Lor Mai Gai - Glutinous rice lotus leaf parcel

Was going to a friend 'bring a dish' party... and want to continue to challenge the new.... so decided on making Lor Mei Gai.
I had 2 recipes for this dim sum... so at the end i've picked and choose the good bits and hoped for the best.

Ingredients:
A) 1kg Glutinous rice

B) 2tspn Salt
     4Tbspn Veg Oil

C) 4sheets Lotus Leaves

D)150g Chicken thigh (deboned & finely sliced)
     50g  Peeled prawns
     3  Chinese Mushroom (Shitake)
     1/2tspn Salt
     1/2tspn White Pepper
     1tspn ShiaoHsing Wine
     1tspn Light Soy sauce
     1tspn Sesame Oil
     2tspn Sugar
     2Tbspn Oyster sauce
     5Tbspn Water
     2tspn Cornflour
     2 Sliced Ginger

Make: 14 (mini ones)

Method:

1) Soak Glutinous Rice in water overnight or a least 5hrs
2) Drain off all the water from the rice, then cover & steam for approx 30-45mins
3) Once rice is steamed, stir-fry it in a wok with salt & veg oil (B). Once done put it in a bowl and aside for later.
4)Marinate the chicken & prawns with ingredients listed in D. Put it in the fridge for approx 15-20mins.
5)In a heated wok stir-fry the chicken & prawn and let it form a thick gravy filling
6)Cut the steam edges from the lotus leaves and soak it in warm water for approx 15mins until it becomes soften.
7)On the lotus leaf, divide 3 tablespoon of rice as bottom layer, then approx 1 tablespoon of filling, then add further 3 tablespoon of rice as tope layer. Then wrap it up.  Repeat this process for as many times until rice and filling is all used.
8) Finally, put it in the steamer and left steaming for 30mins.


Happy Steaming!

Fried glutinous rice in lotus leave

From saturday i had some leftover glutinous rice... and i don't like wasting good food away, so sunday supper i put on my creative cooking cap with a help of the internet and decided to make fried glutinous rice and use the leftover lotus leave to steam.



First resteamed the rice for 20mins.  Whilst steaming, i used hot water soak the dried chinese mushroom, and dried shrimps.  Fine chopped the leftover chinese cured sausage, spring onions, ginger and once the mushroom is soft i fine-chopped that too. I also wash and cleaned the dried shrimps.

Then like making fried rice, in a non-stick pan little oil, first in the dried shrimp, then add sausage & mushroom, then scoop the rice into the pan.... give it a good stir, add some light soya sauce then throw in the spring onions, another stir and put in the bowl to serve. 



For added flavour, and because i had time..... in a small non-stick pan and made sheet of scramble egg.

Then on 3 sheets of lotus leaves - first place the egg, then scoop the rice on top then wrapped it tightly into a parcel.





Return it into the steamer for 25mins. 




Its time for dinner. 




Tip:  after glutinous rice - remember drink plenty of green tea to aid digestion.

Making Lor Mai Gai (Glutinous rice lotus leaves parcel)

Today, going to a friend's 'bring a dish' party.... so after a week not making anything, i found something new to learn to make, and also abit different from other friends dish, as there are people have volunteered to make chicken wings, spare ribs. And believe me.... after last friday bun bake-athon, i dont want to make one as yet. 

So thinking long and hard and made a decision on Tuesday that i will make Lor Mai Gai  - Glutious rice lotus leave parcel. 



I had 2 recipe books on this, so at the end i've adapted it to mine own.  Told my parents that i will be making it, so Friday after work, me & my mum went to Wing Yip Chinese Supermarket to get the very important ingredients - Glutinous rice & Lotus Leaves.

Once i had dinner with my parents and got home, i quickly emptied the glutinous rice into big bowls and soak it in cold water.... and left it soak overnight whilst i go and enjoy tv then sleep hehe.



Saturday morning, woke up.... i drained the already soaked 12hrs rice, then put it in bowls/container that will fit in the steamer, as i left it to steam for 30mins. As i was making loads for a party, i had 2 steamers bubbling away.



Whilst the rice is steaming away moved on to the filling: Chicken thigh meat, a packet of peeled prawns, pre-soaked hot water dry chinese mushroom (shittake), ginger, spring onion and chinese cured sausage. 
Everything apart from the prawns, was carefully sliced finely or fine chopped.
Once that is done, i marinated the chicken &prawns with the usual essential: sugar, salt, white pepper, light soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil, veg oil, little shiaohsing wine, and cornflour, give it a good mix, then i put in the fridge for 20mins. 



Once the rice finish steaming, i heated the wok, then add the rice and gave it a good stir with a little salt & veg oil.
Then put it in a bowl and set aside to cool.



By the time the rice is stir-fried and left to cool... its time to cook the filling.... heat up the wok with a little veg oil, when the oil is start to bubble, stirfry the chicken/prawn, chinese mushroom, give it a good stir, then when when the meat looked cooked (chicken from to pink to white) i add a little water.... and wait till it form a thick paste and serve in a bowl, then set aside to cool.



Then its time to prepare the lotus leaves.  Trim the corner  and divide it into 2, once you got a pile soak the leaves in hot water for 15mins to get it soft.  To not waste water... i reuse the water in the steamer. Once that done.... put aside ready to be use later.



Now with all the time used to prepare the essentials.... it was time to do the wrapping and to the final result.
But the wrapping is the easiest step.... like my dad call it.... its chinese sushi.



Anyway, here the pictures of the wrapping:





Once all the lotus leave parcel all wrapped its the final stage - steaming for another 25mins.


Tada... ready to take the lor mai gai to the party.

Baking Meet - making buns

I have been experimenting how to make buns at home for a few months, and my progress was well documented and seen by my friends. They all want to learn how to make pineapple buns, sausage buns, so Yvonne, have been really nice and arrange tonight for us all to go to her house, and we all get a chance to learn to bake, catch up and enjoy our creations.

Because I work half day on friday, it was perfect for me to go Yvonne's early to get the dough ready, make a head start for everyone.

It was an team effort with soo much buns we were baking - with the girls eagerly learning so can remake them again for their loved ones later.

The boys were having a bit of fun, and help doing the pastry topping for Bor lor bao (Pineapple buns)

 First batch of buns from the oven - Pineapple Buns

Next batch of buns was Doe Sa bao - Aduki bean buns

 We had some humour when making sausage swirl buns

Aside the fun and silliness, all the buns went in the oven.

Tada - Fresh baked sausage swirl buns

Lastly, but eagerly anticipated - Spam ham & egg buns

 Great teamwork and good catch up!

 Time to pack some in the tubbawares - to enjoy laters.

Great thanks for a great hostess -Yvonne.

 Happy Baking!

Char Siu Adventure III - tasting by the chefs

Whilst being really happy that i was able to roast the pork, make the buns and had it for dinner too.
Today, i went back to my parents to share the roast pork buns, and the char siu... which was great timing as mum was roasting a chicken for dinner, and she popped the roast pork in also.... and at the end i was eager to hear what my chef daddy & chef uncle think about it.

To be honest, when i tasted what i make - i felt it was ok.... but its different when my father have been a chef for 40years... and he can just taste something and tell me whether its the main chef or some chef assistant  cooked a dish when we go out to eat in a chinese restaurant.  My uncle also is a chef soo his opinion is invaluable.

My mum & grandma keep commenting it smells really nice... and my dad and uncle was a tad uninterested when i said i roasted it. But when i put it on the table... and said again ' i made it..' Dad grabbed his fork.... 'what char siu?'.... a nervy moment when he was chewing it.....'hmm... really nice.... very tender!'
Then i ask uncle to taste it.... and he's like...' ooh even got the colouring... looks good in the eye..' another nervy moment.....'hmm, good.... what pork you use.... good good....' (more chewing)....' for a first time its really good.'
Then dad started to digging in for more.... 'its comparable to professional standards...' looked at me...'not everyone... even in chinese takeaway can make proper char siu.... well done.... but next time need to add more Chinese rose wine'. 

Grandma just smelled the pork, but was scared it would be too tough... but with dad & uncle persuasion that the meat is very soft and tender.... she also got the whole experience in tasting my first batch of Char siu.


The comments make me really happy... think i was more happy than when i made the char siu buns.

Char Siu Bun 叉燒餐飽

This is my favourite bun, next to Pineapple buns.... have one with a hot lemon tea or HK style cream tea is the best. However, i opt to make mini-size rather than the usual big bun... because i like good things in small dosage, so that it becomes a treat for longer.
Its also perfect to make when i freshly roasted the pork earlier on today.

Ingredients:

Bun
1lb        Strong White Flour
4oz       Sugar
1           Egg
2tspn    Yeast
2oz       Butter
2Tspn   Custard Powder
2Tspn   Milk Powder
8oz       Warm water

Fillings Ingredients:

300g Diced Roast Pork
1 Fine chopped  Onion
1cup lukewarm water
4tspn Sugar
3tspn Corn flour
1/2tspn Salt
2Tbspn Light Soya sauce
2Tbspn Dark Soya sauce
1tspn Oyster Sauce

Sugar Solution:
2tspn Sugar
2Tbspn Warm water


Method:
 
Bun making
1) Place all bun making ingredients in a large bowl. Add the warm water.
2) Beat the dough for approx 8 mins with an electric mixer until its becomes strong and elastic.
3) Alternatively if without electric mixer, knead the dough by hand for approx 10 mins
4) Check the dough, it should be very elastic when pull apart.
5) Cover the dough with clingfilm and set aside in a warm place for approx 2hrs to let the dough rise.
6)When the dough becomes twice its original size. The fermentation is completed!
7) Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.
8) Roll each portion into a ball shape and left to rest for 10mins


Filling making
9) In a wok or non-stick pan stir-fry the fine-chopped onions, then add the diced roast pork (char siu) then give it a good stir.
10) In a small bowl mix the light & dark soy, sugar, salt, oyster sauce with lukewarm water, once its in liquid pour it with the roast pork and onions to form a thick paste. Serve in a bowl, set aside to cool down to be used later.

11) Divide the filling & roll into ball shape.(Alternatively, you can just use a teaspoon)
12) Wrap filling in dough and roll it into shape.
13)Place bun on greaseproof paper. Spray bun with water and set aside in a warm place for 20mins
14) When buns are approx 30% bigger, brush sugar solution. Then bake for 14mins at 180C in  a pre-heated oven.

Char Siu Adventure II - Roast pork buns

From roasting the pork all lovely fragrant in smell.... its next to the thing i want to do. To make char siu chan bao.
A HK favourite local food which puts a smile on our faces whether ur 3yrs old or 30 years old, can have it for breakfast, lunch or even just a snack at 3:15pm with a cuppa tea. If in Hong Kong you go to a old school cafe... nylon-tights cream tea with a char siu bao, is just land of heaven when u done 2hrs of non-stop shopping.




Here is my experience of my roast pork buns.

First, got ready the dough..... and set aside for it to rise the double the size for 2hours. Because i know i want to make these buns, before i put the pork in the oven to be roasted, i made the dough first, so once the roasting and preparing the filling... the dough was rise at a good time for me to play it.


Meanwhile, waiting for the dough, i went to prepare the filling that will go into to form the bun.
First chopped/diced  the roast pork, and onions.... then in a non-stick pan heat up with a little of veg oil
then put in the pork & onions and give it a good stir, then add seasoning - sugar, salt, dark & light soya sauce, a little oyster sauce and at the end some cornflour to thicken it up. Serve on a dish and set aside to cool down.



Once the dough is done, its giving a good knead, and used my newly purchase dough cutter.... divided it in 2 and then divided it into another small parts... and putting the filling in the dough.



Once the buns if formed, put it on a greaseproof paper on the baking sheet, spray it with some water and set aside for 20mins to let it rise.  When the time came it was time to for final stage.. brush the bun with a sugar solution then in the oven for 15mins.




To prove the bun has char siu filling heres a pic of the inside:



Recipe for char siu bun
http://hungrylittlekitty.blogspot.com/2009/10/char-siu-bun.html

Not bad for a days achievement...... and have the happiness to share it with my parents, gran & Ken.