Vegetarian Chwee Kueh 水粿

This is one of my to do list when I became a full time housewife 3 years ago. Growing up in Singapore and Johor Bahru, I was lucky to be exposed to lots of wonderful asian cooking and desserts such as Fried Carrot Cake (fried with black caramel sauce), Teo Chew Orh Nee 潮式芋泥, Tau Suan / Split Mung Bean Dessert 绿豆爽 with 油條, Chwee Kueh 水粿, Teo Chew Porridge and the list goes on. 

Being a Malaysian, my palette is still very much influenced by Singapore hawker food. Yes, we do have wide choices of good local food in my home country, and over the years of hunting for the same food throughout Malaysia, rarely have I come across places that sells those food exactly as what I remembered from Singapore.

I started making my first Chwee Kueh with the recipe from Minty's blog and had so far been quite happy with the outcome. The texture may not be as tender and chewy as I hoped, I was happy to woofed down every bit of it since it was so hard to come by when living in Indonesia. 

As I turned vegan, I started to adapt some of the recipes to vegetarian version. For this posting, I am sharing a vegetarian version of the toppings and sweet sauce together with the kueh which I personally enjoy. The sauce part is entirely optional for I prefer to eat this kueh with a bit of sauce than sambal. From studying the many versions of Chwee Kueh recipes from numerous reputable food bloggers out there, I have bookmarked to try recipe from  Kitchen Tigress and Guai Shu Shu   in my next try. Shall keep you posted.

Vegetarian Chwee Kueh 水粿 

Recipe adapted from Minty's Blog

(Kueh)

160g Rice Flour

2 Tbsp Cornflour (optional)

2 Tbsp Wheat Starch

185ml Cold Water

550ml Boiling Water

3 Tbsp Cooking Oil

1 Tsp Sugar

Pinch of Salt

Method

• Fill the steamer pot / tray with sufficient water. Steam the chwee kueh moulds while preparing the batter.

• Sift rice flour, cornflour and wheat starch into a mixing bowl and mix evenly. 

• Add salt, cooking oil and cold water to the above mixture and stir to combine.

• Add  boiling water into the batter and mix thoroughly. 

• Pour the batter into individual pre-steamed moulds until 90% full and steam under medium high heat for 15-20 mins or until the kueh is set.

• Leave to cool in moulds. Remove the kuehs and set aside until ready for consumption.

(Topping)

200g Preserved Salted Radish (Chye Poh), chopped 

200g Preserved Sweet Radish (Chye Poh), chopped

40g Vegetarian Dried Shrimps, chopped finely (optional)

30g Ginger, chopped finely (optional)

90ml Oil

1-2 Tbsp Sugar or more

Soy Sauce

Method

• You may prepare the toppings in advance. 

• In a frying pan, heat up oil and saute chopped ginger until fragrant. 

• Stir in vegetarian dried shrimp and continue stir frying for 30 secs.  Toss in the preserved radish and continue stir frying on medium to low heat. Add additional oil if required. Continue to stir fry until the radish turn to darker shade of brownish. 

• Add sugar and soy sauce to taste. Stir for another minute until sugar dissolves.

• Spoon as much of the toppings to the chwee kueh as you like.

• Unfinished toppings can be stored in the fridge for future use.

(Vegetarian Sweet Sauce)

4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Black Bean Paste
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tsp Vinegar
2 Tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1/2 Tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Kecap Manis
1/8 Tsp Vegetarian Five Spice Powder (Optional)
1/2 - 3/4 Cup Water
Corn flour Solution (Corn flour + Cold water)

Method

• In a medium sauce pan, bring the water to a boil. Set the heat to medium low and gradually add in all ingredients while stirring with a hand whisk until the mixture thicken to the right consistency.

• Add corn flour solution if you prefer a thicker texture sauce. 

Hawaiian Pizza 夏威夷柀薩

It has been a while since I last made pizza. My previous attempt at making one was also my first and all I can remember was how clumsy I was when rolling out the pizza dough into a perfect round disc. In the end, I didn't quite achieve the outlook I was hoping for, but, I did receive compliments from the people who tasted it. They love the crust as well as the combination of ingredients in it.

Last week when my buddies came over to Jakarta for a visit, I was once again confronted with the challenge to revisit the dread of making the dough. As I don't recall which and whose pizza recipe I adopted during my first pizza attempt, I randomly settled for a recipe from 周老师的美食教室𥚃的"天然手作麵包101道" for the pizza dough.

As written in her book, pizza making is relatively easy and simple. The crucial part lies more on having a high heating oven as the minimum temperature for pizza baking is 250C degrees. To produce crispier pizza dough with soft inner texture, the pizza would have to be baked at higher temperature with short baking time. And true to her word, the making of pizza dough is simple and not as time consuming as bread making does.

Classic pizza recipes suggested using mozzarella cheese as toppings, I opted for lighter cheddar cheese. Since the baking time only took 5 mins, be sure to use the 'quick melting' cheddar cheese or one might end up with toasted looking grated cheese spread over the pizza dough.

Pizza Dough

基本披萨面团

160g Water

3g Fast Acting Dry Yeast

300g Plain Flour

15g Castor Sugar

3g Salt

30g Olive Oil


Toppings

Mozzarella / Kraft Quick Melt Cheddar Cheese (grated)
Mayonnaise
Tomato Paste / Puree / Tomato Ketchup
Pineapples (diced or thinly cut)
Canned Tuna (shredded)
Olives (optional)
Button mushrooms (thinly sliced)
Red / Green Capsicum (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Combine  all ingredients (except oil) into a mixing bowl to form a rough dough. 

Add oil and continue kneading by hand for 10-15 mins until a soft pliable dough is formed.

Mould the dough round. Transfer the dough into a bowl and cover with cling wrap. 

Allow the dough to proof for an hour or until it doubled in size. 

Punch down the dough. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and mould it round. I only use 1 portion and store the other portion in the fridge for later use (This recipe is sufficient for making 1 pc of 12" pizza. I opted to make it into 2 pcs of half size ( 6") pizza as the pizza was for my buddy's 5 year old son).

Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a 6-7" round disc. Fold and seal in the uneven edges (if any) along the perimeter of the dough to create a 10-12mm thick border.

Preheat the oven at 250C degrees for at least 20 mins before baking.

Apply mayonnaise onto pizza dough. Sprinkle and arrange tuna, pineapple, mushrooms and any accompanying ingredients of your choice over the pizza dough. Lightly drizzle tomato ketchup over the toppings and lastly sprinkle grated cheddar cheese all over the top.

Alternatively you may also start with applying tomato paste / puree as the first layer over the pizza dough. Sprinkle and arrange tuna, pineapple, mushrooms and any accompanying ingredients of your choice over the pizza dough. Lightly drizzle the mayonnaise over the toppings and lastly sprinkle grated cheddar cheese all over the top. Its entirely free flow, as in this case the pizza might turned out reddish and darker shade than the earlier suggestion.  Should you use mozzarella cheese in this case, the reddish color would be less prominent.

Bake at 250C degrees for 5-7 mins or until the edges turn slightly brown.

Note : 

I wrapped and stored the balance 1/2 portion of the pizza dough in the fridge overnight and brought it back to room temperature prior to use on the following day. 

Brioche Loaf 布里欧土司

Brioche bread is an highly enriched bread with a high proportion of eggs and butter. This bread has the richer aspect of a pastry, somewhat similar to french croissant despite it being made in the same way as any ordinary bread. 

Unlike french pastry whereby the butter is added and rolled onto the pastry dough, butter can be added almost immediately along with the other ingredients during the early process of making Brioche bread. It high content of eggs and yolks actually helps to emulsify and bind the fat into the dough.  

Since I have my bread loving buddy over in Jakarta last week, I couldn't be more please to tune to bread making mode.  

Brioche Loaf 布里欧土司
Recipe Adapted from 周老师的美食教室

Ingredients
(A) 
136g Milk
5g Instant Yeast
440g Bread Flour
136g Whipped Cream
2   Grade A Eggs
48g Castor Sugar
6g Salt
     
(B)     
48g Unsalted Butter

(C)
30g Golden Raisins

Method

Combine all ingredients from (A) & (C) into the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook and mix with lower speed until all ingredients are well combined. 

Add (B) butter and slowly increase the speed to medium for approx.  15-18 mins, until a smooth window pane effect is formed. 

Transfer the dough to a slightly greased bowl, cover bowl with either cling wrap or cloth. Allow the dough to proof for an hour or until the dough doubled in size. 

Test the readiness of the dough with a finger lightly dusted with low gluten or cake flour. The dough is ready when the dough remain indented after the finger pokes into it.

Punch down the dough. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and mould it round. Let it rest for another 15 mins.

Lightly dust the work top with low protein flour, using a rolling pin, roll out each dough into a 12x36cm rectangle. Roll up the the rectangular dough like a roulade and place in a well greased 13x22cm bread loaf pan. Tuck the ends down.

Repeat the same process for the balance dough.

Spray some water over the dough with a fine mist nozzle. Proof the final bread dough in the bread loaf pan for 1-2 hours or until it reaches the brim of the bread pan. 

Lightly sprinkle the dough surface with water and bake the bread at the lowest rack of a preheated oven at 175C degrees for 38 mins. The bread top will start to brown after 25 mins of baking.

Remove bread mould from heat and transfer the bread onto a wire rack for cooling.

Pandan Kaya Rolled Cake

Made this roll of Pandan Kaya from the extra layer of leftover cake slice from the Pandan Kaya Layer Cake yesterday. The original recipe of the said cake was so soft and cottony that it would be a waste to throw the leftovers away.

Given that this mini roulade cake only took place 1 day after the baking and being exposed wouldn't be in the ideal shape for rolling. To make it worse, the leftover layer was really thin to begin with. Nevertheless, I am posting this as a record and reminder for me to apply this recipe as the cake base for my next rolled cake project. 

The outcome was too soft and cottony to be missed. I have adjusted the cake recipe to suit the cake pan size of 30x30x2cm as my future rolled cake base.

Pandan Kaya Rolled Cake

(Recipe for a 13" Rolled Cake)

60g Castor Sugar

60g Egg Yolks

60g Corn Oil

1-2 Tsp Pandan Paste

40g Cake Flour

1/8 Tsp Salt

140g Egg Whites

60g Castor Sugar

Butter (for greasing pan)

Filling
80g Home Made Kaya 


Directions

• Grease and line pan with 30x30cm parchment paper. 

• Preheat oven to 200C degrees.

• Whisk egg whites on medium slow speed till thick foam forms. Gradually add castor sugar whilst still whisking and continue whisking the eggs are at soft peak stage. Reduce speed to low and continue to whisk till firm peak stage.

• Add yolks to white in 4 batches. Whisk on slow speed until evenly mixed after each addition. Sift 1/2 of cake flour into mixture. Add salt. Sift remaining cake flour into mixture. Mix with whisk till just evenly combined.

• Add pandan paste and corn oil. Fold with spatula till just evenly mixed, while occasionally banging  against worktop 2-3 times. 

• Slowly pour batter into cake pan. Spread with spatula as evenly as possible, pushing batters into corners of the pan.

• Jiggle till batter is level. Tap pan against worktop twice. Bake on middle shelf for 10-11 mins or when middle of cake is springy when lightly pressed. 

• Remove pan from oven. Drop pan from 30cm high onto the table top, 2-3 times.

• Unmould cake onto wire rack. Peel parchment from sides of the cake. Leave till cool. 

• Place cake on new sheet of parchment paper, face down. Remove parchment paper from bottom cake. Spread evenly with kaya spread or any preferred cream.

Strawberry Cranberry Pull Apart Bread

Found an interesting bread recipe from Minty's blog's so here I am trying out with major adaptations according to whatever ingredients I have at hand. Her recipe calls for blueberries which I am short, after this attempt I have made a mental note to make a second go on the same recipe with fresh blueberries soon.

Despite receiving many compliments for the bread, I personally find my version of this recipe a wee bit sweet. Please adjust the sugar usage according to your preference.

This bread is best eaten straight out of the oven, and, a perfect accompaniment to a cup of hot tea. Enjoy!

Strawberry Cranberry 

Pull Apart Bread

Ingredients

(A) 

60g Bread Flour

2 Tsp Instant Dry Yeast

130g Lukewarm Water

(B)

450g bread flour

1/2 Tsp Salt

150ml Strawberry Puree

50ml Sour Cream

1 Tbsp Milk or more

50g Olive Oil

(C)

40g Dried cranberry

60g Almond Flour

90g Raw Sugar

1 Tsp Cinnamon Powder (Optional)

(D)

40g Salted Butter, melted

(E)

Chocolate Buttons

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine ingredients (A) bread flour with yeast and lukewarm water into a thick paste.  Cover and leave at room temperature until the mixture becomes foamy.

• In a mixer fitted with dough hook, combine all ingredients (B) together until evenly mixed. Add in the paste from (A) and continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Once the dough is able to stretch to form a window like thin membrane without breaking (window pane test), transfer the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with cling wrap.

• Place the bowl in a warm place to allow the dough to proof and rise until doubled in volume. To ascertain readiness, poke a floured finger into the dough. When the dough springs back immediately, it is under proved and needs more time to proof further.

• In a food processor, combine ingredients from (C) until well combined. Set aside for later use.

• Once the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate the dough with your hand. Roll the dough into a rectangle and using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 5 equal strips.

• Brush melted butter (D) liberally on the first strip of dough and sprinkle evenly with (C) the cranberry almond flour mixture.

• Stack a second strip of dough over the first one, brush with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with cranberry almond mixture (C). Repeat the steps with the rest of the dough strips until you get a stack of 5 strips, all buttered and topped with cranberry almond  flour mixture.

• Then slice the stack crosswise through all the five layers, into 6 equal rectangles. Transfer these square stacks of dough into the two prepared loaf pans, with cut edges facing up, side by side. Gently insert chocolate buttons (E) evenly in between each layer of the dough. Cover with cling wrap and leave it to proof until almost doubled.

• Bake in a preheated oven (175 deg C) for about 40 minutes or until brown.

• Remove the bread from the pan immediately and brush the top with melted butter (D), optional.