Stir-fry Shrimp and Asparagus with Spicy Shrimp Sauce

Asparagus is abundant and relatively cheap during Spring season.I like to buy young, green and skinny asparagus instead of the big round size asparagus.There are so many way to cook asparagus but I still prefer to stir-fry asparagus with shrimp in sambal belacan paste(shrimp paste).The secret to cook fresh crunchy  asparagus is to stir-fry and not overcooked until mushy and tough.

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus,remove the end and cut about 2 inches each

15 large shrimp,peeled and clean,leave the end

1 medium red onion,peeled and slice

4-5 colorful sweet pepper,slice

3 tbsp sambal-belacan-paste

1 tsp tamarind powder

2 tbsp sugar

salt to taste

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

1:Heat wok at medium high heat with oil sambal-belacan-paste ,stir well for 1 minute.

2:Toss in asparagus,sweet pepper and onion.Cover with wok's lid for 2 minutes to prevent steam from evaporated.(This method of cooking is faster and still retained the crunchiness of vegetables).Remove wok's lid,add in shrimp,tamarind powder,sugar and salt,mix well with spatula.

3:Check the seasoning.Dish out and serve warm.

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Braised Chicken in Bone with White Mushroom,Ginger and Scallion in Spicy Sesame Oil

Chicken braised in ginger,garlic and sesame oil with mushroom is one of the popular Chinese dish.Many Chinese like this dish because it's cost effective to eat for the whole family beside it's also delicious and savory .The original dish is not spicy at all.I like most of my main dishes taste slightly spicy wheather it's tangy sweet mild spicy or spicy spicy until it's really burn your whole mouth!! Hahaha!! Crazy but I like it!!

Ingredients:

I whole chicken,chopped small

1 box of white mushroom,remove the stump and cut 1/2

1 stalk green scallion,washed and cut 2 inches

3 inches old ginger,scrap the skin and slice thin

10 dried red pepper

1 clove fresh garlic,peeled and minced


Seasoning:
3 tbsp oil
4-5 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3-4 tbsp shaoxing wine
4-5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
salt to taste

Method:

1:Heat wok at high heat with oil.Toss in ginger,dried red pepper and garlic.Saute for 30 seconds,then toss in cut chicken and all the seasoning,mix well.Use a wok's lid to cover the wok.Let it simmer for 10 minutes.

2:Remove the lid and use spatula to stir all the ingredients.If needed add in 1/2 cup of water,then cover the lid again.Braise for another 10-15 minutes at medium heat.

3:Check the seasoning.Toss in cut white mushroom and scallion,stir well with others ingredients.

4:Dish out and serve warm with rice.

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Steamed Buffalo Fish with Ginger and Garlic in Soy Sauce

Fish is one of our favorite dinner dish.We eat fish almost every week.Recently, I fall in love with Buffalo fish.Buffalo fish is genus of freshwater fish.Even though this type of fish has lots of fine bones but the meat texture are smooth, silky fine and soft.This type of fish is best to use for cooking curry but make not mistake it's also best for steaming  since it's meaty and smooth.

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 or more pounds of buffalo fish (ask fish monger to cut and clean)

2 inches fresh ginger,scale skin and shredded

3-4 shallot,peeled and slice

1 bulb fresh garlic,peeled and slice

1 stalk cilantro,washed and cut

1 stalk green scallion,slice

1 small tomato,cut small

3-4 birds chili,slice

4-5 tbsp seafood soy sauce(LKK)

5-6 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

1:Prepare water in steamer or wok at high heat.Make sure the fish is clean free of fish scales.Place fish is a aluminum steam plate (best place some lettuce or green on the bottom to prevent fish from sticking on the plate)Then place cut tomato,chili and some ginger on top of the fish.

2:When water rolling boil,place fish on the hot water with lid/cover on for 15 minutes.(Steam depend on the size of fish and do not over steamed)While the fish is steaming,use a skillet to fry ginger,garlic and shallot with some oil until golden brown.

3:Pour soy sauce in the hot skillet in which the fried ginger,shallot and garlic is ready to dish out.Remove wok lid or steamer cover,pour soy sauce mixture on the steamed fish.Toss cut scallion and cilantro on the top as garnishing.

4:Serve warm fish immediately.

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Pan Fried Fish Paste Wrapped in Wanton Skin

Recently, I bought a pound of ready fish paste from an Asian store in Chinatown,Queens.This ready fish paste is really really good.It's comes with all the seasoning and perfect to use for any type of cooking as snack or appetizer or main dish.Usually, we used "fu-pei" a.k.a bean curd sheet to wrap fish paste but I didn't know I run out of bean curd sheet.Since I have wanton wrapper why not try it out.Although wanton wrapper don't have the crunchiness as bean curd sheet after fried but it's still acceptable.This snack is suitable to serve as an appetizer. 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb fish paste mixture (ready made from fish monger)

1 stalk cilantro,washed and chopped

1 tsp white pepper powder

1 tsp seasalt

1/2 pack wanton skin/wrapper (sold in any Asian Mart)

1 cup of canola oil

Method:

1:Toss in chopped cilantro,pepper powder and seasalt into the fish paste,mix well.Remove wanton wrapper from plastic and cover with a damp paper towel or clean clothes to prevent the wrapper from drying.

2:Use butter knife to spread fish paste` mixture on the wanton wrapper.The amount of paste is more or less depend on your preference. Dap some water on the wrapper side before fold in triangle.Repeat the same exercise until the fish paste or wrapper run out.

3:Heat skillet or wok with canola at medium high.Place each one of the triangle into the hot oil.Fried both side until golden brown.Remove fried triagle from hot oil to plate lined with paper towel.

4:Serve warm with your favorite sauce.

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Vegetables and Bean Curd in Curry

Mishu and mommy both love any type of curry,especially Malaysia's curry.In my personal opinion Malaysia's curry taste better than others curries because we modified the spices and ingredients to suit our  unique taste .Some others curries taste too sweet(Thailand),some just taste bland without coconut ,milk or yogurt(Japanese) and some others curry just don't have the wonderful coconut fragrant because they used yogurt(Indian) instead of coconut milk or cream.I know yogurt is healthy if compare with coconut but we not used to it.I think the most important is the type of curry powder that we used.Beside curry powder we also used others spices like fresh and dried red pepper(chilies)lemongrass(serai)garlic(bawang putih)shallot(bawang merah kecil),galangal(lengkuas) candlenut(buah keras) turmeric(kunyit) and shrimp paste(belacan).Imagine all this special spices combined and cooked as a curry dish!!Some must wonder how this wonderful spices curry taste like,right? Honestly it's taste really really delicious!! I can eat couple bowl of rice!!

Ingredients:

1 block of soft tofu,cut into 6 pieces

Vegetables:
1 pound okra(lady finger)remove both end
1 small cabbage,cut and washed
2 medium tomato,cut quarter
1 large onion,peeled and cut square
3 medium potato,peeled and cut 4-6,boiled(Idaho)
1 cup baby carrot,boiled

Spices:
3 tbsp sambal-belacan-paste
1/2 cup curry powder(Baba's brand) available in any Asian store

Seasoning:
2 tbsp seasalt or to taste
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder or cubes

1 can coconut milk (400ml)
2 cups half and half  or whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-3 stalk curry leaves

Method:

1:Prepare a large stock pot or wok at medium high heat.Add in oil , sambal-belacan-paste ,curry leaves and curry powder,saute the paste for 1 minutes or until fragrant.

2:Pour in coconut milk and toss in all the vegetables except tofu and tomato.Increase the heat to high,cook for 15-20 minutes or until it's rolling boil.Then add in salt ,sugar and vegetables bouillon,mix well.Check the seasoning.

3:Add on whole milk or half and half ,tomato and lastly add in the tofu(bean curd).

4:Dish out and serve warm with rice or noodles.

*This dish is ideal for vegan or diet*

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