Bak Kut Teh

Chinese Herbal Soup

I had this friend who used to rave about Bak Kut Teh whenever we met her.  People we met would ask us whether we had tasted this and we were quite perplexed at the excitement and eagerness involved.  Their eyes would light up, their noses twitch and we were longing to try this long awaited dish.  At long last, a friend invited us to try it out at a place well known for it.   So we tried it and tested it and enjoyed it and here is the recipe too.

Bak-kut-teh (also spelt bah-kut-teh;  is a Chinese soup popularly served in Malaysia and Singapore, where there is a predominant Hoklo and Teochew community, and also in neighbouring areas like the Riau Islands and Southern Thailand.

The name literally translates as "meat bone tea", and at its simplest, consists of meaty pork ribs simmered in a complex broth of herbs and spices (including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, dang gui, fennel seeds and garlic) for hours. Despite its name, there is in fact no tea in the dish itself; the name refers to a strong oolong Chinese tea which is usually served alongside the soup in the belief that it dilutes or dissolves the copious amount of fat consumed in this pork-laden dish. Source:  Wikipedia

NB:  I made it with chicken and it's a very aromatic, lip smacking dish.

The Recipe:

500 gms chicken on the bone, chopped into small pieces; 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder; salt to taste;3 tbsp olive oil I used oil; 2 cloves  garlic, crushed;1 star anise (star spice);1 piece cinnamon;1 teaspoon black peppercorns;1 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns (or ½ tsp. white pepper and ½ tsp. crushed red chillies);1 chicken stock cube; 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce; 1.5 litres boiling water; light soy to taste; any vegetable of your choice- optional.  I used broccoli.

Marinate meat in pepper and salt for half an hour. Heat pan until very hot.  Add two tablespoons of oil and fry meat until well-browned. Remove and keep covered in a dish.  In a new pan heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil.  Add the garlic and  stir-fry for half a minute, then add the fried meat and everything else except the light soy.  (Can use the cooker).   Boil rapidly for ten minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for two hours until the meat is falling apart and very tender. Remove excess oil from surface before serving, and add light soy to taste.  

For a quicker version, use the cooker and pressure cook for 10 minutes so that the meat falls apart. Serve piping hot with white rice or have it as it is.

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Ruth Isaac

Butterly Delicious Chicken

                               Chinese Butter Chicken

Indulging in food at one of our favourite Chinese Restaurants, we stumbled across a mouth watering dish called Butter Chicken.  Our tastes buds ran riot when the beautifully presented dish was brought to our table.  It had a hint of coconut milk in it and could easily pass off as a Mangalorean dish.  It is very similar to Butter Prawns and tastes just as good. I couldn't wait to make it myself.  And now that I have, here is the recipe.

The Recipe:

250 gms boneless chicken, cubed; 5 sprigs of curry leaves; 1 tbsp butter; 400ml Evaporated milk ;  (I used coconut milk);1 tsp sugar;  salt to taste.

Coating: 1/4 cup plain flour; 1/4 cup corn flour; 2 medium sized eggs, beaten.

Combine plain flour & corn flour in a bowl.  Beat up egg in a separate bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Drain and dry chicken cubes.  Heat oil in a deep pan.  Dip chicken in the beaten egg, then the flour.  Heat oil to smoking hot and deep fry on medium heat until golden brown.   Drain on kitchen towels and cool.  Heat  butter in a non-stick pan, add curry leaves and stir fry till fragrant.  Pour in the evaporated milk, simmer on low fire till  thick.  Add in sugar and salt.  Pour onto chicken arranged in a serving dish .  Serve hot with plain rice.

The Chinese Connection

Fried Rice

I have always loved Chinese Food ever since my grandparents treated us at the Rice Bowl on Brigade Road, Bangalore more than forty years ago. Although my mother frequently made noodles and fried rice at home, nothing quite matched the taste and smell of authentic Chinese cuisine. So when we shifted to Kuala Lumpur, which has a large Chinese population and numerous eating spots, I took the opportunity to master the art. And my family co-operated as well, patiently eating everything I put on the table. For Christmas and other special occasions it is always Chinese food, not only because it is so easy to make and requires minimum cooking time but because it is as delicious as it looks.

Fried Rice is one of my personal favourites because you can add anything to it and it tastes good.

Honey Chicken Wings is another simple, tasty recipe.

Chinese food is always accompanied with lots and lots of vegetables, so have included a recipe that goes well with any menu.

The dessert is Serita’s achievement and am so glad she can cook, ably assisted by Ranita. You can never have too much of these luscious tarts.
So eat on and enjoy the Christmas season.

The Recipe

2 cups left over rice; 1 cup mixed, stir fried vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, cauliflower, whatever); 1 omlette cut into strips; ½ cup shredded cooked chicken (optional); 1 tbsp minced ginger garlic; 2 spring onions cut really fine; oil for frying; large wok; 1 Maggi soup cube (salt not required if using soup cubes).
Heat oil in wok. Add the ginger garlic and stir fry a minute. Smash the soup cube and add to the wok. Lower flame and add the vegetables (I used only peas, since we were having mixed vegetables) and chicken and gently mix. Next, add the rice a little at a time and mix well. Add the spring onions and omlette strips and transfer to serving dish. Keep hot while you prepare the honey chicken wings.


Honey Chicken Wings


8 wings trimmed and drained. Marinade 15 minutes with salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp oyster sauce.
Grill at 450F or 260 C for five minutes each side.

Mixed Vegetables

3/4 kg mixed vegetables of your choice. I use whatever's in the refrigerator; 1/4 kg grilled potato wedges; 1 tsp garlic, minced; oil for seasoning; salt to taste; 1 tbsp almond flakes or nibs for garnishing (optional).
Blanch vegetables of your choice for 1 minute in boiling water with added salt to taste.. Pour cold water over them to retain crunchiness and drain completely. Parboil 2 large potatoes. Peel and cut into wedges. Sprinkle salt over them. Grill 5 minutes on high heat until golden brown.
Heat 2 tbsp. oil in large wok. Stir fry garlic a minute. Add all the veggies and potatoes and toss gently for another minute. Garnish with almond nibs/flakes. Serve hot.

Lemon Cream Cheese Tartlets


50 tartlet cases (pre baked and available at any cake shop); 1/4 kg cream cheese at room temperature; 400 ml tin of condensed milk; ¼ cup cream; juice of 2 large lemons;1 tsp grated lemon zest; almonds for decoration.
Blend cream cheese, cream, condensed milk and lemon juice & zest in cake mixer until smooth and creamy. Pour into tart cases. Decorate with an almond each. Store in freezer until required. Can freeze the remainder in ice cream trays and use as and when required.