Japanese Tofu Stirfry

A perennial Chinese favorite. Healthy and simply yummy.

Serving size: 2-4 portions served with rice

Ingredients:

• 2 Japanese egg tofu
• 200gm minced meat (chicken or pork works)
  
• 5 dried Shitake mushrooms
• Carrot
• Oyster sauce & soya sauce
• Corn flour
• Salt & pepper
• Bruised garlic
• Cooking oil (extra for shallow frying)
  

How to make?

Preparation:

1. Soak mushroom in water until soft. Cut into cubes. Retain water for use as gravy base.
2. Skin carrot and cut into cubes.
3. Add salt, pepper and corn flour to minced meat.
4. Cut tofu into bite size slices.
5. Add corn flour, salt, oyster sauce and soya sauce to earlier retained water.

Cooking the ingredients:

1. Shallow fry tofu slices until golden. Sieve dry excess oil and place on serving plate.
2. Fry bruised garlic until fragrant, add in minced meat, mushroom and carrot cubes.
3. Pour in the mixture of condiments and sauces to make a thick gravy.
   
4. When it is done, pour over tofu, then serve.

Bon Appetit

Kacangma Chicken

The Kacangma herb is also called "Chinese Motherwort". It is a popular traditional herb which has been consumed for decades by the Chinese of Sarawak especially by the Teochews and Hakkas as health food. Normally taken during post-natal care.

It is usually served as a kind of chicken stew cooked with ginger and wine. Particularly effective in activating blood circulation, contraction and "cleansing" of the uterus walls in addition to restoring strength.


These days, it is served as a main course during meals to be enjoyed by all.

The secret to a noteworthy Kacangma Chicken has got to be the adding of spirits (take your pick... besides chinese rice wine, brandy, whiskey works just fine).

Err... careful not to overheat the stew after adding the spirits, we don't want to burn off all the nice alcohol.

Here is a quick way to cooking Kacangma chicken...

Serving size: 2-4 portions served with rice

Ingredients:

• 500gm chicken pieces
  
• 2 tbsp of dried Kacangma herb mix
  
• 2 tbsp of dried ginger powder
  
• 250ml rice wine
  
• 25ml concentrated rice wine (sweet wine)

Alternatively:
You could use freshly pounded or blended ginger. Squeeze ginger juice and set aside. The ginger pulp is then fried till fragrant. Add the ginger juice to the chicken later.

How to make?

Cooking the ingredients:

1. Preheat wok and lightly fry the Kacangma herb mix and ginger power mix or pulp.
2. Add in meat and stir evenly. Add in rice wine slowly then cover the wok with lid to cook for 15 minutes with low heat. Add in more wine when the chicken softens.

A reminder: No salt or oil needed. You may want to try adding a little sesame oil. You could also dip the chicken in soya sauce if you like.

Here is another cooking suggestion for those of us who enjoys "Phoenix claws".

Quick tip

Method to preparing powdered Kacangma and ginger:

1. Oven heat dry Kacangma chopped leaves until crispy. Blend into powder then fry over low heat until colour darkened
2. Wash and cut ginger in slices. Dry under sun or oven. Blend into fine powder then fry powder to light brown.
3. Keep the powder form Kacangma and ginger in air tight containers stored refrigerator.

Powders can be premixed at the ratio 1:1 or depend on individual likings. Cooking kacama can be so easy and convinient with ready powder mix