only cinnamon and star anise for spices. I just wanted to try new thing by using Bak Kut Teh spice to make the soup and it came out not too bad.

Ingredients:

Ingredient A (Making Chicken Soup)

- 1.5 - 2 kg of chicken parts that you like
- 1 medium size bitter gourd
- Bak Kut Teh Spice (I use A1 brand)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 coriander roots
- 2-3 slices ginger
- 20 white pepper corn
- 20 black pepper corn
- 2 tbsp rock sugar (or desired)
- 1 heap tbsp soy bean paste
- 1-2 chicken stock cube (no msg cube)
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1-2 tbsp black soy sauce
- 2 tsp salt (or desire)
- 2 liter plain water

Ingredient B (Making Kway Teao)

-Kway Teaw (Flat rice noodle)
- Bean sprouts
- Kailan (cut into 2 inch length)
- fresh basil leaves
- fried garlic (fry chopped garlic into oil until golden color)
- chili powder
- fish sauce, sugar and rice vinegar for seasoning as Thai style
- 1 pot of boiling water for quick boil kway teaw, bean sprouts and kailan



Preparation

- Chicken parts, wash clean and drain then set aside.


- Wash clean and drain bitter gourd then cut into 2 inch in length.
- Use the table spoon to scoop out the middle part until clean.

Tip: Choosing old bitter gourd by selecting lighter green color, the taste will not come out so bitter.






- Add ingredient A into to the pot, except soy sauce, oyster and black soy sauce.

If you have chicken legs, will add later, too.

- Boil the soup over low heat for 20 min. (do not cover the pot)







- After 20 min the add soy sauce, oyster sauce and black soy sauce.

- If you have chicken legs, will add in this time.
- Continue to boil over low heat for 10 min.
- You may add salt as desire.

Making Kway Teao

- Quick boil kway teao, kailan and bean sprouts in another boiling water pot, then paste into the bowl.
- Scoop the the soup, chicken and bitter gourd in to the bowl.
- Add fried garlic, seasoning with chili powder, fish sauce, sugar and vinegar as desire taste. ( this is Thai style seasoning but actually the soup is already taste great.
- Paste fresh basil leaves as you like... and then... Yum Yum :P

Ba Bao Yam Rice ( 8 Treasures Taro Rice)

"Ba Bao Yam Rice" is the Singlish name that my husband created for this dish.

Ba means eight
Bao means treasure
Yam, actually I use taro but Singapore calls "Yam".

I heard that they love to eat Plain Yam Rice with Bak Kut Teh in Singapore but in Thailand we cook it differently. We put lot of ingredients and serve with clay pot. You can find it in Thai-Chinese restaurant. I create this dish and try to mix 8 items inside that's why my husband calls this "Ba Bao Yam Rice" or 8 Treasures Yam Rice. The main ingredients are; 1. rice, 2. yam(taro), 3. prawns, 4. dried mushrooms, 5. Chinese sausage, 6. ginkgo, 7. carrot, and 8. egg.

Ingredients (2-3 Serves)

Ingredients A
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 1/2 cup uncooked glutinous rice
- 150 g Thai taro, cut into small cube (1.5 cm x 1.5cm)
- 70 g Chinese sausage slices
- 4 dried mushroom (soak in warm water till soft and slices)
- 50 g carrot, cut into small cube (1cm x1 cm)
- 50 g ginkgo
- 2 egg
- 3 spring onion, dice for garnish
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cups of water or chicken stock
- pepper for seasoning

Ingredients B

- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp seasoning sauce (maggi)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

And rice cooker
Preparation


prepare ingredients A












- Combine ingredients B together and set aside.
- Mix two kinds of rice together and wash clean until clear color then set aside
- Add a bit vegetable oil into pan fry and fry slices of Chinese sausage until fragrant then set aside.








- In fry pan, add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and fry chopped garlic over medium heat until fragrant then add mushroom slices, continue to fry until fragrant then add the mixed sauce (ingredient B).
- Add carrot cubes fry for 10 sec.
- Add uncooked rice and mix them well then off the heat.
- Transfer mixed ingredients in rice cooker and put taro cubes, fried chinese sausage slices, gingko, and prawns
- Add 2 cups of chicken stock and press the button to cook!!! (If your rice cooker has mixed rice mode, you can choose that mode)
- After the rice is done, seasoning with pepper and stir well then scoop personal portion of Yam rice into serving clay pot.
- Add the egg and cover the lid, put the clay pot into microwave until the egg is done (around 1 min, depending on your microwave model).


- Sprinkle with chopped spring onion and serve immediately .


I would tell you that the smell is really GREAT!!

Singapore Laksa

Singapore Laksa is one of favorite menu of my friends. They always ask me about Singapore Laksa. Since I stay here, why not try to make this dish.

Laksa noodle or Laksa Beehoon is really similar with Knom-jein in Thailand but texture is different. Laksa is very unique and taste great!!

You can find more information about Laksa here

Ingredients:

Ingredients A: (4 Serves)

- 20 dried chili (Soaked in water until soft)
- 8 shallots
- 15 Candlenuts
- 2 tbsp of dried shrimps (Soaked in water until soft)
- 1-2 bulbs of fresh lemongrass chopped
- 4 slices of ginger
- 1 tsp of ground turmeric
- 2 tsp of ground coriander
- 1 tsp of shrimp paste or belacan

Ingredients B: (2 Serves)

- 4 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 bulb of lemongrass, cut half
- 700 ml of chicken stock or fish stock
- 100 ml of coconut milk
- Seasoning with salt, sugar and pepper

Ingredients C: (2 Serves)

- Laksa Beehoon

- Fish cake slices

- 6 boiled shrimps

- quick boiled cockle

- Laksa leaves

- Tofu puff

- Bean sprout

- 1 boiled egg

Preparation

- Blend ingredients A in blender until paste.

Then separate half for cooking today because I cooked for 2 serves. I keep the rest of Laksa paste in Zip lock bag or plastic box for another meal in refrigerator.

According to ingredient B to make Laksa Curry

- Add vegetable oil into the wok and fry curry paste until fragrance.

- Add lemongrass and fry until fragrance, if it is too dry you can add chicken stock.

- Add the rest of chicken stock and bring it into boil.

- Add coconut milk and stir well and let it boil again.

- Seasoning with salt and sugar as you desire.

- Quick boil laksa beehoon and bean sprout as you desire then paste into serving bowl.

- Add Laksa Curry into serving bowl.

- Paste all the ingredients as you desire.

Serve immediately .....

XO Sliced Fish Soup and Bee Hoon

One of my favorite fish soup restaurant is "Xin Yuan Ji" at Bugis Junction, Singapore. I always order the soup with milk, it taste good. And another shop, I could not remember the name of the restaurant, it is in Holland Village. There has XO fish soup.. Then how?? Both shop also nice...

I love smell of XO and also love milky soup..

Both shop inspired me to created this dish.

Thanks for both of them :)

Ingredients:

- 200 g of Laksa Bee Hoon

- 250 g of grouper fish fillet slices (or any fish you like)

- Fish Cake as you like

- 3 tbsp of corn flour

- Xiao Bai Cai or Chai Sim as you like

- 500 ml of fish stock (or chicken stock)

- 100-150 ml of evaporate milk (as you like)

- 4 slices old ginger

- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped

- 2 tbsp of XO brandy

- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil

- 2 tsp of sesame oil

- 1 pinch of salt

- 1 tbsp of fried shallot slices

- Seasoning with pepper

- vegetable oil for frying fish slices

and Clay pot

Preparation

- Quick boil Laksa Bee Hoon and wash in cold water and set aside.

- Seasoning Corn flour with salt and pepper.

- Lightly coat the mix flour with fish slices.

- Fry fish slices into vegetable oil over medium heat until golden, drain the oil and set aside.

- In clay pot, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil then add ginger slices, chopped garlic and fry over medium heat until fragrantly.

- Add 1 tbsp of XO brandy, Fire!!!

- Add fish soup/stock and bring it into boil.

- Add evaporate milk (I use carnation)

- Add another 1 tbsp of XO brandy follow by sesame oil and pinch of salt then bring into boil again over medium high heat.

- Add Xiao Bai Chi or vegetable and fish cake cook until done.

- Add bee hoon and fried fish slices.

- Serve immediately

I serve with light soy sauce with chopped red chili dipping.

hahaha.. Finally, I can drink milky fish soup smell of XO brandy... :P Yum Yum..

Opps I forgot to fry shallot slices...hahaha..

Just add 1 tbsp of fried shallot, will make smell and taste better.

Cereal Prawn

Cereal Prawn is the one of popular menu in Singapore and also be one of my favorite menu, too.

My husband had challenged me again. He thought I can't cook this menu..
No problem..!! Everything can learn in this world.

I honestly tell you that it was my first cereal prawn that I ever cook in my life.. hahaha..

I went to book stores and read many books about cereal prawn, searching on internet and watched TV show. I found out that it was not difficult and I was ready to cook!!! .. Let's my hubby know that who scare who hahaha... Oh.. I got 6 giant tiger prawns for today. Actually I wanted to cook all of them but their size are big then I cooked only 4 prawns.
My recipe can cook about 6 giant tiger prawns or 14 grey prawns.

Ingredient (2-3 Serves)
- 6 tiger prawn or 14 grey prawns
- 20 Curry leaves
- 2 chili padi, slices
- 1 Cup of Nestum Original Cereal. (other brands can be done but Nestum is the best!)
- 1 heap tbsp of corn flour
- 1 heap tbsp of milk powder
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp of evaporated milk (Full Cream Carnation)
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 1 tbsp of sugar or as your desire
- Seasoning with salt and pepper





Cereal Nestum Original is the popular brand that many shops use for cook cereal prawn.
















- lightly beaten the egg








Preparation

- Clean prawn, cut unwanted part but still leave the shell and head.
- Seasoning prawns with salt
- Mix milk powder and corn flour together then lightly coating the prawn.
- Fry the prawns in hot oil until crispy and set aside.







- In the wok over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of butter and fry curry leaves until crisp and fragrant, add chili to fry together for 10 sec.


(in the picture, I added more curry leaves because I love them!!)







- In the wok, set the curry leaves and slices chili aside.
- Add egg beaten and 2 tbsp of of evaporated milk then quickly stir until scramble.
- lower the heat to low heat, add cereal and fry until gold color. Keep stirring and be careful, it will over cook.







- Bring the crispy prawn back to the wok.
- Add sugar, seasoning with salt pepper and stir well.

This state must do very quick, if not your cereal will over cook..

- Serve immediately.

Mince Beef Jungle Curry

Jungle Curry (Kaeng Pah) is translated exactly from Thai name.
Jungle = Pah
Kaeng= Curry

The curry is really jungle because it put lots of spices into the curry. At first, my husband didn't dare to eat this menu. He said, it looks very spicy and...so scary. Later, I told him, this curry is good for man... hahahaha. then he was very excited to try this "Jungle curry".

"Kaeng Pah" taste spicy and salty. The soup has sweet taste from vegetable and spices that we added. Kaeng Pah is clear color soup because we have no add coconut milk but it use the same red curry paste that you use for "Kaeng Ped".

For saving time, I will not teach you to make the red curry paste. You can find the red curry paste that available in Thai supermarket in your country. I'm using "Mae Ploy Brand".

Ingredients for 2 serve
- 1 tbsp of red curry paste
- 180 g of mince beef
- 4 baby corn
- 2 round eggplant
- 2 tbsp of turkey berry(makhua phuang, or Plate brush egg plant)
- 4 tbsp of fingerroot slices (kra chai or Chinese ginger)
- 2 long bean, cut into 1 inch length
- 1 tbsp of young pepper
- 2 red chili, sliced
- 2-3 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 handful of holy basil
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock
- seasoning with palm sugar or sugar, fish sauce

Optional: bamboo shoot, mushroom


- Kra Chai or Fingerroot, washed and sliced.


- Round egg plants and Turkey berry, washed, cut and soak in salt solution to reduce blackish color.








Preparation

- Add 1 tbsp of oil into the pot and then 1 tbsp of red curry paste, fry until fragrant, if it dry you can add a bit of water.
- Add mince beef and fry until done.
- Add baby corn, fingerroot slices, keep stirring.
- Add long bean, baby corn, young pepper and karrif lime leaves.
- add the rest of water and bring it into boil.
- Seasoning with sugar and fish sauce as desire.

(I add only 1 tsp of sugar, and 1 tbsp of fish sauce)
It depend on your red chili paste because some brand they are very salty.


- Remove the round egg plants and turkey berries from salt solution, then add into the pot and cook until they are done.
- Turn off the gas, then add holy basil and sliced red chili. Taste and Seasoning as desire.

Serve with steam Thai jasmine white rice.

I didn't cook too spicy today because my husband eat with me. I couldn't believe my eyes that he finished the soup.

Chicken Soup

Normally, I would love beef soup more than chicken soup. I felt like I wanted to drink chicken soup that day. My husband love to drink soup very much. He love to drink soup more than eat meat in the soup. Is that Chinese style? He told me the meat in the soup is no taste anymore. Only the soup has taste. Is'n it? I know only I eat everything.. eat meat and also drink the soup..kekeke

There are many ways to make chicken soup. This is one of easy way to make the chicken soup. It's Thai-Chinese style chicken soup. I learned this technique and recipe directly from my mom.


Ingredients:
- half chicken, clean, cut into pieces
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 tomato
- 1 potato
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 tsp
- 3 soy sauce
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star aniseeds
- 20 black pepper
- 20 white pepper
- 1 liter of water

Preparation
- Add all ingredients including cinnamon, star aniseeds, black pepper, white pepper and salt into the pot.
- Pour 1 liter of water into the pot.
- Open the lid and slow cook for 45 min over low heat
"Do not Stir or touch any thing!!"

If not your soup will not clear!!







You may see this foam in the pot during slow cook..

We will scoop them later....










After 45 min

- Add soy sauce..

If you don't like to soup to get darker color, you may add only salt.

I do love soy sauce smell because this is mushroom soy sauce.

** when you add salt, do not add too much, if you are not sure, slowly add and try until you love that taste.


- Scoop the foam and unwanted oil out, left only clear color soup.















Serve Hot!
Also can serve together with steam rice.