Delicious Food And Beverage fan-Healthy Care And Tips

It was difficult for me to find the exact English equivalent for Sweet Tau Kee or Sweet Tou Kan, a type of soya product which is popular amongst vegetarians. Sweet Tau Kee comes in rectangular dried hard pieces and are brown in colour and you will need to soften them by pre-soaking in water for a few minutes prior to cooking. I have had experience where certain Sweet Tau Kee softens much faster than others depending on different manufacturers. After they have softened, you should cut them into smaller pieces as they measure approximately 15cm in length and 5 cm in width prior to cooking.

Sweet Tau Kee is not for everyone due to its unique taste, which can be bitter to some. Here, I have paired the Sweet Tau Kee with Choy Sum (菜心) or “Flowering Chinese Cabbage” so that there is a good balance between the subtle sweetness of the Tau Kee and the refreshing Choy Sum greens. This dish is quite easy to cook and with a little effort in presentation, you can dish out something which can rival what is being offered in the chinese restaurants. By the way, if you intend to serve this as a complete vegetarian dish, omit garlic from the ingredients.

This is my recipe for Choy Sum with Sweet Tau Kee

Ingredients

• 200 grammes Choy Sum (choose tender shoots, rinsed thoroughly to remove dirt)
• 3 pieces Sweet Tau Kee (pre-soak till soft enough to cut with scissors, yet with a little firmness. Cut into desired sizes)
• 3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly)
• Water for blanching Choy Sum
• Potato starch (mix 1 teaspoon potato flour with 100 ml water)
• 2 tablespoons peanut / corn oil

Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon mushroom / abalone flavoured sauce
• A pinch of salt
• A couple of dashes of white pepper powder

Method

Bring to boil in a pot or wok. Add a liberal pinch of salt and a couple of drops of cooking oil. Whilst water is boiling rapidly, add Choy Sum and blanch it until the leaves turn dark green, indicating that it is cooked. Remove and drain. Arrange Choy Sum on a plate.

Heat cooking oil in wok and fry the sweet tau kee for 1 minute on both sides on medium high heat. Once done, push the sweet tau kee to one side and add garlic to remaining oil. Saute till aromatic.

Then, push back the sweet tau kee to the garlic and add 200 ml water. Bring gravy to boil and add seasoning to taste. Gradually add potato starch to thicken gravy to your preferred consistency. Then, pour gravy with sweet tau kee and garlic over the pre-arranged Choy Sum.

source:http://www.deliciousasianfood.com

I love simple to cook dishes. And with vegetables, I like them quickly cooked so as to retain the texture and nutrition. Hence, this dish is one of my favourites. Choy Sum (sometimes known as Chinese Mustard Leaves or Chinese Flowering Cabbage or Sawi) is one of the most popular leafy greens available in markets in South East Asia. It can be cooked and eaten on its own or cooked with other ingredients.

In most chinese restaurants (especially those in Malaysia), you can order this dish but the price which they charge (approximately RM6.00 and above for a plate) does not justify the price of Choy Sum and the ease of preparation. It’s like getting ripped off. If you can get them from the market, you can cook this dish by your self at home. As long as you know how to boil water and fry “something”, you can be a chef just like those at chinese restaurants.

This is the recipe for Choy Sum with Oyster Sauce

Ingredients

• Choy Sum (amount up to you really, just wash them thoroughly. Then, pluck and separate the stem from the leaves. For the thicker part of the stem, try to remove the “skin” using a knife)
• About 5 bulbs of shallots and / or garlic (slice shallots or finely chopped garlic)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt + 1 tablespoon of palm oil
• 3 tablespoons of palm oil (for frying)
• Water for boiling

Seasoning

• Oyster sauce (amount up to you)

Method

Heat up 3 tablespoons of palm oil in a wok and fry the shallots or garlic till golden brown. Remove fried shallots / garlic and set aside. Keep the oil separately.

Meanwhile, bring water to boil in a pot. Once it starts boiling, add salt and 1 tablespoon of palm oil. Allow water to boil briskly.

Add choy sum stems into the boiling water. Add leaves approximately 15 seconds after that. Stir well to ensure even blanching.

Once leaves have turned dark green (which is really beautiful!), remove leaves and stem from pot and arrange on a plate.

Drizzle the oil (which was used to fry the shallots / garlic) over the cooked choy sum followed by oyster sauce and top it up with fried shallots / garlic.