RECIPE: Chinese New Year Favorites by The Maya Kitchen


Delightful Fare for an Auspicious New Year

            It is one celebration after another. Not long after we partied for the New Year that we look to welcome The Year of the Sheep. As we await this auspicious date, try recipes not for a grand feast but filling and delightful nonetheless.  Read more and see how to prepare Oriental favorites beef noodles, pork buns and tofu.
For more recipes, other culinary ideas and course schedule, log on to www.themayakitchen.com.     




   
CANTONESE BEEF HO FAN

300 grams                  lean sirloin steak, sukiyaki cut
¼ cup                         dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons           MAYA Cornstarch
2 tablespoons           Chinese rice wine
1 tablespoon                        sugar
                                    oil for stir-frying, as needed
2                                  medium-sized onions, sliced
2 teaspoons              grated ginger
100-150 grams           bean sprouts, trimmed
600 grams                  cooked flat rice noodles

Liquid Seasoning:
¼ cup                         oyster sauce
2 tablespoons           dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon                        sugar
2 tablespoons           water or stock

                                    spring onions, chopped, as needed for garnish

            In a bowl, combine beef, soy sauce, cornstarch, rice wine and sugar. Mix until blended well. Set aside.
            Heat oil and stir-fry beef. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, add a little more oil and sauté onions until translucent. Add in grated ginger and stir until fragrant. Toss in bean sprouts and cooked noodles. Increase the heat and add the beef. Slowly add the prepared liquid seasoning and gently toss everything together. Lastly, add the spring onions before serving.

Yield: 4-5 servings



PORK SAUSAGE PAO
Dough:
1 ½ teaspoons          yeast
1 ½ teaspoons          sugar
1 cup                          lukewarm water
2 cups                                    MAYA All-Purpose Flour
2 cups                                    MAYA Cake Flour
2 ½ teaspoons          baking powder
½ cup                         sugar
4 ½ teaspoons          oil
½ teaspoon               salt

Filling:
500 grams                  pork, cut into cubes
4-6 pieces                  Chinese pork sausage, cut into ½-inch rounds
2 pieces                     medium-sized onions, chopped
¼ cup                         soy sauce
3 tablespoons           brown sugar
½ teaspoon               five spice powder
1-2 pieces                  whole cloves
                                    salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup                         MAYA Cornstarch (dissolved in 1 cup water)
                                    salted egg slices, as needed

            Prepare dough. Dissolve yeast and sugar in half cup water. Sift together all-purpose flour, cake flour and baking powder. Set aside. In another bowl, put the remaining water, sugar, oil, salt and half of the flour mixture. Add to this the yeast mixture and stir. Add more flour mixture, enough to form a soft dough. Use the remaining flour mixture to dust a surface for kneading. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place dough on a greased bowl and let rise until double in bulk.
            Prepare filling. In a saucepan over low heat, combine all ingredients except dissolved cornstarch. Simmer until meat is tender. Thicken sauce with cornstarch. Cool and set aside until ready to use.
            To assemble. Punch down dough and divide into 20-24 pieces. Roll into balls and let them rest for 5-10 minutes. Roll out each ball of dough, making the sides thinner than the center. Put some filling and a slice of salted egg at the center then gather the edges towards the center, covering the filling. Place a square piece of paper at the bottom of the dough. Repeat procedure until all the dough is used up.  Set aside the filled dough balls and let them rise until double in size. Cook in the steamer for 20-25 minutes or until done.
Yield: 20-24 pieces

STEAMED TOFU ROLL
Filling:
500 grams                  ground pork
150 grams                  cooked shrimp, finely chopped
1 piece                       medium-sized onion, chopped
1/3 – ½ cup               wood ear mushrooms strips
¼ cup                         finely chopped spring onions
1 teaspoon                grated ginger
¼ cup                         MAYA All-Purpose Flour
2                                  eggs
2 tablespoons           oyster sauce
3 tablespoons           light soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons        brown sugar
                                    salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:
1 cup                          chicken stock
3-4 tablespoons        soy sauce
1 tablespoon                        rice wine
1 teaspoon                grated ginger
¼ cup                         MAYA Cornstarch
pinch                          black pepper
                                    bean curd sheets, as needed
                                    beaten egg whites, as needed

            Prepare filling. In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling until well mixed. Set aside.
            Prepare sauce. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, making sure to dissolve the cornstarch in the liquid.
            To assemble. Place a sheet of bean curd sheet on a clean, flat surface. Spoon meat filling in the middle then fold the sheet over the filling. Fold the sides inwards and roll tightly, forming a 4-inch roll. Seal by brushing the edges with a little beaten egg white. Repeat procedure until all the filling is used up.
            Arrange rolls in a shallow plate and pour prepared sauce over them. Put the plate in the steamer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until done.

Yield: 18-20 pieces