Recently, I have a liking for this dessert - Beancurd with Barley (Fu Chok Tong Shui). It started because one of my colleague only takes this dessert. I tried it once with her, and I like it very much. So I decided to learn how to make it. It's really easy. I think it's easier than Tau Suan. I've bought the bean curd sheets quite sometime back, and didn't get to do it till Sunday morning.
Recipe for Beancurd with Barley Dessert (Fu Chok Tong Shui), modified from "dim sum mini cookbook series".
Ingredients:
150g Bean curd sheets, soaked to soften and drained
75g Barley
45g Gingko nuts
125g Rock sugar
1.5kg Water
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
Method:
1. Cut soaked bean curd sticks into shorter lengths and place in a (thermal pot's) pot.
2. Add all other ingredients except eggs.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30mins*.
4. Pour in the egg into the soup in a slow steady stream and stir in a single directoin to form thin ribbons.
5. Turn off the heat and place it in the thermal pot to let it continue heating.
* Note:
~ If you don't use thermal pot, then let it simmer for at least 1hr 30mins, until the beancurd breaks up. After 1.5 hours in the thermal pot, the beancurds broke up till very fine.
~ I used egg whites as I have abundance of them in the fridge.
~ I used a mixture of Holland and China barleys.
~ You may adjust the rock sugar according to your liking.
It was a day of baking cherry cap buns, making muah chee and cooking some honey braised pork belly. The first two were a success, but the latter was a total flop!
The cherry cap buns were using the recipe from my BITC workshop. Basically, it's just a sweet dough bun with pre-fermented dough by adding a sweet crust on the buns. However, instead of using the recipe for the topping, I use crumbles as the toppings and decorated it with cherries.
Then I procceded to make some muah chee. I used the recipe from The Little Teochew, which was really fool-proof and simple to make. My time spent was on toasting the peanuts, and grinding them. It was quite difficult to grind them as I had overly done it and it became peanut paste. I had to do them rather carefully. Those that turned into paste, I kept them separately and intend to use them as peanut spread. It's also not easy to grind them so finely. I really wonder how Grace did it so well. The microwaved muah chee turned out very well, thanks to Ju's detail instructions.
After making the muah chee, I attempt on making honey braised pork belly for dinner. However, due to my over-sight on the size of the pork belly being used, it turn out too dry and hard, and close to being charred. The pieces of pork belly was almost solid hard! See how good I am to turn it solid hard? I used 500g of the pork belly. So you can say that I practically fed the bin with 500g of pork belly, plus all those seasonings. It's so disappointing!
I prepared satay chicken, not knowing that my girl's HFMD has worsen. Anyway, she didn't like it and didn't eat it. I grilled the satay chicken for dinner this evening. I also made pandan rice, which was much nicer than the previous time. My helper cooked other delicious dishes too.
Here's sharing how I made the satay chicken.
Recipe for Satay Chicken Skewers
Makes 12 skewers
Ingredients:
740g Chicken fillets, diced to about 1" each
1 tbsp Brandy
1.5 tbsp Curry powder
1.5 tbsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp Fine salt
1 tbsp Corn flour
Store-bought satay sauce
Method:
1. Marinate the chicken with the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate overnight (or at least 2-3hours).
2. In each skewer, poke through 6 pieces of marinated chicken fillets.
3. Heat up the griller. Brush with some oil.
4. Grill the chicken in two batches with medium heat. Turn over after about 5-7mins.
5. Served with rice and satay sauce.
I also went to buy some mung beans to make Tau Suan. I just felt like eating them, after seeing and hearing some of the bloggers making them, like Jess and Edith. As I haven't make them for so long, I soaked the mung beans for too long and the beans were too soft which just melt in the mouth. Not my ideal kind of desserts though. Simple foods like this, also required skills actually. However, when eaten with "you tiao", it did satisfy my cravings though.
Whenever I visit PH or any other baking stores, I'm bound to buy some stuff which I told myself I will "do" it one day. Then I'll keep until (1) I totally forgotten, (2) expired or (3) suddenly remembered and use it. However, sometimes, if I don't buy it, I'll regret and hate myself for not buying because (1) when I needed it, I don't have it or (2) when I suddenly feel like making it, I don't have it. Gee... it's such a dilemna isn't it? Don't we all faced this problem? I'm sure most of the bakers/cooks can resonant with this! Hahaha...
Anyway, I bought black glutinous rice last Thursday and thought that I would truly want to make this dessert this weekend. And true to my own "promise", I did it today. It wasn't very difficult actually. I managed to find this recipe in Kitchen Capers' forum by Gina.
I tweaked it slightly to whatever ingredients I have. Actually it turned out to be pretty good. You can try it if you yearned to have some Pulut Hitam. :)
Recipe for Pulut Hitam, adapted from KC forum.
Ingredients:
300g Black Glutinous Rice
1500g Water
170g Gula Melaka
250g Fresh coconut milk (Heng Guan brand)
Method:
1. Soak glutinous rice overnight.
2. Drain and wash rice the next day.
3. Put rice and water into slow cooker.
4. Turn on high heat and let it cook.
5. After two hours, add in the chopped gula melaka and stir well. Turn to low heat.
6. Let it simmer for one more hour, then turn off the heat.
7. Serve hot with coconut milk.
I also want to share that the day before, I requested my helper to cook yam rice and gave her some simple instructions on how to. She is able to grasp instructions pretty well and delivered a sumptuous pot of yam rice for us!
As yam rice is pretty easy to prepare, I shall not provide any recipe. The amount of ingredients, what and how much to add, is all dependant on individual taste preference. One of my favourite thing about eating such "one pot" rice is adding the garnish. I added fried silver fish, fried onions and fried garlics! If I have spring onions and parsleys, that would have gone into my bowl too! I'm a big fan of garnishes and condiments.
These were the ingredients that went into cooking this "one pot" rice - yam, french beans, dried shrimps, dried mushrooms, dark soy sauce and pepper. I had instructed her not to add any meats, and that we'll just go meatless for that meal. It was just perfect for me!
