◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 5

The Chinese Arrowroot Soup (粉葛湯), many people may not have heard of or taste of arrowroot or the soup. The Arrowroot is a type of root plant similar to yucca, taro or potato root plants. So you can find it in the produce sections with the potato, yucca or taro. However the arrowroot is harder in texture and it is extensively starchy than potato. When it is cut up, it has patterns on surface that looks like the ages of a tree trunk.

The arrowroot is high in protein and fiber which is very beneficial to our body. Since the arrowroot is very fulfilling, sometimes we will make good old pot of soup as substitution of our meals as well. I like to drink the soup more than eating the arrowroot actually as the soup is really sweet and tasty. We cook the soup by adding in seafood ingredients such as dried oysters and dried squids, this makes the soup so refreshing sweet with the natural sweetness from dried seafood. You can omit if you don’t like seafood, just add in more pork ribs or pork bones.

For more information of arrowroot, search in wikipedia.

Ingredients:

1 medium Arrowroot (remove skin, cut into small pieces or slices)
1/2 lb pork ribs
1/2 lb pork loins
3 piece dried squids (soaked, cut into small pieces)
6 piece dried oysters
1 cup of peanuts (optional)
10 dried red dates
Salt to taste

Cooking Method:

1. Blanch the pork ribs and loins in boiling water to remove any debris, rinse in cool running water.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to boil, add the peanuts, pork ribs and pork loins into water.
3. Add in dried squids, dried oysters and arrowroot pieces, bring to boil and cook for 5-10 minutes.
4. Turn heat to low and simmer the soup for at least 1 1/2 – 2 hours till the arrowroot is edible, peanuts and pork are tender.
5. Add salt to taste.

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 5

Not everyone likes the bitter melon (苦瓜). It is a bitter fruit that I used to loathe in childhood. Seriously, I would skip having it every time when it was served in any dishes. My taste buds changed when I grew up. The pork and bitter melon stew is now one of my favorite family dishes, which I missed dearly.

Chinese loves to use the bitter melon in cooking for its bitter flavor such as stir-fries and sours. As for this time, I’ve used it to prepare the “pork and bitter melon stew” to gratify my craving. Nothing fancy is needed else than the ground bean sauce which you are able to get it easily in most Asian food markets. Good thing about this dish is the bitter melon doesn’t taste so bitter after it has been cooked.

Just couple of simple steps to go after and you will get a pleasant dish for dinner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb baby back rib or rib (cut into chunks)
1/2 lb pork loin (cut into cubes)
2 medium-sized bitter melon (sliced)
5 cloves of garlic (minced)

Seasoning:

2 tbsp ground bean sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 dash of sesame oil

Cooking method:

1. Blanch the rib and pork loin with boiling water for few minutes until the scum has come out.
2. Heat up the pot with 2 tbsp oil. Add garlic, sauté until aromatic.
3. Add in the pork meat and seasoning. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add enough water to cover the meat and bring to boil. Then lower the heat to minimum and stew for an hour. Check constantly to make sure the water level is good. Add water if needed.
5. Add in bitter melon and stir well. Add water to cover the ingredients and stew for another 30 minutes.
6. Dish up and serve.

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 6

In Chinese saying, “three dishes and one soup”  (三菜1湯) completes a meal.  For those who are away from home like us who cannot enjoy Mum’s home cooking, or we will say no good meal or soup (沒湯水喝) to consume,  you can always try out our easy cooking or soup recipes. Pat has previously posted so many soup recipes that you can easily prepare at home. We always try to boil the soup at least once during the weekends to pamper ourselves for a nice complete meal. Plus the leftover soup tasted even better and it is great for simple weekday dinner.

The corn soup is sweet as it has infused the natural sweetness from the corns and pork ribs. Most importantly I get to eat the corn at the same time. I will never have enough of corns. This is a super easy yet delicious soup to have.

I have added some goji berries and dried Chinese yam root pieces or Dioscorea (huái shān 淮山, shān yào 山葯) to the soup just like my mum’s cooking. The Chinese yam root is claimed to tonify the Qi (氣) or energy, served to augment the spleen, stomach, lungs and kidney functions. Nowadays you can actually see more and more fresh Chinese Yam root available in the Asian market, they can be used in stir frying dishes, soups and so on. Also more and more recipes are available using these ingredients to treat weak digestion, weakness for rejuvenating the body.  I bought it in dried packet form for the purpose to be added in the soup sometimes. You can opt out the chinese herbs if you don’t like it and just cook a simple pot of corn soup to keep your body cool in hotter days.

Ingredients:

4 Corns (cut into 3)
1/2 lb baby back rib or rib (cut into chunks)
1/2 lb pork loin (cut into cubes)
A handful goji berries (杞子) optional
12 dried chinese yam root (淮山片 , 山葯片) optional
2 ½ gallons water
Salt to taste

Serve: 4 people

Cooking Method:

1. Blanch the pork ribs and pork loin in a pot of boiling water to remove its blood residues  and scums. Drain and rinse the ribs and pork with cold water.
2. Fill a big pot of water, bring to boil. Add in the pork ribs, pork loins, corn, goji berries and the dried Chinese yam root.
3. Bring to boil for 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low simmer cover for 1 1/2 to 2 hours till the meat is tender and the soup is sweet.
4. Add salt to taste.

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 5

It has been more than half year I didn’t have the Bak Kut Teh (肉骨茶). So I decided to boil it last weekend. I miss this! It is one of my favorite soups back home. Bak Kut Teh is actually a Hokkien name for this dish, literally translated as “meat bone tea”. It is a famous Chinese herbal soup cooked with pork meat served in Malaysia. You can find it almost everywhere especially in Klang, where it is believed to have the best Bak Kut Teh across the country.

Bak Kut Teh consists of meaty pork ribs simmered with herbs and spices such as Dong Quai (當歸), star anise, cinnamon, cloves (丁香) and garlic. Additionally, it is loaded with some other ingredients such as dried shitake mushrooms, golden needle mushrooms, button mushrooms, and fried tofu puffs. Normally, it requires a couple of hours for simmering. Just like those slow cooked soups I made previously.

The Chinese fried dough strip (油條) is often served for dipping into the Bak Kut Teh. It goes so well with it and I supposed to go grab few back but I was just too lazy to go out. At least, I’ve made the condiment with the soy sauce and chopped chilli padi (bird’s eye chili) for dipping. And yes, it is best eaten with steamed white rice.

Ingredients:
4 pack of Bak Kut Teh herbs (A1 Bak Kut Teh spices pack bought from Malaysia)
1 lb pork ribs (I used baby pork ribs)
1/2 lb pork loin
2 garlic bulbs (washed, crushed)
8 dried shitake mushrooms (soaked in hot water, cut into half)
1 pack golden needle mushroom (trimmed the bottom)
1/2 can button mushroom
Some tofu puffs (roughly 1 small bowl)
1.5 gallon water

Serve size: 4-6 people

Seasoning:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
A few dashes of white pepper powder (3 dashes for me)
Salt to taste

Condiment:
2 bird’s eye chilies (chopped)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic (optional)

Cooking method:

1. Heat up a pot of water until it boils.
2. Blanch the ribs and loin in another pot with boiling water for few minutes until the scum has come out. This will give you a clear soup.
3. Remove them from the pot and rinse the ribs and pork with cold water.
4. Add the Bak Kut Teh herbs packs, pork ribs, pork loin, garlic, mushrooms and tofu puffs into the first pot. Bring to boil.
5. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours.
6. Add in the seasoning and salt to taste. Boil for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot.

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 8

It is always good to have a bowl of slow cooked soup for body rejuvenating and reinvigorating after a worn-out week. Weekend is normally the best time for me to boil soup especially slow cooked soup. It requires several hours (at least 3 hours) for simmer. Dried bok choy soup (菜干湯) was what I’ve boiled last weekend. This homespun soup was one of my favorites back in Malaysia.

Back in ancient times, bok choy was dehydrated for preservation until the next harvest but nowadays you can easily get the fresh boy choy all year round. Besides, you do not need to dehydrate the bok choy because packages of dried bok choy can be easily in most Asian markets. Some of the packages of dried bok choy are labeled as “dehydrated cole”.

I love the unique salty flavor in the dried bok choy soup. It is so appetizing and perfect to be consumed together with the steamed white rice. Not only is the dried bok choy soup flavorful, it’s full of nutrients. It is traditionally used for body heat relief in Asia. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb baby back rib or rib (cut into chunks)
1/2 lb pork loin (cut into cubes)
5-6 bunches of dried bok choy
15 baby carrots or 4 carrots
8 red dates (红棗)
2 honey dates (蜜棗)
2 ½ gallons water
Salt to taste

Serve size: 6-8 people

Cooking method:

1. Pre-soak the dried bok choy for at least 1 hour (or until soft). Rinse and drain them. Set aside.
2. Fill the big pot with the water and boil it with high heat.
3. Blanch the ribs and meat in another pot with boiling water for few minutes until the scum has come out. This will give you a clear soup.
4. Remove them from the pot and rinse the ribs and pork with cold water before putting them into the big pot.
5. Add dried boy choy, carrots / baby carrots, red dates and honey dates into the pot right after the ribs and meat.
6. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 2-3 hours.
7. Add in salt to taste.