Oxtail Soup

Oxtail Soup

Recipe by Amy Beh

Oxtail Soup
Click for larger image
Ingredients
# 600g oxtail, chopped into sizeable pieces
# 2 litres chicken stock / water
# 1 whole bulb garlic, unpeeled
# 40g ginger, lightly bruised
# 100g onion, quartered
# 20g galangal, bruised
# 35g leek, sliced
# 1 stalk celery, sliced
# 2 coriander roots
# 100g carrot, cut into wedges
# 100g radish, cut into wedges

Ingredients (A)
# 2 star anise
# 5 cloves
# 4cm cinnamon stick
# 5 cardamoms
# 1 nutmeg, cracked
# 1 tsp white peppercorns
# 1 tsp black peppercorns

Seasoning
# 1 tsp thick soy sauce
# 2 tbsp light soy sauce
# 1 tbsp rock sugar
# ½ tsp salt or to taste

Garnishing
# Chopped coriander leaves and spring onions

Method
Trim off any excess fat from the oxtail and blanch in boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Bring chicken stock or water in a deep pot to a boil. Put in ingredients (A) and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Add oxtail, garlic, onions, ginger, galangal, leek, celery and coriander roots. Bring to a boil again then reduce the heat and simmer the soup over a gentle low heat for an hour.

Add carrot and radish and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Adjust seasoning to taste and dish out to serve immediately with the garnishing.

Spicy fish nibbles with coconut sambal

Spicy fish nibbles with coconut sambal

Ingredients
Picture of Spicy fish nibbles from the book asianbarbecue.
Picture of Spicy fish nibbles from the book asianbarbecue.
600g firm white boneless and skinless fish fillet
1½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp ground red pepper
2 tbsp oil
450g steamed rice
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
Garlic chives for decoration

Method
1. Cut the fish into 2cm by 6cm lengths.

2. In a bowl, combine the turmeric, salt, cornstarch and chili powder. Mix well and rub the spice mixture into the fish.

3. Preheat a grill or stove-top grill pan. Brush the grill surface with the oil. Grill the fish until the fish is firm, about 1-2 minutes on each side.

4. Remove from the grill. Combine the cooked rice with coriander leaves.

Serve the fish nibbles with rice and coconut sambal. Garnish with garlic chives.

Ayam kampung masak lemak cili padi

Ayam kampung masak lemak cili padi


Ingredients
360g chicken
30g cili padi
40g red chillies
100g onions
10g fresh turmeric
10g tamarind
3g salt
10g sugar
100g potatoes (cut into wedges)
60g long beans (sliced)
Coconut milk from 1 coconut

Method
1. Grill whole chicken over charcoal fire to get rid of the fat from the skin.

2. Remove and cut chicken into medium pieces (about 60g each piece).

3. Blend cili padi, red chillies, onion and fresh turmeric. Pour blended ingredients into a pot with chicken and dried tamarind.

4. Add coconut milk and cook mixture until gravy comes to boil. Stir constantly.

5. Add potato wedges and stir mixture until oil rises to the surface.

6. Add in long beans and season to taste with salt and sugar.

7. Remove from heat once mixture is boiling. Serve hot.

Bean sprouts with taukwa

Bean sprouts with taukwa


Ingredients
200gm beansprouts
1/2 small carrot
100gm prawns (peeled)
1 pc taukwa
20gm kuchai (or spring onion)
Salt

Method
1. Wash beansprouts. Tail if desired. Cut carrot into small strips. Cut kuchai or spring onion into 3cm lengths.

2. Fry taukwa on both sides and cut into strips.

3. Heat one tablespoon oil in kuali and fry prawns till cooked. Add in carrots and fry three minutes (or longer if you like carrots soft).

4. Add beansprouts and fry another three minutes. Add in taukwa and kuchai or spring onions. Stir-fry one minute and serve.

Cincaluk eggs

Cincaluk eggs


Ingredients
5 chicken eggs (beaten till fluffy)
1 large onion, sliced
2 pulps garlic, crushed
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
2 tablespoon cincaluk
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce or fish sauce
salt to taste
Oil for frying
Spring onions for garnishing

Method
1. Pour oil in a wok and fry onion, garlic, and green and red chillies.

2. When the onion slices are tender, add cincaluk and fry for another five to 10 minutes.

3. Add the five eggs, soy sauce or fish sauce, and salt to taste. Stir fry until the eggs are cooked.

4. Garnish with sping onions and serve hot with plain white rice.

Note: If fish sauce is used, reduce the amount of salt, or else the eggs will be too salty.

- Contributed by reader Virgo

Fragrant Thai Sauce Crabs

Fragrant Thai Sauce Crabs
Recipe by AMY BEH

Type of Dish Central Dish
Cooking Method Fry
Meal Types • Dinner • Lunch




Fragrant Thai Sauce Crabs
Ingredients

700g flower crabs

Enough oil for deep-frying

5 bird’s eye chillies, coarsely chopped

1/2 an onion, sliced

10g leek, sliced

2 stalks curry leaves

2 stalks lemon grass, smashed

2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded

100ml water or fresh chicken stock

Sauce

2 tbsp tom yam sauce

1 tsp preserved soy beans (tau cheong), coarsely chopped

1 tbsp Premium oyster sauce

1–1 ½ tbsp sugar or to taste

1/2 tsp chicken stock granules

1/8 tsp pepper
Method
Cut crabs into halves. Trim the legs, clean well and drain in a colander.

Heat oil in a wok and fry crabs until just cooked. Remove and drain oil.

Keep 2 tablespoons oil in the wok and stir-fry lemon grass, onion, leek, curry leaves and bird’s eye chillies until fragrant.

Put in sauce ingredients and stir-fry for 1 minute. Return the crabs to the wok and toss for a while.

Pour in the water or fresh chicken stock and cover the wok. Allow to boil for 3–4 minutes.

Remove the lid and add in kaffir lime leaves. Toss for 10–20 seconds or until sauce thickens.

Northern-Style Fried Rice Vermicelli

Northern-Style Fried Rice Vermicelli (Bihun Goreng Utara)
Recipe by Liza Zainol

3 tablespoons cooking oil

4 shallots, chopped finely

4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

Chilli paste (mix together)

2 tablespoons chilli powder

125ml water


1 tablespoon dried shrimps, washed and drained

2 tablespoons preserved soybean paste (tauchu)

200g unpeeled prawns, washed

200g rice vermicelli (bihun), soaked until soft

4 stalks flowering cabbage (choy sum/sawi), cut into 3cm lengths

Seasoning

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon squid/fish sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon pepper


150g Chinese chives, cut into 3cm lengths

150g beansprouts

2 pieces hard beancurd (tau kwa), deep fried and cut into cubes

Garnish

3 red chillies, sliced

3 tablespoons shallot crisps

3 stalks spring onion, cut into 3cm lengths

2 eggs, fried into an omelette with a pinch of salt and sliced thinly

3 limes, cut into wedges
Method
Heat the oil in a wok over a medium flame to sauté the shallots and garlic until fragrant. Add the chilli paste and fry until aromatic – about 3 minutes. Add the dried shrimps and fry for a minute before adding the bean paste and fresh prawns. Stir-fry until aromatic.

Add the rice vermicelli, flowering cabbage and seasoning ingredients. Stir-fry to mix thoroughly, about 5 minutes.

Add the chives, bean sprouts and fried beancurd and stir-fry to mix well. Turn off the flame and dish out unto a serving platter. Garnish before serving.

Note
This popular breakfast fare and anytime snack is fried in a dry style, with the chilli powder and chives lending their aromas.