Yam cake is my all time favourite Chinese traditional snack. I can't resist the temptation of getting some of it if I stumble upon them. Yam cake is serve with a type of sweet sauce, usually homemade during my childhood time. Nowadays, this sweet sauce has been commercialize, many of the food hawker or cafe purchase this sauce from pre-packed supplier, which didn't taste as good as the homemade sauce.
I made this yam cake for few times and I just love this recipe which is "zero failure" with satisfying texture.
Hop over to my previous post on this yam cake here. Last week, I made this yam cake again (see note) and was craving for the sweet sauce that serve together with the yam cake. It is definitely a good companion if I can have the homemade yam cake with homemade sweet sauce. Agreed?
Thus, I googled for the sweet sauce recipe but leads me to no where. I can't get a perfect recipe that makes a simple and traditional sweet sauce for yam cake. Hence, from all the information I have gathered, I put on my thinking hat and some information that I recalled from my late grandma, I began to experiment. Started with mixing, blending, adding, stirring, testing and repeat the process again until I achieved the taste and consistency that fit my requirement.
The sweet sauce came out to be quite close to those homemade sauce selling by the food hawkers. I have never imagine it is so easy and simple to make this sauce at home. All of us enjoyed the yam cake with this sweet sauce and finished the whole tray of yam cake. *wink*
This sweet sauce is made from simple ingredients which you can find them easily. The combination of beans paste 豆酱 (doujiang - in Chinese language), sugar, water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and corn flour give you a delicious homemade sweet sauce whenever you need it. This sweet sauce also suitable for dim sum, steamed radish cake, steamed/fried dumplings, fried radish cake, chee cheong fun or yong tau foo (stuffed vegetable with fish paste). If you too want some homemade sweet sauce for any dessert or snack next time, give this recipe a try! You may adjust the ingredients in this recipe to suits your own preference and taste.
RECIPE FOR SWEET SAUCE
This recipe is based on my own preference. The sauce is sufficient for 8" round tray of yam cake.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Taucheo (fermented soy beans paste / 豆酱)
300ml of water
1/2 cup White Sugar
4 tsp Cornflour + 4 tbsp water (mix well)
1 tbsp Premium Light Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Premium Dark Soy Sauce
Method:
1. Put Taucheo with water in a food proccessor. Blend well.
2. Pour Taucheo paste in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low fire.
3. Add in sugar, stir and mix well under low fire about 10 mins.
4. Add in cornflour mixture and stir well. Add in dark soy sauce and light soy sauce.
5. Simmer under low fire and stir occasionally until the sauce is thicken.
Note:
• This time I didn't add in the pre-fried dried shrimp and fried shallot into the yam cake, instead I used them for topping.
• You may use either smooth or chunky bean paste. I used smooth version.
• Adjust the amount of corn flour to achieve the desired thickness.
• Adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste. You may substitute white sugar with brown sugar.
• Simmer under low fire, stir occasionally until sauce is thicken.
• The sauce shouldn't be too watery nor too thick. Check the consistancy of the sauce from time to time.
Info on Bean Paste - from WISEGEEK |
This is the companion dish of the rice cooker chicken I have mentioned in my previous post. My apology for the delay as I was too busy with so many holidays and activities for the past few weeks. Oh yes! We had a great month with so many public holidays including the Hari Raya. Thus, there is a lot of outings for my family. Well, we did enjoyed these holiday hang out and in fact a good break for a working mom like me.
All right, back to the dish today, this 5 grain porridge is a perfect companion of the rice cooker chicken. It is indeed healthy and nutritious. The 5 grain rice (香軟五谷米) that I have bought from an organic shop consists of organic millet, organic buckwheat, red rice, red mountain rice and brown rice. A good combination to make some nutritious porridge. To make it a wholesome meal, I have added some mushroom and lettuce in it.
Consuming more whole grains in our diet is a good way of healthy eating. Besides, whole grains contain high fiber which helps in our digestive system. By consuming more whole grains helps in reducing our weight (weight management) and also promoting general health benefits. For example, buckwheat is a grain that's good for your cardiovascular system, helps in maintaining better blood sugar control, lowering risk of diabetes and protect against heart disease. (
Reference from WHFOODS)
Another popular grain which has been known for long time is the millet. Millet is one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes. Today, millet ranks as the Sixth most important grain in the world, sustains 1/3 of the world's population and is a significant part of the diet for various countries. (
Reference from here)
I have first introduced millet to my son when he was ready to take solid. It was indeed a very versatile grain in variety ways of cooking. My favourite ways of using millet were making millet porridge, boiling barley water with millet, cooking millet with rice for my son during his younger days. Until today, I still love to use millet in cooking porridge or adding them into the rice. A good choice for baby or toddler that is ready for solid in their diet.
As I have heard of 5 grain rice long time ago and wish to give them a try in making porridge which can be served together with the shredded rice cooker chicken. You may add some white rice if you are not use to the texture of 5 grain rice for the first time. I find that the porridge is so fragrant, it brings out the sweetness and it is not starchy compared to the white rice porridge. You need a longer time to cook the 5 grain rice as it takes long time to get soften. Nevertheless, this wholesome 5 grain porridge is a prefect lunch for the whole family. Enjoy!
 Ingredients:
1 cup 5 grain rice, washed and soaked
Half cup of white rice
6 stalks Dried mushroom, washed and soaked
Some lettuce, washed and chopped (optional)
Spring onion, chopped
2 tbsp Concentrated Chicken Stock (adjust to your taste)
White pepper to taste
Sesame oil
Method:
1. Wash and soak 5 grain rice and mushroom separately for 3 - 4 hours.
2. Bring 1 litre of water to a boil. Once it is boil, add in 5 grain rice and simmer for 10 mins.
3. Add in white rice and cook until rice achieve the porridge texture on low fire. Stir occasionally
4. If the water is insufficient, add more water until you achieve the desire porridge texture.
5. Add in mushroom and simmer until the mushroom is soft. Add in chicken stock and lettuce. Mix well.
6. Off fire, serve porridge in a bowl, sprinkle pepper to taste.
7. Arrange shredded chicken meat from the rice cooker chicken on top of the porridge.
8. Drizzle some sesame oil and garnish with spring onion.
Note:
• Make sure to cook porridge until the desire texture is achieved. The porridge shouldn't be too thick nor too watery.
• You may substitute chicken stock with salt if you do not have chicken stock in hand.
• You may add fried shallots during serving time to enhance the porridge.
• You may use only 5 grain rice for this recipe.
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This was my first attempt using rice cooker to cook chicken. I was inspired by one of the article and recipe in the
Flavours Magazine by Maria Cordero, a well-known Hong Kong singer-cum-actress. She is not only well-known of her powerful voice but also had a passion for food even before her showbiz career kicked off. As the eldest daughter in the family, she started to cook at her very young age as she came from a poor family of seven. Thus, she needs to cook her meals according to budget which able to feed the whole family.
As the Hong Kong Tourism Board ambassador during a recent stop in Kuala Lumpur to promote the island's new Wine & Dine Festival, she whipped up some healthy and easy to cook dishes. One of them is the "Rice Cooker Chicken". As I read on, I was inspired by this simple and easy recipe which can turn the chicken to a delicious dish using rice cooker in the absence of an oven. This easy to prepare recipe produces a juicy, aromatic chicken with a slightly crispy skin. Isn't it awesome?
(Reference from Flavours Magazine Nov-Dec Issue)
Thus, I can't wait to try it out last "Merdeka Day" holiday and treated my family with this easy, delicious and tender chicken. It is indeed healthy and suitable to be served with rice or noodles or on its own. I have modified the original recipe by replacing salt with light soy sauce to marinade the chicken. Nevertheless, the chicken still tender, juicy and aromatic. You won't know how useful this humble rice cooker is until you find out how to make good use of it to whip up some delicious food. If the next time you need a quick and healthy dish, try this out and it will surely impress you. Stay tuned for my next dish that goes with this delicious chicken!
 Source: Recipe adapted and modified from Flavours Magazine
Ingredients:
4 Chicken Whole Legs (with skin attached) or 1 Chicken (about 1 Kg)
5 stalks of Spring onion, cut into 10 cm length
10 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tbsp Shao Xing rice wine
Seasoning:
10cm fresh ginger, minced finely
1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp Salt (I substituted with 1/2 cup of premium light soy sauce)
5 tsp Sesame oil (I used only 2 tsp)
Method:
1. Combine all the seasoning mix and rub it all over the chicken except sesame oil. Marinade in the fridge for 30 mins.
2. Rub 1 tsp sesame oil over the chicken and set aside the remaining oil. (I used 2 tsp)
3. Stuff half of the spring onions and shallots into the belly of the chicken and place the rest in the bottom of the rice cooker pot. (Since I am using 4 whole legs, I didn't stuff them in but place all of them in the bottom of the rice cooker pot).
4. Place the chicken in the pot and pour the rice wine over the chicken. Cover the lid and turn the electric rice cooker on. Cook accordingly.
5. Cook the chicken for 20 mins or until the button pop up. Leave the chicken in the pot for 5 mins.
6. Test the chicken with a skewer, if the juices run clear, the chicken is done.
7. If you are using whole chicken, remove and plunge the chicken in cold water for 30 seconds. Remove from the water and drain.
8. Brush the remaining sesame oil over the chicken. Cut the chicken into pieces or shred the chicken to serve.
9. If you are using whole legs, remove all the ingredients, chop the whole legs into pieces, shred or serve as it is. (I didn't plunge with cold water)
Note:
• Use premium light soy sauce to have a better aroma and taste.
• Spoon some of the gravy from the pot and pour on the whole legs before serving.
• The bottom of the rice cooker pot might have a sticky layer caused by the light soy sauce and the ingredients. Soak the pot with hot water until the layer is removed. Use non-stick rice cooker pot is advisable. |
