Chinese New Year Dish: Vegetarian Poon Choi / Peng Cai 过年菜: 喜悦盆菜

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients:
*8 pcs preserved chinese mushrooms(superior quality, large/medium in size)
*1-2 pcs dried /long seaweeds (soften in water，cut into oblong shapes)
*1 large piece of fried bean curd sheet(cut into oblong shapes) or 1 packet of ready fried in oblong shape
*250g Brocolli or Cauliflower，cut into small florets
*100-150g Chinese cabbage (Wong Bak/Bok Choy), cut into broad strips
*1 bunch of Fa-cai 发菜(soften in water)
*4-5pcs of fresh King oyster mushrooms(cut into slices)
*1 medium size Yam and cut into slices (oblong shapes)
*1 small size Green papaya/ Chayote 佛手瓜 & cut into slices (oblong shapes)
*50g medium size radish, cut into broad strips
*50g medium size carrot, cut into broad strips
*2 pcs Tempeh (cut into oblong shapes)
*a small handful fresh coriander leaves, for garnish
*300ml rich vegetable stock (can use either Bok Choy/Soy Bean/Green Papaya to make the egetable stock)
* Others like: baby corn, green peas, *1 tbsp sesame oil


Seasonings for Stewed Mushrooms:
*2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
*2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
*1 tbsp organic molasses
*1 cinammon stick
*5 star cloves
*shredded 1 thin slice ginger
*1 pc red fermented bean curd (2cm x 2cm cube), mashed finely
*150-200ml rich vegetable stock

Method/Preparation:
1. Preparation for Stewed Mushrooms: Heat vegetable oil and slightly fried the shredded thin slice ginger. Well mix the seasonings with vegetable stock (50ml) and continue stir fry with the ginger. Cook for 5 mins. Add in the mushrooms with the remaining vegetable stock and stew for at least 35-60mins. Set aside to cool down.

2. Preparation for Poon Choi/Peng Cai: Arrangement of vegetables within the flat & large casserole.

(a) Start from the middle of casserole and arrange horizontally the different ingredients layer by layer in the following order: yam, bak choi, tempeh, carrot, radish, seaweed, mushroom, green papaya/chayote, bean curd, king oyster mushroom, brocolli/cauliflower and repeating the same order again till full.
(b) Add the left over stewed mushrooms gravy with 50ml vegetable stock into the Peng Cai to boil.
(c) Lower heat and cover the claypot to simmer for 10-15 mins.
(d) Sprinkle with a small handful fresh coriander leaves, for garnish and sesame oil. Serve immediately with rice.

Jess wish everyone: "May this Rabbit New Year be overflow with Blessings, Happiness and Success. 四季平安，顺心顺意"

Vegetarian Hainanese Chicken Rice

Preparation Time: 30mins

For the rice
· 1 bowl Brown Rice·
· 300 ml water
· 2 -3 cm ginger, grated
· 1 teaspoon sesame oil
· 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste) or 1 tablespoon soya sause (to taste)
· 1 screwpine leaves (optional..it will make the rice more fragrant)

Vegetarian Hainanese chicken
· Vegetarian drumstick (ingredient: made from soya bean)
· Water, enough for steaming the drumstick

Chilli sauce for dipping
· 10 fresh red chilies
· 5 fresh chilies padi
· 2 cm piece ginger
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon lime juice
· 1 teaspoon brown sugar
· 2 tablespoons vegetable broth or water

Ginger sauce for dipping
· 75 g ginger
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon lime juice
· 2 tablespoons vegetable broth (or water)

Sesame Sauce for Vegetarian Chicken
· 1 tablespoon sesame oil
· 5 tablespoons light soya sauce
· 1 1/2 tablespoons Molasses (to taste) or Dark soya Sauce
· 3 tablespoons vegetable broth

Garnishing
· fresh coriander leaves
· sliced tomato
· sliced cucumber

Method
1. For the Rice: You can either slightly fried the uncook rice with ginger (grated) before transfer into the rice cooker, or just combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.

2. Vegetarian Hainanese chicken: You can either steam or fry the vegetarian drumstick.

3. Chilli Ginger sauce for dipping: Blend everything together except lime. Pour into serving dish and squeeze lime juice. Combine well.

4. Ginger sauce for dipping: Repeat the same step as for Step (3).

5. Sesame Sauce for Vegetarian Chicken: The sesame sauce is used for drizzling over the chicken and chicken rice just before serving to prevent dryness. Also adds more flavour as a finishing touch to the dish.

6. When done leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot with steamed / deep-fried vegetarian drumsticks, drizzling over with Sesame Sauce, garnishing with cucumber slices, tomato slices, fresh coriander leaves and chilli as well as ginger sauce.

Mixed Vegetable Yam Rice

Simple & Easy to prepare! All in just one pot of rice!

The recipe of Yam Rice I share here is different from the traditional way of preparation, as I added 1-2 more varieties of vegetables to ensures more nutrients intake can be serve d in just one pot of rice. It is easy to prepare and time saving for mothers or home makers who are busy with their daily life.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)
- 200g rice, washed and drained ( replace white rice with brown rice for your healthy choice)
- 400ml water
- 150g yam, peeled and diced (about ½ inch thick)
- 1 slice ginger
- 3 pandan leaves (screw pine), tied into a knot {optional}
- Vegetables: 50g Cabbage cut in pieces (or Chinese Bak Choy), 50g carrot diced (or beet root diced), 50g Broccoli
- 1 sprig of Chinese Celery, sliced

Spices & Seasoning:-
- 2 star anises (optional)
- ½ cinnamon stick, 3cm length (optional)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste°
- ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder/pepper powder
- 1¾ -2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (Cold pressed)

Method
1. In order to make the brown rice more tender to eat, well soak the drained brown rice in water for about 10-15min before cook. If you are run out of time, alternatively, you can add more water up to 500ml well cook the brown rice.
2. Place the following ingredients in order:
(a) Added spices such as star anises, cinnamon stick, Chinese five spice powder into the soaked rice & mix well.
(b) Diced yam – slightly press it down & let it soak with the rice as it requires slightly longer time for well cook.
(c) Cover Cabbage and Carrot evenly on top the uncooked rice. The Broccoli will only be added in immediately after the rice cooked.
3.Combine all the ingredients into an electric rice cooker or clay pot and turn it on. Cook the above as you normally cook rice.
4. When done, add seasoning such as dark soy sauce & sesame oil, place last item i.e Broccoli and leave the cooked rice to rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Stir well & serve hot with sliced Chinese celery.

Hijiki Sea Weed Salad (Japanese Recipe)

Preparation: 15 mins


Ingredients (serves 2)
° 2 tablespoons (15g) hijiki seaweed, soaked with 500ml water for 15 mins, drained well and blanched
° 50g carrot, sliced (or Radish, sliced)
° 50g bulldock, sliced (soak in salt water for 15 - 20min after sliced)
° 3/4 tablespoon sesame oil
° 1/2 tablespoon molasses (or brown sugar)
° 1 tablespoon Kikkoman light soy sauce
° some sesame seeds (optional)


Method
1. Remove the sliced bulldock from the salt water. Pour in 1 cup (250ml) of water into the cooking pan and place the sliced bulldock for cooking till soft (about 10 min).

2. In order to avoid the sesame oil over cook under high heat, add 1-2 tsp of sesame oil & well cook the sliced bulldock together with the water.

3. Add in the sliced carrot and continue to cook for 5 min.

4. Follow by the Hijiki Seaweed and well cook for 5 min. Combine all ingredients and season well with Kikkoman light sauce and molasses. Serve chilled if prefer.

Recipe: Indian Chickpea Curry and Crispy Roti Plata

Clove (Right) Star Anise (Top Bottom) Cinnamon (Top Left)

Ingredient:-
¾ bowl (150gm) Split Chickpea (Chana Dal)*, washed
4 cups (1 litre) Water
5 - 6pcs Lady finger
1 Eggplant, sliced about 0.5" thick
1 Carrot, sliced
4-5 Tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp soaked in ½ cup (125ml) warm water, and strained to obtain juice
½ cup Coconut milk / Soya Milk / Cream Milk Powder dilute in luke warm water
4 - 5 Dried Chillies (finger-length)
1 sprig Curry Leaves
½ medium Cauli Flower, cut into small florets
3 tablespoons Coconut Oil/Olive Oil (Low boiling temperature Oil) / Ghee

1 - 2 tablespoons Vegetarian Belachan Paste (main ingredient is Chillies Padi)


Spices:
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder & dissolve in ½ bowl of water
Sea Salt , to taste
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 Cinnamon Stick

5-10 Cloves

2-3 Star Anise

Step-by-Step:-
1. Well cook Chana Dal (split chickpeas) with water in a pot till soften before add in the fried spices.

2. Heat the ghee or coconut oil in a large saucepan, add the black mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anice, curry leaves, dried chillies slightly fry until fragrance. Add in the diluted turmeric powder and well cook for 3-5 min.

3. Transfer these spices into the pot and well mix with Chana Dal.

4. Add in other vegetables like eggplants, tomato, cauli flower, carrot together with tamarind juice and cover, continue cooking for half-an-hour.

5. Lastly, add in the lady fingers (as it is easily become soften & smash), soy milk/cream milk, belachan paste, some sea salt to taste and leave for cook in another 10 mins before serve.

6. This "Chickpea Curry" can either serve with Nasi Bryani or Roti Prata.

*The words "chana dal" mean "split chickpeas." (Chana gram is a whole chickpea). Chana dal are baby chickpeas that have been split and polished. The most popular legume in India. Chana dal is a very versatile dried split yellow lentil with a slightly sweet taste, nutty flavor

** "Ghee" - Ghee is a Sanskrit word for a clarified butter used primarily in Indian cuisine. Because the preparation of ghee involves heat, it has a distinctive toasted flavor, often described as nutty. By heating butter, the fat and moiture are separated, and the butter fat is then spooned from the top - the result is ghee! Before the advent of commercial vegetable oils, ghee was widely used for deep frying. Unlike other butter-based products, ghee has a high smoking point and can be stored without refrigeration for weeks. As long as ghee is stored in air-tight containers, it does not spoil easily. (For health concern, discourage to use ghee for deep frying purpose, instead it is ideally to quick fry the spices or preparing the Nasi Bryani)

***Coconut Oil - Recommended visit this website for further details. http://products.mercola.com/coconut-oil/

Health tips on the Benefits of Spices like Cinnamon, Star Anice and Clove can be viewed at http://myblisshealingcorner.blogspot.com

My BliSS Kitchen 喜悦御膳厨房

Dear All,

This blog page is under construction. In near future, we will share the BliSSful Vegetarian (Natural or Organic) Recipes with you and hope that this blog can help you to have more choices of cooking different kind of nutritious and yummy dishes.

Hope to see you all soon.