Steamed Lotus Seed Paste Bun

 

Ingredients

200g all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup water (add a few tbsp maybe)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Fillings

lotus seed paste

Method

1. Dissolve the sugar in 1/3 cup warm water, then add the yeast.  Stir lightly, then set aside for 10 minutes, or until foamy.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the yeast mixture.  Add the other 1/3 cup water.  Using a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients to a rough dough.
3. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 - 10minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  If it is very sticky,   knead in a little more flour.  If it is too dry, add a little more water.  The dough should be soft.
4. Lightly grease a bowl with the oil.  Place the dough in the bowl and turn it so that all sides of the dough are coated.
5. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or cling wrap and set aside to rise in a draught-free place for 2 - 3 hours or until dough is doubled its original size.
6. Uncover the dough, punch it down, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  If you are not using the dough straight away, cover it with cling film and refrigerate.
7. When you are ready to use the dough, flatten it and make a well in the centre.  Place the baking powder in the well and gather up the edges to seal.
8. Lightly knead the dough for several minutes to evenly incorporate the baking powder, which will activate immediately.
9. Divide the dough into 10 portions.
10. Roll out each portions into a ball and flatten it into a round shape.  Continue to roll out the edges of each circle, with the middle part being the thickest. 
11. Place one tbsp filling into each piece of dough and seal it.  Repeat for the rest of the dough.
12. Let the wrapped bun rest for 10 - 15 minutes before steaming.
13. In the meantime, prepare a steamer with boiling water.
14. Place the wrapped bun into the steamer and steam over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes or until buns are cooked.
15. Remove steamer from boiling water and let rest 5 - 10 minutes before enjoying the delicious lotus seed paste bun.

 

Chiu Chow Fun Gor (Teochew Dumplings) 潮州粉果

Enjoying freshly made piping hot delicious dim sum dumplings right at home!

Ingredients
Dough
140g wheat starch (3/4 cup)
180g tapioca starch (1 cup)
60g cornstarch (1/3 cup)
360 ml water 

Fillings
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
40g re-hydrated dried shrimp - roughly chopped
3 re-hydrated dried mushrooms - diced
50g preserved radish
180g minced pork
20g diced pork fat
250g diced jicama
2 sliced shallots
handful of fried peanuts
100g chives - finely chopped
80g celery - finely chopped
120ml soaking mushroom water

Method
To prepare the ingredients

1. Add oil to pan.  Fry sliced shallots till aromatic.  Add preserved radish and fry over medium heat.  Add chopped mushrooms and fry for a while..  Push aside all ingredients.  Add a little oil and fry the dried shrimp until lightly browned and aromatic.  Mix all ingredients and fry to mix well.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add 1tbsp oil to pan.  Fry pork fat for about 1 minute, add pork and continue to fry for a while.  Return the previously fried ingredients to the pan.  Fry over medium heat.
3. Add sugar.  Switch to low heat.  Add oyster sauce, ground pepper, 5-spice powder, soy sauce.  Fry to combine well.
4. Add diced jicama and fry for a minute.  Drizzle shaoxing wine and do a quick stir fry.  Add soaked mushroom water and mix well.  Cover and cook for a few minutes.  Remove cover and check seasonings.  Add salt if it is too bland.  
5. Stir in cornstarch solution and fry to mix well.  Add chopped celery and fry for a while.  Add chives and cilantro.  Turn off heat. Drizzle sesame oil and toss to combine well.
6. Pour cooked ingredients into a large bowl for use in fillings.  When the ingredients are cooled, mix in fried peanuts. 

To make the dough

1. Place all dough flour mix into a large bowl.  Add salt and mix.
2. Pour in boiling water while stirring the flour mix.  Add vegetable oil.  Knead into a dough.  Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.
3. Roll the rested dough and divide into parts to form into ball shape.
4. Roll out to flatten each ball.  If it is too sticky, sprinkle some tapioca starch on the work surface.  Add 1 tbsp of ingredients onto the centre of the wrapper and fold the bottom half upwards to seal it.  Create pleats on the dumplings. Repeat for the rest of the wrappers.
5. Prepare a steamer.  Place wrapped dumplings on a basket steamer and steam for 15 minutes.
6. Enjoy these delicious dim sum right at home!

Dim Sum Fried Carrot Cake

recipe from here
Ingredients for Steam Carrot CakeSet A:
425g white carrot / turnip, peeled and shredded
340ml water

Set B:2 shallots, peeled and chopped fine
2 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked and cut into smaller bits
4 to 5 dried mushroom, soaked in water till soft, then cut into small chunks
2 Chinese sausage, casing removed and cut into small chunks
2 tbsp vegetable cooking oil

Set C: 
155g rice flour
15g corn flour
15g wheat starch powder
340ml chicken stock (or use 340ml water + 1 chicken bouillon cube)

Lor Mai Gai (糯米鸡)

Ingredients
1 chicken thigh - deboned and sliced
1 shitake mushroom - soaked, drained and cut into pieces
2 cups glutinous rice - soaked for 3 hours or more
1 1/2 cup chicken stock or water for cooking rice
shallot oil for greasing bowls

Chee Cheong Fun (Steamed Rice Roll)

recipe adapted from here
Ingredients
150g Rice Flour
1 ½ Tbsp Wheat starch flour
2 Tbsp Corn flour
1 Tbsp Oil
2 cups Water
½ tsp Salt 
fried dried prawns (hay bee)
chopped green onion
chopped fresh red chilli
toasted sesame seeds

Taro/Yam Puff (Wu Gok/芋角)

Ingredients
Taro Pastry
750g taro - peeled and sliced thinly
120g wheat starch
1/2 +1/3 cup boiling water
120g shortening
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar 
1/2 tsp 5-spice powder

Char Siew Bao

c

  piping hot char siew bao

 rough dough

 dough doubled in size

 diced char siew

 rolling out the dough

 char siew fillings with sauce

 wrapping the bao

 resting the wrapped bao

 getting steamer ready

 placing bao in steamer

 steamed bao

 the skin are not as soft and white as dim sum bao...but good enough for us....the char siew fillings are very tasty though

Ingredients

200g all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup water (add a few tbsp maybe)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Fillings

diced char siew
char siew sauce
some cornstarch solution

Pan Fried Pumpkin Kueh (金瓜糕)

Ingredients
refer to here

Steamed Pumpkin Kueh (金瓜糕)

Ingredients

500g pumpkin - cut into small cubes

4 dried mushrooms - soaked, drained and diced

70g dried prawns - soaked and drained

2 chinese sausage - diced

4 cloves garlic - chopped

4 shallots - sliced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

500ml water

2 tbsp oil

Yam Cake (Or Kueh)芋头糕

Ingredients

500g yam - peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes

1/2 bowl dried prawns - soaked in water and drained

200g pork belly - cut into small pieces

5 pcs of dried mushrooms - cut into small pieces

300g rice flour

1500ml water

1 tsp five spice powder

3 tbsp shallots - finely chopped

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp soy sauce

Garnishing - up to personal preference

green onions - finely chopped

red chillies - finely chopped

fried shallots

toasted sesame seeds

dried shrimps

Method

1. 
   
   Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and saute the shallots, pork belly and dried shrimps till fragrant.  Set aside for later use.
2. 
   
   With the remaining oil, pan fry the cubed yam till fragrant.  Add the mushrooms and continue to fry for a while more.  Add five spice powder, salt, pepper and soy sauce.  Fry for another minute.  Add 500ml water and bring to a boil.  Mash some of the yam cubes while stirring.  Simmer for a few minutes under medium heat.  Turn off heat.
3. 
   
   In a big bowl, mix the rice flour and 1000ml water till a smooth paste is formed. 
4. 
   
   Pour the flour mixture and all the cooked ingredients into the pan and with the remaining heat from the ceramic cooktop, cook batter till it is slightly thick.  Batter should not stick to your hands.  A handful of batter should drop in a few seconds.  Add more water if it is too thick or more flour if it is too watery.
5. 
   
   Pour the mixture into a large metal pan and steam over high heat for 40 mins or until cooked.
6. 
   
   Cut into pieces and garnish with toasted sesame seeds, fried shallots etc.
7. 
   
   Serve the yam cake with chilli sauce and sweet soy sauce.