Preserved Radish Omelet, Choko And Mung Bean Noodles Broth 佛手瓜粉絲菜脯蛋湯 - "Malaysian Monday 88"

Well you better be a fan of choko because here's another very simple but delicious childhood dish of mine using the very underrated vegetable.

A bowl of broth or soup graced the dining table at every meal when I was growing up. It can be an elaborate double boiled number with expensive ingredients or just a very simple one using the freshest vegetables from the garden and this clean tasting broth is a good example of the later.

Dried shrimps are usually used instead of the preserved radish, however this is a version preferred during the 1st and 15th day of the month (lunar calander) when only vegetarian meals are served.

If you are after something a little more challenging come back for massaman beef next, meanwhile get your pestle and mortar out and have some homemade curry paste ready!

serves 2 to 3 as part of a meal with rice
you'll need;
1 small choko, peeled, seed removed and cut into long strips
a small bunch of mung bean noodles
2 free range eggs
2 heaped tbs of preserved radish
pinch of salt
pinch of white pepper
2 l of stock
dash of sesame oil

Crack the eggs into a bowl, add preserved radish, salt and white pepper and beat lightly.

Heat a wok until smoking, add a little cooking oil to the wok and swirl to coat the wok. Pour in the beaten egg mixture and scramble lightly.

Pour the stock in, when it comes to a boil add in the shredded choko.

When the choko starts to wilt, add in the mung bean noodles and cook until the noodles are done. Check for seasonings and drizzle a little sesame oil over.

This clean tasting broth is perfect on days after an indulgent weekend.

I am the host for the September event so please send all your entries to me at sureshchong@yahoo.com. To find out more about the event and on how to enter please click HERE.

Tomato And Egg Broth 蕃茄蛋湯

If you are a fan of tomato fried egg then you are going to enjoy this just as much. Thanks to the abundance of the tastiest tomatoes and endless supplies of the freshest eggs back home we were able to enjoy this delicious dish all year round. These days I can always count on the wonderful hot house tomatoes even in the middle of winter.

This delicious dish is hearty enough to be served on a cold winter night but delicate enough as a light lunch on a warmish day such as today. If you have a mint bush outside that is making a come back like mine, you might want to give my mint omelet broth a try too.

P.S you may slowly add in the beaten eggs last for an equally delicious tomato and egg drop soup.

serves 2 as part of a Chinese meal or serves one as a one dish meal

you'll need;

1 tbs of cooking oil

1 clove of garlic, chopped (optional)

3 tomatoes, sliced

3 eggs, lightly beaten with a little white pepper and sesame oil

1.5 l of stock

1 spring onion, chopped

Prepare the very basic ingredients and you are ready to go.

Heat up a wok and when it is smoking saute the chopped garlic briefly with 1 tbs of cooking oil before adding the sliced tomatoes, stir fry on high heat for 30 seconds.

Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble lightly.

Add stock and scramble a little more, bring it to a boil and check for seasonings.

Top with spring onion and a simple yet delicious meal is ready.

Everyday Pork And Prawn Meatball Broth 家常肉圓湯

Prepaid internet is painfully slow so here I am again staying back at work to do a quick post :). I grew up with everyday broth like this and with the huge array of vegetables available back home, there was always something different everyday. I made this simple dish for one of our Chinese dinner and it was perfect to warm up both our bodies and souls on a cold and wet Melbourne night. I used half of the meat mixture for something else so please come back on Sunday to find out what delicious treats you may turn the rest of the marinated mince into. 

We have guest arriving so I must make a quick exit, have a great weekend and happy cooking!

serves 2 as part of a Chinese meal
you'll need;
500 g of pork mince
400 g of prawns, peeled and chopped
8 water chestnuts, finely diced
2 spring onions, white parts only, finely chopped
1/2 tbs of grated ginger
8 Chinese cabbage leaves, sliced
1.5 l of chicken stock
chopped spring onions to serve
sesame oil to serve
white pepper to serve

seasonings for the meatballs;
2 tbs of light soy
1 tbs of oyster sauce
1 tsp of sesame oil
dash of Chinese cooking wine
3 tbs of corn flour
1 egg, lightly beaten

Cut Chinese cabbage into 1 cm pieces.

Peel and roughly chop prawns, finely dice water chestnuts and spring onions.

Place chopped prawn meat, pork mince, water chestnuts, spring onions, grated ginger, egg, and seasonings for meat balls in a large bowl and mix well.

Bring stock to a boil then add in the Chinese cabbage.

With wet hands, form little meatballs and add to the pot. The meatballs are ready when float to the top, check for seasonings.

Top with a little sesame oil and chopped spring onions and serve it as part of a Chinese meal.

Homemade Dashi 出汁, だし

Dashi can be described as the heart and soul of Japanese cooking. There are of course instant dashi stock that you can get these days but nothing beats a good homemade one. It is dead easy to prepare and once you have done it the first time, you'll never touch the instant dashi powder again!

P.S Not the best photos but you'll get an idea :)

you'll need;

2 pc of dashi kombu (kelp)

15 gm kezurikatsuo (dried bonito flakes)

5 cups of water

dash of salt

cover kombu with water in a pot and let it stand for 30 minutes. Turn the heat on and simmer uncovered on a very low heat for 15 minutes, little bubbles will start to appear.

Remove the kombu; it should have doubled in size by now, I keep it for another use. Empty the bonito flakes and a little salt into the stock and allow to steep for 5 minutes.

Strain broth and it is ready for use.