Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients
(Modified version)

150 g plain flour
100 g cooked mesh pumpkin
50 g sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup of milk

Method

1. Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

2. Greased a baking tin and pour the blended batter into it.

3. Preheat oven at 180 degrees or gas no. 7 and bake the mixture for 40 minutes or till cooked.
(test it with a toothpick, if it comes out clean then the cake is done)


note: This is a nutritious dessert, with high fibre, antioxidants, low fats, zero cholesterol, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Isn't this an ideal dessert to enjoy?

Stir fried Aubergine with chilli

Ingredients

1 Aubergine
1 tbsp salted soya bean
1 tsp sambal chilli paste

Method

1. Washed and sliced aubergine into pieces. Soaked with some saline water to prevent it turning black. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat a wok with oil, stir fried aubergine till almost cook. Sprinkle with some water if turn too dry.

3. Add in salted soya bean and sambal, mixed well. Dish up and serve hot.

Fried Brown Rice

Ingredients

1 cup of brown rice cooked
a handful of frozen mixed vegetables
1 tbsp tomyam paste
vegetarian pork floss
oil

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan, stir in the mixed vegetables for couple of minutes.

2. Add in the brown rice and tomyam paste. Mixed well.

3. Dish up and serve hot. Sprinkle with some veg pork floss.

Rice paper Nems

Ingredients

a few sheets of rice papers
a few leaves of lettuce

vegetable fillings (mixed well)
1 carrot - shredded
half cucumber cut into matchstick lengths
some pomelo pulps
2 tbsp plum sauce
1 tbsp water

Method

1. Prepare a small basin of warm water, carefully soaked a sheet of rice paper until almost soft. Take it up and placed it on a plate for wrapping.

2. Place a piece of lettuce leave on the soaked rice paper and spoon some ingredients on the leaves. Fold up both sides and slowly rolled up the nems. Repeat with the rest till finished up with vegetable ingredients.

Udong in gravy

Ingredients

1 packet of udong
some pak choy
a few slices of carrot
a few shredded black fungus
2 dry tao pok - sliced
seasoning
water
tapiocca starch

Method

1. Cooked udong till cooked. Drain and put on serving bowl.

2. In a wok, cooked the vegetables with some water. Add in seasoning, and prepared some starch, lower fire and pour into the soup. Stir well and ladle over the udong. Serve hot.

Celery with beancurd

Ingredients

a few stalks of celery
1 piece of beancurd
1 carrot - sliced slanted
1 tbsp mushroom sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce

Method

1. Wash and sliced celery. Cut beancurd into cubes and stir fried with some oil till golden brown.

2. Heat up the wok using the same oil, saute some ginger. Throw in carrot slices and stir fried for 2 minutes. Add in celery and beancurd cubes.

3. Seasoning and add in some water if the dish turned up to be too dry.

4. Dish up and serve hot.

Baked vegetables

Ingredients

2 courgette or zucchini - shredded
a few florets of cauliflowers
1 tomato - sliced
a packet of shredded cheese
half packet of potato puree
paprika powder
salt

Method

1. Put shredded courgette on the base of the heat proved glassware. Followed by tomato slices and top with cauliflowers (pic 1).

2. Prepared potato puree according to the instruction. Pour over the vegetables and garnished with shredded cheese. Sprinkle with paprika powder and herbs.

3. Preheat oven for 10 minutes, set temperature at 180 degrees or gas no 7 and put the vegetables into the oven and baked about 40 minutes or till cooked. Serve hot.

Bittergourd salad

Ingredients

half bittergourd

1 carrot - shredded

half cucumber - cut into matchstick length

sesame seeds

2 tbsp plum sauce

1 tbsp water

salt

Method

1. Lengthwise the bittergourd, removed the seeds and sliced. Marinate the vegetables with some salt.

2. Half hour before serving, drain away the excess water from the vegetables. Blend with plum sauce, and water. Sprinkle with sesame seed.

Blanched Broccoli

Ingredients

Broccoli cut into florets
water
salt

Method

1. Blanched the broccoli florets into a pot of boiling water and a pinch of salt. Off fire and simmer for few minutes till almost cooked.

2. Drain and set on the serving dish.

3. Serve broccoli with some chilli and light soya sauce.


(note: do not over cooked the broccoli, will need some estimation. )

Stir fried bean sprout

Ingredients

100 g bean sprout
1 carrot - sliced
1 sichuan vegetable - shred
salt
pepper
sesame oil

Method

1. Wash bean sprout, drain and set aside.

2. Heat a wok, saute with some ginger. Stir fried carrot and sichuan vegetable for 2 minutes. Add in bean sprout and seasonings. Mixed well.

3. Dish up and serve hot.

Bánh Bao Cả Cần - Food, Drama and Paus

What makes this place stand out from the thousands of pau shops in Saigon? Paus aka Bánh Bao were introduced to the people of Vietnam via 1000 years of Chinese rule. Most if not all savory paus in Vietnam contain a filling composed of pork, onions, chinese sausage and 1/4 of an boiled egg. Ông Cả Cần's paus were famous for containing a quail egg in the center instead of the usual boiled chicken egg. His paus were also bigger than the others.

Bà Năm Sa Đéc, a famous actress made a business selling Cả Cần Style Paus after she retired from the stage. They were a huge hit and the name still carries on today. Although I'm not sure if Bà Năm Sa Đéc still owns the place or not.

Besides their famous paus, they also offer Hủ Tiếu (pictured left).






So how did the food taste? Eh....I have to say I was kind of disappointed. There was nothing bad about the food it just didn't blow me away. I guess my expectations were a bit too high.


Most premixed Vietnamese pau flour sold out there promise you'll be able to make Cả Cần paus with their flour. So there must be something special about Cả Cần paus for people to want to imitate them so much. Whatever that something is....I didn't see or taste it that day. The dough was dense and had a noticeable hint of ammonia, which tells me...it was improperly done. What do I mean? Ammonia (baking ammonia) evaporates under heat, releasing co2. The co2 is captured by the gluten in the dough which the final product soft, light and fluffy. The noticeable hint of ammonia suggests too much ammonia was added, so much more then what's needed. Secondly the thick dense dough tells me that the dough wasn't kneaded enough.

But anyways, if you're ever in Saigon and are around An Dong market, stop Bánh Bao Cả Cần for a taste and tell me what you think.

Tomyam Vegetable soup

Ingredients

a few leaves of chinese cabbage
a handful of bamboo fungus
a few florets of black fungus
1 tomato
a chunk of sichuan vegetable
tomyam paste
salt
water

Method

1. Washed and slice chinese cabbage. Soaked and removed dirt from the bamboo fungus and cut into 2-3 parts. Soaked black fungus and tear it with fingers into smaller florets. Tomato cut into wedges and sichuan vegetable chopped into pieces.

2. Bring a pot of water to boil, put in all the vegetables except chinese cabbage. Add in tomyam paste and seasoned with salt. When it the pot starts to bubble, lower fire and cover to simmer.

3. Half hour before serving, reheat the pot and add in chinese cabbage and bring to boil. Off fire and serve after 10 minutes.

Dhal Curry

Ingredients

a packet of ladyfinger
1 carrot - sliced
1 tomato - wedge
1 cup of red lentils - soaked 4 hours
water
curry powder
light cream milk
salt

Method

1. Washed and sliced ladyfinger slanted. Drain soaked lentils.

2. Oil a pot and fry lentils, add some water to avoid sticking. Throw in the ladyfinger, carrot and tomato and stir fried about 2 minutes. Pour enough water to form gravy.

3. When the pot starts to boil, put in curry powder and cream milk and add salt. Cover and let it simmer watching it don't over flow.

4. Off fire and serve hot.

Rice sticks in Herbal Soup

Ingredients

1 packet of rice sticks - soaked

2 packets of herbal soup (any type)

water

1 canned button mushroom

a handful of bamboo fungus - soaked

some konnyaku stuff

Method

1. Soaked the 2 packets of herbal (pre-packed) for about 1 hour. Put to boil.

2. In another small pot, bring water to cook. Blanched some rice sticks and scoop up with a slotted spoon. Put into a bowl, topped with ingredients and add herbal soup over. Serve hot.

Bittergourd soup

Ingredients

1 medium size bittergourd

a handful of wolfberries

some deep fried 'mian pao'

water

seasoning

Method

1. Wash and cut the bittergourd into half, deseed and sliced.

2. Add some hot water into the bowl of mian pao to remove as much oil as possible. Drain and keep aside.

3. In a pot of water, add in the sliced bittergourd and wolfberries. Bring the soup to boil, then add in the soaked mian pao and seasoning. Off fire and simmer for a few minutes.

4. Serve hot and garnish.

Chestnut Porridge

Ingredients

a handful of canned chestnuts

rice

Method

1. Washed and soaked the rice over the night. The very next day, crushed the rice into bits. Add enough water and bring the rice to cook. As the porridge started to bubble, add in the canned chestnut. Stir the porridge on and off to avoid sticking.

2. When the porridge begins to boil, off fire and simmer.

3. Half hour before serving, pour in some water and bring the porridge to boil again. Stir constantlly. Break out lumps as much as possible.

4. Scoop to individual serving bowl and garnish.

Chilli Yong Tau Foo

Ingredients

some green chillies

a packet of beancurd sliced

5 konnyaku fish cake

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

salt

water

Method

1. Wash and deseeded the green chillies, and cut into 3-4 parts.

2. Soaked the beancurd sliced till soft, cut into strips. Halved the konnyaku fish cake.

3. In a wok, stir fried beancurd strips till golden brown. Dish up and set aside.

4. Using the same oil, saute some ginger slices. Stir fried green chillies for 2 minutes. Add in konnyaku fish cake and brown beancurd strips.

5. Add in the seasoning and some water. When it starts to bubble, off fire and simmer about 1 minute. Dish up and serve hot.

(note: you can also add in tao kwa or any other ingredients)

'Fou Shou Gua' with Dong Fen

Ingredients

1 Fou Shou Gua

1 carrot

1 small packet of Dong fen

seasoning

roasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Skinned the fou shou gua and seeded, cut into slices. Carrot shred and soaked the packet of dong fen until soft.

2. Saute some ginger shred till golden brown, add in the sliced fou shou gua and carrot shred and stir fried for 2 minutes.

3. Drain the soaked dong fen and transfer to the wok. Mixed well with the ingredients and add some water if turned up to dry.

4. Seasoning and off fire. Dish up and garnish with some sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Lo Han Chai with Blette

Ingredients

1 canned of Lo Han Chai

1 bundle of Blette

1 carrot - slice

2 sheets of deep fried beancurd skin

water

Method

1. Wash and cut blette into biteable size, separating the stalks and the leaves.

2. Oil the wok, saute with some ginger slices. Stir fried blette stalks and carrots for 2-3 minutes. Add in the leaves and some water. Cover and allow simmering.

3. When the vegetable starts to bubble, pour in the canned Lo Han Chai and break the beancurd skin into smaller pieces. Pour in water to create gravy.

4. At the second boiling, off fire and let it stand till serving. No seasoning is required, as Lo Han Chai has all the required.

Riz de Marron

Ingredients

rice washed and drain
a handful of chestnut - canned

Method

Prepare the rice for cooking as usual. Add in the canned chestnut and its water and turn on the electric cooker. Serve hot when done.


(Alternatively, you can use fresh chestnut by soaking in hot water, shell removed for 10 minutes and peeled.)

Konnyaku Sambal Dish

Ingredients

50 g konnyaku cuttlefish - cut into strips

50 g konnyaku fishballs - halved

1 -2 tbsp sambal paste

Method

1. Saute some ginger shreds in a wok, add in the konnyaku stuff and stir fry for 2 minutes.

2. Add in sambal paste and sprinkle some salt. Add in some water if the turn up too dry.

3. Off fire and serve.

(Proposed ~ dish can be served with nasi lemak)

New ~ Instant rice vermicelli packets

New products ~ 5 different flavourings in a pack cost at S$3.00 ~ contains MSG...but the ingredients are all in the seasoning sachet, i love the clear soup....half the oil pack so that the soup will not turn up to be too greasy....

New product ~ a packet of 5 cost at S$3.00

Maitri brand ~ Extra HOT fried noodle....really very SPICY

Coco Plat with Cashew nuts

Ingredients

200 g Coco plat or haricot vert - cut diagonally
1 carrot - sliced coarsely
a handful of konnyaku prawns
a handful of unsalted cashew nuts
2 tbsp mushroom sauce
1 tbsp light soya light
water
pepper

Method

1. Saute some ginger shreds in a wok, put in coco plat and carrot with some water. Allow simmering about 10 minutes.

2. Add in konnyaku prawns, cashew nuts, sauces and water. Mixed well and cover for couple of minutes.

3. Off fire and serve hot.

Fried Noodles

Ingredients

20 g snow peas

1 tomato - sliced
1 carrot - shred

spaghetti noodles

fresh white mushroom - sliced
bean sprout

Sauce - mixed together
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp chilli sauce
3 tbsp water

Method

1. Cooked spaghetti as on the pack. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in non stick pan.

3. Stir fry pois gourmand and carrot shred for 2 minutes. Add in mushrooms and bean sprouts.

4. Put in noodles and add sauce, stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.

5. Off fire and dish up. Garnish with tomato sliced and some tomato sauce. Serve immediately.

Sandwiches

Ingredients

1/2 canned cixin mock shrimp paste

2 tbsp mayonaise

few slices of cucumber and tomatoes

cheese slices

bread

Method

1. Mixed shrimp paste with mayonaise.

2. Spread over the 3 slices of breads. First layer with a piece of cheese, top with cucumber and tomatoes. Add on the second layer and repeat the same and finally covered with the last layer of bread.

3. Diagonally cut the sandwich into half. Wrapped with transparent film.

4. Before eating, lightly microwave the sandwich so that the cheese get the fondu presentation.

Mee Siam

Ingredients

(serve 4)

1 packet of pre-mix Mee Siam paste

1 packet of rice vermicelli

tao pok - cut into small pieces

eggs

bean sprout

konnyaku prawns (optional)

lime or lemon juice

grinded peanuts

sambal paste

Method

1. Prepare the mee siam soup according to the instruction on the packet. Keeping 1 tablespoon of paste.

2. Soak the rice vermicelli and drain. Oil the wok, put some water to boil. Add in the 1 tbsp of paste, stir well. Put in the rice vermicelli and bean sprout and cook using chopsticks. Off fire and let it simmer.

3. On a serving dish, put enough rice vermicelli. Topped with egg, tao pok, konnyaku prawn and ladle soup over it. Garnished with grinded peanuts, lemon juice and sambal paste.

Sichuan vegetable soup

Ingredients

1 chunk of sichuan preserved vegetable
1 case of silken tofu
a piece of unroasted seaweed
water
seasoning

Method

1. Wash off the chilli paste on the sichuan vegetable. Cut into strips.

2. Carefully cut the silken tofu into cubes.

3. Bring a pot of water to boil, put in the sichuan vegetable. Let it cook about 30 minutes to bring out the taste. Finally add in the cubes tofu, add in seasoning if required.

4. Serve hot with unroasted seaweed and a dash of pepper.

Plum Sauce 'Achar'

Ingredients

1 carrot - cut into matchsticks length

some cabbage shred

2 tbsp plum sauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

11/2 tsp sugar

salt

sesame seeds

Method

1. Sprinkle some salt into the bowl of carrot sticks and cabbage shred. Mixed and let it stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain away the water.

2. Add in the sauce ingredients and mixed well. Garnish with some sesame seeds.

(Proposed ~ Achar is suitable to go with ginger rice shown in the mentioned)

Pasta in Mock Sambal Paste

Ingredients

macaroni (for 2 person)

1 canned of cixin Mock Shrimp Sambal Paste

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, put enough share of macaroni for 2. Stir and off fire, allow simmering for 10 minutes or till cooked. Drain and set aside.

2. Open up a canned of mock sambal paste, mixed with alittle water if too thick.

3. Prepare macaroni on a serving plate, spread sufficient sambal paste over. Serve warm.

Black fungus soup

Ingredients

2 dried black fungus florets - soaked

1 tomato - cut into wedges

water

miso paste

sesame oil

dash of pepper

Method

1. Drain the soaked fungus and set aside.

2. In a pot of water, add in the black fungus florets and tomato wedges and bring to boil.

3. Stir in the miso paste and off fire. Serve hot with sesame oil and a dash of pepper.

Vegetarian Laksa

Ingredients

1 packet of laksa paste (pre-mixed)
coconut milk or fresh cream
spaghetti noodles
bean sprouts
tao pok - sliced
egg (optional)
vegetarian fish balls (optional)
Vegetarian oyster mushrooms (optional)
sambal chilli

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, add in the laksa paste and coconut milk. Seasoned with salt if necessary. Add in the tao pok sliced and off fire.

2. In another pot, cooked the spaghetti noodles and drained. Blanched bean sprouts, vegetarian oyster mushrooms and set aside.

3. Well cooked the egg and when cool, deshelled.

4. On a serving bowl, put enough noodles for a person share. Topped with bean sprouts, fish balls, egg and veg oyster mushrooms. Ladle hot laksa soup over and sprinkle with laksa leaves or dried chopped persley and sambal. Serve hot.

Black Pepper Mock

Ingredients

1 canned mock braised duck

a handful of green chillies -unspice

1 small carrot - shredded

2 tbsp black pepper sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

sesame seeds

Method

1. Drain away the sauce in the canned of the mock and sliced it.

2. Wash and deseeded the green chillies and cut into shred.

3. Heat the wok with oil, and saute the ginger shred. Add in the green chillies and carrot and stir fry for 2 minutes.

4. Add in the sliced mock and seasonings. Sprinkle with some water if too dry. Mixed well and dish up.

5. Before serving, sprinkle with some sesame seeds.

Blanched Haricot Vert

Ingredients

100 g haricot vert or french beans
some vegetarian mock floss
1 tbsp light soya sauce
drops of sesame oil


Method

1. Cut away the head and tail of the haricot vert.

2. Boil a pot of water, add some salt and put in the haricot vert and allowed simmer till cooked.

3. Drained and place on serving dish. Seasoned it.

4. Sprinkle with vegetarian mock floss and serve.

Tomyam Fried Rice

Ingredients
(Serve 2 )

1 carrot - diced
6 button mushroom - diced
4 rings of canned pineapples - cut into small wedges
6 water chestnut - diced (optional)
a handful of frozen green peas
some celery chopped coarsely

Tomyam paste
rice for 2 persons

Method

1. Saute ginger till golden brown. Stir fry carrot for 2 minutes. Add in green peas, mushroom and rice and mixed well.

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and tomyam paste. Sprinkle with some water if the rice gets too dry.

3. Dish up and serve hot.