Stir-fried Kailan

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)
- 400g kailan (芥兰)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
- cornstarch solution: 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp water

Seasonings (mix well)
- a pinch of sugar
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Chinese wine
- 2 tbsp water

Directions
1. If using stems, trim bottom stalk ends of kailan and separate leaves from stems. Slice the stalk thinly and diagonally.
2. Heat oil in wok and stir fry garlic until fragrant.
3. Stir fry sliced carrot and kailan stems (if using) for a minute or two.
4. Add kailan leaves and sauce. Stir fry until the vegetables are evenly coated in the sauce and the leaves have withered.
5. Thicken the sauce with cornstarch solution.

Stir-fried Leeks with Roast Pork

Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 200g leeks (about 3 stalks), sliced diagonally to 5cm lengths (separate stalks from leaves) – see tips below
- 100g roasted meat, sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese wine

Directions
1. Heat oil in wok. Stir fry garlic till fragrant.
2. Add leek stalks (the white portion) and carrot. Stir fry for about 1 minute over high heat. Add oyster sauce and fish sauce. Stir fry for another 1-2 minutes, or until the leek stalks are cooked.
3. Add leek leaves and roast pork to the wok. Stir fry briefly till the leaves are cooked and coated in the oil. Drizzle Chinese wine along the sides of the wok, off the heat when you smell the aroma of the wine.

Tips
Wash the crevices between the leaves thoroughly, as there is soil trapped in between the leaves. One way to clean them is to slice them half lengthwise, and after washing thoroughly, pat dry with kitchen paper towels and cut accordingly.

Wok-fried Eggplant with Garlic & Chilli (家乡茄子）

Ingredients
- 600g eggplant
- 50g chopped garlic
- 50g red chilli
- 30 curry leaves
- 2 tsp chicken stock

Seasoning
- 3 tbsp Kim Lan (金兰) soya paste
- 1/4 tsp sugar

Method
1. Skin the egg plant. Cut them into pieces of 6cm each.
2. Dice the garlic & chilli.
3. Add 5 bowls of oil into the wok & allow it to be heated.
4. Fry the eggplant until golden brown.
5. Fry the garlic & chilli till fragrant & add them to the fried eggplant.
6. Fry the eggplant & soya paste for about a min.
7. Add in sugar & chicken stock. Add in curry leaves to serve.

Cooking tips

• This dish originates from Hubei, China. After some improvisions by the Taiwanese, it is now a famous Taiwan dish.
• You can choose to steam the eggplant before frying to reduce the amount of oil used in this dish. However, this dish taste better when the eggplant is totally fried.

Stir-fry Bittergourd with Salted Eggs

Ingredients
- 1/2 bittergourd
- 2 cooked salted eggs
- 1 chilli

Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine
- 5 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Methods
1. Remove seed from bittergourd, rinse and cut into slices.
2. Remove shell from salted eggs, separate the egg yolks from the whites, then dice.
3. Heat 3 tablespoon of cooking oil to stir-fry bittergourd, add all the seasonings to taste, then cook the bittergourd until done.
4. Add salted eggs to mix, then rinse and chopped chilli.
5. Mix well and serve.

Notes
a) This dish demands high heat to saute. Adding a little water speeds up the cooking time, however, do not cover, so that the bittergourd will taste crunchy.
b) If the salted eggs are very salty, skip the salt in seasonings. The salted egg whites help to bring out the seasonings.

Stir-fry Napa Cabbage with Mushrooms and Carrots

Ingredients (Serves 2)

- 200g Napa Cabbage, cut to 2 inch length

- 1/2 carrot, sliced thinly

- 100g button mushrooms, sliced

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tbsp garlic

Seasonings

- 1 tsp light soy sauce

- 1 tsp sesame oil

- 1/2 tsp Chinese rice wine (hua tiao jiu/shao hsing jiu)

Directions

1. In a wok, heat oil. Saute garlic till lightly browned.

2. Stir fry carrot for one minute, then add the mushrooms and stir fry for another minute.

3. Add the cabbage and cook for about 2 minutes, or till the leaves are softened.

4. Add the seasonings, mix well and serve.

Prawn Siew Pak Choy

Ingredients
- 250g siew pak choy (washed thoroughly)
- 10-15 pieces medium sized prawns (shelled with tail intact)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
- 150 ml hot water
- Water (for blanching)
- corn starch (mix 2 teaspoons corn flour with 2 tablespoons water)
- 2 tablespoons palm oil

Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- a dash or two of white pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon chinese cooking wine

Directions
1. Bring to boil a pot of water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of palm oil before adding siew pak choy.
2. Allow the leaves to turn dark green before draining it.
3. Set aside to cool and arrange on plate.
4. Heat oil in wok.
5. Fry shallots and prawns till prawns turn red.
6. Remove prawns and arrange over the blanched siew pak choy.
7. Add hot water to remaining gravy on the wok and seasoning before thickening it with corn starch.
8. Pour gravy over prawns and siew pak choy.
9. Serve hot.

Stir-Fried Dwarf Bok Choy with Garlic and Dried Prawns

Ingredients
- Approximately 200g of dwarf bok choy (wash and rinse to remove dirt)
- 5 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 30 grammes of dried prawns (rinsed for a couple of seconds, pre-soaked in 50 ml water for 20 minutes - retain water for cooking)
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil (palm oil preferred)

Directions
1. Heat oil in wok and stir-fry the dried prawns for about 10 seconds.
2. Add garlic and continue stir-frying till garlic begin to brown.
3. Add dwarf bok choy and stir-fry for another 15 seconds or so.
3. Add the water (previously used to soak dried prawns) and close lid.
4. Cook dwarf bok choy according to how soft you want the stems to be.
5. Add a little water if you wish to have more gravy and add salt to taste (if not already salty).

Stir-Fried French Beans with Egg

Ingredients
- 150-200g french beans (sliced diagonally thinly)
- 1 large egg
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil (preferably palm oil)

Seasoning
- Salt to taste
- White pepper powder to taste

Directions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in wok on medium heat. Lightly stir fry the garlic till it begins to brown.
2. Add french beans and stir fry at medium high heat for 1 - 2 minutes. If garlic is browning fast, reduce heat.
3. Sprinkle seasoning to taste.
4. Make a well in the wok (i.e. move the french beans from the center of the wok), increase to high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil.
5. Break egg into the oil and let it fry till semi-solid.
6. Mix and stir french beans into the semi-solid egg and fry for 30 seconds or so.
7. Remove from wok and serve hot with rice or plain porridge.

Stir Fried Hong Kong Kai Lan with Prawns

Ingredients
- 200g of Hong Kong Kai Lan (washed thoroughly and separate leaves from stem. Slice the stems lengthwise)
- 10 to 15 medium sized prawns (devein and shelled, you can leave the tails intact if you want)
- 6 slices of ginger (diced)
- 5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 30 ml warm water
- Corn starch (add 1 tablespoon corn flour to 3 tablespoons of water and mix well)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Cooking oil (palm oil)

Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- Salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons chinese cooking wine

Directions
1. Heat oil in wok and fry ginger till aromatic.
2. Add garlic and prawns and stir fry till prawns begin to turn colour.
3. Add kai lan stems. Stir fry for about 20 seconds.
4. Add the kai lan leaves. Stir well and add seasoning.
5. Add warm water and continue to stir fry till leaves turn dark green colour and limp.
6. Add a little bit of corn starch if gravy too runny for your liking.

Stir Fried Ladies Fingers with Dried Prawns

Ingredients
- 200g of ladies fingers (sliced to not more than 5mm thick)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons volume of dried prawns (pre-soaked in about 100 ml of water for 15 minutes, retain the water for soaking)
- 4 shallots (sliced thinly)
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil (palm oil)

Seasoning
- Fish sauce to taste
- Sugar to taste
- Salt to taste

Directions
1. Heat oil in wok and fry the shallots will golden brown. Remove fried shallots from oil and set aside.
2. Remove oil from wok leaving not more than 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok. Fry the dried prawns for 30 seconds and add the ladies fingers. Stir well.
3. Add seasoning and sprinkle some water (used to soak dried prawns) if the dish is beginning to burn or too dry for your liking.
4. Stir fry the ladies fingers to your desired crunchiness / softness.
5. Dish up, garnish with fried shallots and serve with steaming white rice.

Stir Fried Sweet Potato Shoots with Fermented Beancurd

Ingredients
- 300g of sweet potato shoots (pluck leaves with tender stems)
- 1 to 2 pieces fermented beancurd
- 5 cloves garlic (chopped finely or sliced)
- 20g (or a small handful) of dried prawns (pre-soaked to soften)
- 50 ml hot water
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions
1. Heat oil in wok on high heat till smoky. Add garlic, dried prawns and fermented beancurd together and stir very quickly.
2. Just as garlic turning golden brown, add sweet potato shoots and leaves and stir well. Add water whilst stirring.
3. Once leaves have turned limp, dish up and serve.

*I usually don’t add seasoning because the fermented beancurd plus pre-soaked dried prawns would give the vegetables a nice flavour already.

Stir Fried Spinach with Wolfberries

Ingredients
- 400g of spinach (washed and rinsed thoroughly, plucked at the stems and leaves)
- 10g of wolfberries (approximately 20 to 30 pieces)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon palm oil

Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons of light soya sauce
- salt to taste

Directions
1. Heat wok till smoky. Add oil and garlic and stir-fry garlic till beginning to brown.
2. Add spinach, wolfberries and seasoning. If you feel like it, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
3. Stir-fry till spinach is limp.
4. Dish out and serve.

Stir Fried Turnip with Carrot and Dried Prawns

Ingredients
- 1/2 turnip (peel skin using a knife and cut into strips)
- 1/2 to 1 piece carrot (cut to strips of similar size as turnip)
- 30-50g dried prawns (pre-soaked in a rice bowl to slightly soften them. Retain the water for cooking)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (palm oil preferred)

Seasoning
- Salt and white pepper powder to taste

Directions
1. Heat oil in wok and saute dried prawns and garlic together till fragrant or till garlic begin to brown.
2. Add turnips and carrots and stir fry briskly for about 30 seconds whilst adding salt and pepper to taste.
3. Sprinkle water (used to soak dried prawns) to keep turnips and carrots moist.
4. Cook the turnips and carrots to your desired softness and serve hot.

Stir Fried Yau Mak with Garlic

Ingredients
- 2 pieces yau mak (or to your desired amount but bear in mind that they will shrivel and reduce in size as you cook, separate leaves and rinse well. Drain in colander to remove excess water)
- at least 5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 4 cloves of shallots (sliced thinly)
- 3 tablespoons of palm oil

Seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons of oyster sauce

Directions
1. Heat up oil in wok and fry shallots till golden brown. Remove fried shallots aside.
2. Add garlic into remaining oil and stir fry for about 10 seconds followed by yau mak.
3. Give it two or three stirs and add oyster sauce. Stir till leaves are evenly coated with sauce. (I like the leaves crunchy, so I do not usually stir fry them for more than 1 minute.)
4. Sprinkle fried shallots prior to serving.

Sweet & Spicy Brinjal

Ingredients
- 1 plate of sliced brinjals (approximately 2 cm thick. The brinjals will shrink in size about 25% upon cooking)
- 30g of dried prawns (pre-soaked)
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 2 red or bird’s eye chilli (remove seeds and chopped)
- 1/2 cup warm water
- Palm Oil (for pan frying and stir-frying)

Seasoning
- 3 teaspoons sugar or more
- 2 pinches of salt
- 3/4 tablespoon of dark soya sauce

Directions
1. Heat up a frying pan and pan-fry the brinjals in oil till the flesh is golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Heat up approximately 1 tablespoon oil in wok and saute dried prawns for about 30 seconds.
3. Add garlic and chilli and continue to fry till aromatic.
4. Return fried brinjals to the wok and add seasoning whilst stirring well to coat brinjals evenly.
5. Sprinkle some warm water to keep the brinjals moist and to prevent burning.
6. Dish up and serve.

Leek with Fragrant Tofu

Ingredients
- 2 pieces yellow-coloured firm tofu
- 1 stalk leek (cut into small pieces)
- 50g or more minced pork
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 250 ml warm water
- Corn starch (mix 1 teaspoon corn flour with 50 ml water)
- 3 tablespoons palm / peanut oil

Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons light soya sauce
- a couple of dashes of white pepper powder
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce

Directions
1. Heat oil in wok and fry tofu till lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool. Cut tofu into smaller pieces.
2. Allow approximately 1 or 2 teaspoons of cooking oil to remain in the wok whilst removing the rest. Saute garlic and minced pork together. Once garlic starts to brown, add leek and tofu and stir fry for about 1 minute before adding water and seasoning.
3. Cover with lid and allow water to reduce. Stir in a little bit of cornstarch before dishing up.

Kangkong Belacan

Ingredients
- Approximately 400g of kangkong. Separate leaves from stem. Cut stems to reasonable bite sizes
- 50g of belacan (shrimp paste)
- 50g of dried shrimps (pre-soaked in about 150 ml of water. Do not throw away the water)
- 5 bulbs of shallots
- 5 bulbs of garlic
- 4 to 8 red chillis (remove seeds if you want the dish to be less spicy)
- 4 tablespoons of cooking oil (preferably palm oil)

Directions
1. Prepare belacan mix as follows. Pound belacan, dried shrimps, shallots, garlic and chilli in a mortar pound / blend them.
2. Heat oil in wok till smoke appears from wok. Add oil (which should be heated up substantially). Add belacan mix and stir quickly whilst reducing to medium heat. Do not burn the belacan mix.
3. Once belacan mix is fragrant and slightly brown, increase heat to high and add kangkong. Stir briskly and add a little water (from the water used to soak dried prawns) if the dish is too dry for your liking. Once kangkong is slightly limp, it is ready for serving.

*I usually do not add any seasoning as the belacan and dried shrimps are quite salty in itself.

Chinese Leek Flower with Beancurd, Carrots and Prawns

Ingredients
- 200g chinese leek flower (cut into an inch lengthwise, remove skin)
- 100g carrots (cut into strips)
- 2 pieces of beancurd (hard type. Cut into strips and fry them till brown)
- 100g of medium-sized prawns (keep tail intact and devein)
- 2 bulbs garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 50 ml warm water

Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- Dash of white pepper

Directions
1. Heat oil and fry garlic for 15 seconds or so. Add leek flower, carrots, prawns and pre-fried beancurd. Stir-fry till prawns are cooked.
2. Add seasoning and warm water and close lid. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Add a little bit more water if the dish dries up.
3. If you want to add roast pork, chop the roast pork (amount up to you) and add it into the dish before seasoning. You might want to reduce the oyster sauce because roast pork can be a bit salty.

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)

Directions
1. Heat up 3 tablespoons of palm oil in a wok and fry the shallots or garlic till golden brown.
2. Remove fried shallots / garlic and set aside. Keep the oil separately.
3. 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.
4. Add choy sum stems into the boiling water. Add leaves approximately 15 seconds after that. Stir well to ensure even blanching.
5. Once leaves have turned dark green, remove leaves and stem from pot and arrange on a plate.
6. 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.

Ham and Potato Cakes

Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 450g potatoes (peeled, grated)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 100g cooked ham (cooked)
- appropriate amount of salt
- appropriate amount of ground black pepper
- 75g butter
- 55g fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 30g cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Combine grated potatoes & onion. Place in a large sieve & squeeze out all excess liquid, place into mixing bowl.
2. Mix half the chopped ham & season well with salt & pepper. Divide into 4 portions& shape each portion into a 10-cm round.
3. Heat 45g butter, place ham & potato patties into pan & cook over medium heat for 8 to 10mins on each side, or until golden & cooked through.
4. Heat remaining butter, stir-fry breadcrumbs for about 10mins over low heat until crisp & golden.
5. Add remaining chopped ham, parsley & grated cheese to fried breadcrumbs. Spoon mixture equally over the top of each potato cake. Serve immediately.

*Tips: This dish can be served with scrambled eggs & toast for a hearty breakfast or brunch.