Steamed Lotus Leaf Rice

Ingredients

1 piece lotus leaves

700g white rice, cooked

2 eggs

100g chicken meat, cooked

50g black mushrooms

15g dried prawns - soak

50g peeled shrimps, deveined and diced

2 cloves of garlic, slice thin

Some cooking oil

1/2 tsp. chicken stock granules

                                                  3 tbsp light soy sauce

                                                      Some thick soy sauce

                                                   Salt to taste

Seasonings

2 tsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1/8 tsp salt, or to taste

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

2 tsp water

• Quickly boil lotus leaf and then allow to dry. Put the leaf in a pot.

• Heat cooking oil and saute garlic and then add in egg. Fry the egg and break it up with the spatula into small pieces. 

• Then add in chicken, mushroom, dried prawns, peeled shrimps, and chicken stock, one by one until each is aromatic, stirring constantly.

• Mix in seasonings and cook well, about one more minute.

• Drizzle two tea spoons of soy sauce into the cooked rice little by little, mix well using chopsticks or wet (and cleaned) fingers. Then, mix together the seasoned rice, spring onion and all the cooked ingredients.

• Lay the lotus leaf on a flat plate, greener side up. Try to wrap the rice with the lotus leaf. Fill the center of leaf with mixed rice. Fold sides toward the center like wrapping a parcel, tuck the end of the last side and tuck into the fold.

• Cover pot and steam rice for 30 minutes.

• Once cooked, remove part of the lotus leaf in order to expose the rice.

Serve hot. Enjoy!
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Prawn and Sesame Stir-Fry

Sesame oil and sesame seeds add nutty goodness to stir-fried vegetables and prawns.

Ingredients

• 500ml (2 cups) water
• 220g (1 cup) white rice
• 650g fresh raw prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 red capsicum, cut in half, seeds removed and cut into thin strips
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 250g sugar snap peas or snowpeas, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 200ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation method

1. In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to the boil. Add rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. While rice is simmering, combine prawns, ginger, cayenne pepper, garlic, sesame seeds and black pepper together in a large plastic bag. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator whilst rice is cooking.
3. Heat a large wok or frying pan until hot and pour in the sesame oil around the edges. Add capsicum and spring onions; stir-fry over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes to soften slightly.
4. Add teriyaki sauce, peas and the marinated prawns; stir-fry further 4 minutes or until prawns are opaque.
5. Stir chicken stock into cornflour until smooth.Add to the wok, cook, stirring until sauce boils. Sprinkle with salt. Spoon prawn stir fry over the cooked rice.

Nutrition

• Energy 1675.69kJ
• Total Fat 9.8g
• Saturated Fat 1.6g
• Salt 1074.2mg
• Total Carbs 50.3g
• Fibre 3g
• Protein 24.8g

Mughlai Biryani

A regal dish, Mughlai Biryani is fit for a king and was probably eaten by many too! This makes the perfect one-dish meal for when you have company. It combines ingredients typical to the Mughlai style of cooking.

Ingredients:

• For the meat: 1kg lamb/ chicken cut into 2" pieces (if using chicken, use breast or thigh fillet)
• 4 large onions sliced thin
• 2 tsps garlic paste
• 2 tsps ginger paste
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 6 tbsps ghee/ vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 1" stick of cinnamon
• 5 cloves
• 3 pods cardamom
• 8 peppercorns
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 1/2 tsps cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 cup yoghurt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 cup chicken/ beef stock
• 2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsps finely chopped mint leaves
• Salt to taste
• For the rice: 2 cups Basmati rice
• Hot water
• Salt to taste
• 3 drops orange food coloring (optional)
• 3 drops green food coloring (optional)

Preparation:

• Put the almonds in a bowl of hot water (enough to cover them) and set aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove skins from all the almonds by pressing each one between your thumb and forefinger. The almonds will slip out of their skins!
• Mix the garlic and ginger pastes, the peeled almonds and grind to a smooth paste in a food processor.
• Wash the rice in a sieve and add enough water to fully cover the rice - at least 4" over the surface of the rice. Add salt to taste. Set the rice up to boil. Cook till almost done. To determine when it has reached that stage, remove a few grains from the pot and press between your thumb and forefinger. The rice should mostly mash but will have a firm whitish core. Turn off the fire. Strain through a colander and keep drained aside.
• Heat 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and fry 2 of the onions till caramalized - golden brown. Drain and keep aside on paper towels for later use.
• Heat 3 tbsps of oil in another pan and add the whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns. Fry till the spices turn a little darker.
• Add the 2 remaining onions and fry till they are translucent.
• Add the ginger-garlic-almond paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add all the spice powders - coriander, cumin and garam masala and mix well.
• Fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala and then add the lamb/ chicken. Keep frying till the meat is fully sealed (it will become opaque and lose its pink colour).
• Now add the yoghurt, lime juice, stock, coriander and mint leaves and salt to taste (if needed). Mix well.
• Cover the pot and allow to cook till the meat is tender.
• If you are using the food coloring, divide the rice into 3 equal portions and put into separate dishes. Add the orange food coloring to one portion of the rice and the green food coloring to another portion of the rice. Leave the third portion white. With each portion, mix the rice till all the grains are well colored. Keep aside for 10 minutes after which you can mix all 3 portions of rice together in a bowl for use in the next step.
• Grease a deep baking dish and evenly layer the cooked rice, meat (and its gravy) in it to form at least 2 sets of layers (rice-meat-rice-meat-rice). Garnish with the previously caramalised onions. Cover the dish tightly. If the dish does not have a cover use 2 layers of aluminium foil (shiny side of both layers pointing down towards the rice) and secure on to dish with baking string.
• Put in a pre-heated oven set at 350 F/ 180 C/ Gas mark 4 for 20 minutes.
• Turn off the oven and let the dish sit in the oven till you are ready to eat. Only open when you are ready to eat. The way to serve Biryani is to gently dig in with a spoon so you get through the layers.

Hainanese Duck Rice

• 8 ounces Hokkien noodles (spaghetti may be substituted)

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 2 cups whole green beans

• 2 carrots, thinly sliced

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger root, finely minced

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 2 cups stock (chicken, fish or vegetable)

Remove the giblets from the duck, trim off the excess skin flaps and use them along with vegetable trimmings (onion, celery, bell pepper, etc.) to make a stock. Combine the cooked white and brown rice in a large mixing bowl. Add garlic, ginger and scallions and stir to mix thoroughly. Fill the duck cavity with the rice mixture and fold the skin flaps over the opening. Place excess rice into a small casserole covered casserole dish. Rub the duck with soy sauce, surround it with pandan leaves or scallions, wrap with aluminum foil and place on a rack in a roasting pan filled with about 1/2 inch of water. Roast the duck at 400 degrees for one hour.

After one hour, open the aluminum foil and allow the duck to brown for about 30 minutes Place excess rice into the oven for about 30 minutes. Remove duck from oven. Scoop rice onto serving plates. Carve duck into individual servings and arrange on plates. Serve with hoisin and dipping suaces.

Hainanese Dipping Sauces

Spicy Dipping Sauce

2 limes, juice only
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup duck stock

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake gently to mix.

Ginger Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup duck stock
2 tablespoons ginger root, finely shredded
1 teaspoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake gently to mix.

Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fry

8 whole baby bok choy, washed and trimmed
2 tablespoons rendered duck fat

Heat the duck fat in a large wok. Add whole baby bok choy and stir-fry until stalks are tender and leaves are barely wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Hayashi raisu (Hayashi rice)

Ingredients

• 450g / 1 lb thinly sliced beef
• 4 medium onions, thinly sliced
• About 10-12 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• Butter or oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 cup (240ml) red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce or Bulldog chuunou sauce
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• Parsley or green peas for garnish

The sauce ingredients:

• 1/2 cup demi-glace or 4 cups strong beef stock
• 1 16-oz or 440g can of canned tomatoes
• 1 Tbs. tomato paste
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 3 Tbs. flour
• Water

OR

• 6 blocks (or more if you like it thick) from a hayashi rice roux packet
• Water

Equipment: a large frying pan or sauté pan, a heavy bottomed pot for stewing or a crockpot

Cut the meat up into bite-sized pieces. Heat up a frying pan with butter, oil or combination of both, and sauté the beef until browned. Take out the meat and set aside.

In the same pan, add a bit more butter (no this is not diet food) and add the onions. Sauté over medium-low heat until limp and slightly brown. Add the garlic, mushrooms and carrot. Sauté until the mushrooms are turning limp.

Put all the vegetables in a heavy-bottomed stew pot (a crockpot will do nicely too).

Add the wine. If you’re using the hayashi rice roux blocks, add about 4 cups of water (don’t add the roux at this point yet). If you’re using the other sauce ingredients, add either the demi-glace plus 3 cups of water, the canned tomato and tomato paste, or 4 cups of strong beef stock and the canned tomato and tomato paste. Add the bay leaves and thyme.

Let it all simmer until the liquid has reduced to about half. Add the beef to the pot and contine simmering - the beef should be very tender.

If you’re making your own sauce, make a roux by melting 2 Tbs. of butter in the frying pan and adding the flour. Stir until the flour is grainy and a little bit browned. Add to the stew and stir. Add the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.

If using the roux blocks, add them now and stir well to melt.

Add a little water or stock to thin out if it looks too thick. Simmer a few minutes.

Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Take out the bay leaves.

Serve over rice that’s been mixed with a little salted butter. Garnish with chopped parsley or a few green peas.

This makes 6 to 8 servings.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
• 3 cups water
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined without tail
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside and allow rice to cool.
2. Heat a large skillet or wok for 2 minutes. When the skillet or wok is hot, pour in vegetable oil, bean sprouts and onions. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Mix in cooled rice and shrimp and cook for another 3 minutes. Stirring constantly.
4. Mix in green onions, eggs, salt, pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another 4 minutes, stirring continuously, until eggs are cooked and everything is blended evenly.