Tag Archives: Chinese

Cake

Hong Tang Ba Ba

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It’s a sweet Chinese snack in Southwestern China area, I think. Hong Tang means brown sugar in Chinese. Ba Ba refers to cake made from glutinous rice flour.

This summer holiday when my husband and I were in China. My friends there treated us Xiao Long kan hotpot. One dish is Hong tang baba. And their Hong Tang Ba Ba is very different. Outside skin is very crispy. Both of us loved them.

Here is the one we had in summer:

Like small balloons. Really really nice.

I tried to make this dish in my way.

1. Mix glutinous rice powder with water. To make a dough.

2. Divide dough into smaller ones. Make them into the shape you like.

3. Dip small doughs in water. Then roll in bread crumbs.

4. Deep fry them with low heat till golden brown. Air in Glutinous rice dough will burst out. So be careful when frying.

5. Add 2 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in saucepan. Heat to condense the sauce.

Serve hot with brown sugar sauce.

Mine are not even close to the ones we had. But my husband still loved my ones.

I really can’t figure out how Xiao Long Kan Hotpot made such wonderful shape of Hong Tang Ba Ba. If anyone knows, please tell me. 🙂 thanks!

Chinese, shrimp

Curry Fried Rice

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Ingredients:

A bowl of Leftover rice

Vegetables you like ( I chose corn, shiitake, onion)

Shrimps

Eggs 2

Salt

Oil

Curry powder

Chopped spring onion

1. Beat two eggs in a large bowl. Add rice into eggs and mix them well to let each rice grain be coated with egg.

2. Heat some oil in the pan. Put rice in. Stir fry till golden brown and eggs are cooked. Set them aside for later use.

3. Fry shrimps till cooked.

4. Heat oil again. Stir fry vegetables together. My order is onion in first, then shiitake and corn at last.

5. Put all the rice and shrimps into vegetables. Stir fry evenly.

6. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoon curry powder. If you want it to be more pungent, you can add more. Garnish with chopped spring onion.

It actually tastes very good.

Chicken

Chopped Cold Chicken

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Chopped Cold Chicken (白斩鸡）is a popular dish in Guangdong cuisine.

I used this cooking method: (original recipe is Chinese)

https://www.xiachufang.com/recipe/102925373/

1. Prepare a very big pot. Big enough for a whole chicken.

2. Add in enough water that can cover whole chicken. Also add in cooking wine, star anise, chopped ginger and spring onion.

3. Bring the water to boil. Grab the chicken. Soak it in hot water and pull it out immediately. Do this in-and-out procedure 3 times.

4. Then put whole chicken into pot. Boil for 1 min.

5. Soak the chicken into cold water to make the skin more elastic.

6. Put chicken into pot and boil for 4 mins.

7. Put the lid on and boil for 1 min.

8. Turn off the stove. Don’t move anything. Keep the lid on. Don’t even touch it. Let the chicken have a good spa for 40 mins. If you want your chicken to be more tender, you can use less time. But that may means you will see blood in the chicken bone. I like to play the safe card. So I let the chicken be there for 40 mins. And by the way, my chicken is around 800g. Bigger chicken needs more time.

9. After a good sauna. Chicken will feel hot. Put it into icy cold water immediately.

10. Brush sesame oil onto it.

Cut it. Don’t throw the chicken soup away. It’s ideal to make other soup or to boil dumplings/ wantons.

Drizzle light soy sauce.

And EAT!

Chinese, Noodles

Spring Onion Noodles

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Another popular dish in China. Very simple to cook. All you need are spring onion, oil, noodles, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar.

1. Cut spring (4-6 stalks or more) into small strips around 3-5 cm.

2. Heat 1-2 tablespoon oil in the pan.

3. Add in chopped spring onion. Fry with low heat till spring onion turns dark brown in color. If you don’t like the black spring onion, you can take them out before the next step.

4. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoon sugar.

5. Pour the sauce into pan. Stir till sugar melts.

6. Turn off the heat. Let the sauce cool down and blend in cooked noodles. Blend them well.

You can make more sauce and save in the refrigerator for later use.

My husband tried it and loved it.

Quick recipe, Uncategorized

Homemade Sweet Plum Drink

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There is an idiom about plum in Chinese:

望梅止渴: Quenching Thirst by Watching Plums

Chinese

有一年夏天，曹操率领部队去讨伐张绣，天气热得出奇，骄阳似火，天上一丝云彩也没有，部队在弯弯曲曲的山道上行走，两边密密的树木和被阳光晒得滚烫的山石，让人透不过气来。到了中午时分，士兵的衣服都湿透了，行军的速度也慢下来，有几个体弱的士兵竟晕倒在路边。

曹操看行军的速度越来越慢，担心贻误战机，心里很是着急。可是，眼下几万人马连水都喝不上，又怎么能加快速度呢？他立刻叫来向导，悄悄问他：“这附近可有水源？”向导摇摇头说：“泉水在山谷的那一边，要绕道过去还有很远的路程。”曹操想了一下说，“不行，时间来不及。”他看了看前边的树林，沉思了一会儿，对向导说：“你什么也别说，我来想办法。”他知道此刻即使下命令要求部队加快速度也无济于事。脑筋一转，办法来了，他一夹马肚子，快速赶到队伍前面，用马鞭指着前方说：“士兵们，我知道前面有一大片梅林，那里的梅子又大又好吃，我们快点赶路，绕过这个山丘就到梅林了！”士兵们一听，仿佛已经吃到嘴里，精神大振，步伐不由得加快了许多。

故事出自《世说新语·假谲》。成语“望梅止渴”，比喻用空想安慰自己或他人。

English

Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms period (220-265) was not only a capable politician in managing state affairs, but also a strategist good at leading troops in going to war.

One summer, Cao Cao was leading his troops in a punitive expedition against Zhang Xiu. It was extraordinarily hot. The burning sun was like a fire, and the sky was cloudless. The soldiers were walking on the winding mountain paths. The dense forest and the hot rocks exposed to the sun on both sides of the paths made the soldiers feel suffocated. By noontime the soldiers’ clothes were wet through with sweat, and the marching speed slowed down. Some solders of weak physique even fainted on the roadside.

Seeing that the marching speed was slower and slower, Cao Cao was very worried because he feared that he might bungle the chance of winning the battle. But how could they quicken their speed? Cao Cao at once callde the guide and asked him on the quiet whether there was a source of water nearby. The guide shook his head, saying that the spring water was on the other side of the mountain, which was very far to have to make a detour to reach. Cao Cao realized that time didn’t permit them to make such a detour. After thinking for a moment, he said to the guide, “Keep quiet. I’ll find a way out.” He knew that it would be to no avail to order his troops to quicken the steps. He had a brain wave and found a good solution. He spurred his horse and came to the head of the column. Pointing his horsewhip to the front, Cao Cao said, “Soldiers, I know there is a big forest of plums ahead. The plums there are both big and delicious. let’s hurry along, and we will reach the forest of plums after bypassing this hill.” When the solders heard this, they immediately slobbered. Picturing in their minds the sweet and sour flavour of the plums, the soldiers felt as if they were actually eating the plums, the soldiers felt as if they were actually eating the plums themselves. The morale greatly boosted, the soldiers quickened their steps a great deal automatically.

This story comes from “The Fake Tangery” in Anecdotes of This World by Liu Yiqing of the Southern Dynasties period (420-589). From this story, people have derived the set phrase “quenching thirst by watching plums” to refer to trying to comfort oneself of others by idle dreams.

https://www.chinese-tools.com/forum/read.html?q=17%2C6432

Plum drink is very popular in China, especially in hot summer. The dried plum I used were bought in store. And the salesgirl there recommend this type. But I forgot the name. 🙂

Dried plum 35g

Dried Oranger peel 5g

Rock sugar cubes 130g (you can reduce the sugar if you want it to be less sweet)

Put dried plum and orange peel in a big bowl. Rinse them under water. Then pour the dirty water out. Put them in another clean bowl. Add in 1 L cold water and soak for 30 mins.

Pour plum, orange peel and water into a pot. Also add in another 1L water. Turn to high heat. Bring boil. Then turn to low heat. And simmer for 40mins – 1 hr.

Turn off the heat. Add in sugar. Stir till all sugar dissolved.

Discard all the plum and orange peels, just leave the water.

You can drink while it’s hot. But if you let it cool down and put into refrigerator. You will find it more delicious. My husband is a big fan.

Perfect for hot and dry summer.

Chinese, Dumplings

Fried Leek Dumplings

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韭菜盒子 is a very popular snack in China. 韭菜 （jiu cai) means leek. 盒子 (he Zi) means box. I think it refers to the Dumplings’ shape.

It’s a quite easy dish to cook. Wrap is made from normal flour and water. Fillings maybe various. Most common combination is leek with egg. (You can also add in dried shrimps, or cooked vermicelli). My mom can make very nice fried leek dumplings. So I asked her about how to make the fillings. And she told me just in one sentence: half egg is raw and the other half is cooked. When my mom teaches me about cooking, her answer is always simplified and short, which is very very different from the mom I know in daily life. :p

I just followed my mom’s instruction. I fried one egg in pan. Then put it in chopped leek with another raw egg. Mix them very well. Season with salt, black pepper, 2 tsp cooked oil and 2 tsp sesame oil. Blend all filling ingredients well.

Divide dough into smaller ones. Just like making normal dumpling’s wrap by rolling pin. But this wrap should be thicker. Place one spoonful filling in the middle. Fold one end to the other. Press with finger.

Fry in low heat till bother sides turn golden brown.

Cake

Fried Carrot Cake

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1. Cut carrot cake into medium cubes. I bought carrot cake from local supermarket.

2. Place them in a big bowl. Add in corn starch. Shake a little bit to let carrot cake be coated with starch evenly.

3. Fry carrot cake in oil till starch layer turns hard. Set them aside.

4. Heat a little oil. Sauté 2 cloves of chopped garlic till aromatic. Add in shreds of 1 small carrot. Stir fry for 2 mins.

5. Add in chopped cabbage, bean sprouts and spring onion. Stir fry for 2 mins.

6. Add in 1 tablespoon tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon chili sauce and 1 tablespoon Thai chili sauce. Stir fry evenly.

7. Add fried carrot cake in. Mix evenly and season with a little salt.

Chinese, Pancake

Improved Spring Onion Pancake Recipe

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I was born and grew up in Northern part of China, where the main food of every meal is almost all made from flour. My mom may not be a very great cook to deal with different dishes, but she really has something in cooking Chinese wheat flour food. She’s very good at making dumpling, buns, and my favorite all the time – spring onion pancake.

This summer when my husband and I went back to my hometown and spent some time there. My mom cooked spring onion pancake for us.

They are the best spring onion pancake I’ve ever had. Crispy outside but soft, juicy and tasty inside. I really wanted her to open a spring onion pancake store so that other people won’t miss such a delicious food. On the other hand, if she really opens one, I’m afraid I will have too much everyday and the shop will go broke. 🙂

Anyway, I asked my mom how come she can make such nice pancake while mine are hard and plain. She told me the secret is hot water. I used to mix flour with cold water. My mom used 1/3 hot water first then cold water for the rest.

Let dough rest for a while so that flour and water will combine perfectly. Divide dough into several smaller ones. Flatten each of them with rolling pin. Then spread a little oil, salt, black pepper (my mom actually used Sichuan pepper powder) and most importantly chopped spring onion evenly. Roll the thin layer from one end to the other to make it into a roll. Fold one end to the other end. Press with palm gently. Fry in pan till both sides turn golden brown.

Mine are not so nice as my mom’s. But they taste much better than the ones I made before.

Pork, Uncategorized

Braised Pork, Bamboo Shoot & Vermicelli

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Two kinds of vermicelli are very popular in China’s northern part: vermicelli made from sweet potato and potato. And I used sweet potato type in this dish.

1. Cut pork (better with some fat) and bamboo shoot into medium chunks.

2. Boil a pot of water. Add in 1 tsp salt. Soak bamboo shoots in it for a little while. Then rinse under cold water and drain. Some people don’t like the sourish taste of bamboo shoots, so soaking in hot salty water will remove that. And bamboo shoot is very good for healthy. It contains abundant food fiber.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Sear the pork and bring them to a little golden brown.

4. Add in bamboo shoots. Stir fry for like 2 mins. Drizzle a little Shao xing wine.

5. Then add in 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, ginger slices, star anise and bay leaf. Pour in enough hot water covers all ingredients. Bring to boil. Then turn to low heat. Cover with lid and simmer for 40 mins.

6. Add in vermicelli. Let them soak in meat juice. Simmer for 8-12 mins according to the instruction. Stir occasionally in case vermicelli stick together.

7. Season with salt if needed.

Pork

Twice Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou)

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Twice cooked pork 回锅肉 is a famous dish in Sichuan cuisine. It’s not a difficult dish to cook.

1. Prepare a pork belly strip. Put it in a pot. Add in enough water covers pork. Ginger slices and 1 tablespoon shaoxing hua diao wine. Bring water to boil. Then turn to low heat. Cover the lid and simmer for 20 mins, or till chopsticks can easily go through the pork.

2. Take the pork out and soak in cold water. Cut pork into slices.

3. Heat a little oil in the pan. Sauté 2-3 ginger slices. Add the pork slices in. Sear the pork till a little golden brown.

4. Push pork to the one side of the pan. Add 1 tablespoon Pixian Bean paste in the pan with 2 tsp sugar. Stir fry a bit. I add in sugar to reduce the spiciness.

5. Stir fry pork with bean paste. Add in chopped leek. Stir fry for 2-3 mins to let leek be cooked. Have a taste to see if a little bit salt is needed, since bean paste is very salty.

Ready to serve.