Futo-maki

Jess passed me a sushi book and i decided to make some sushi rolls.

There are two types of Nori -maki aka rolled sushi: Futo-maki and Hoso-maki

Here i'm making futo-maki,
Futo-maki means "big roll", and contains several ingredients.

Unfolding of the recipe

Ingredients

Fillings:
tamagoyaki aka fried egg (recipe could be found under tempura plate, below)
crab meat
cucumber (thinly sliced)
nori sheet (seaweed sheet)
mayonnaise (optional)
wasabi (optional)

Su-meshi aka vinegared rice
1 cup japanese rice
3 tbsps vinegar
7 1/2 tps sugar
2 tps salt


Making su-meshi :
1. Wash 7ounces/ 1 cup japanese short grain rice thoroughly in cold water. When the water runs clear, drain the rice well and set aside for 1 hour.

2. Put the rice into a deep pan and add 9 fluid ounces/ 1 1/3 cups water. The level of the water should not be more than a third of the depth of the pan.

3. Cover the pan, place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 5mins, then turn the heat to the lowest setting and simmer the rice for 7-13mins, or until the water has been absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Still covered, for 10mins.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together 3 tbsps japanese rice vinegar with 7 1/2 tps sugar and 2 tps coarse salt. Tip the cooked rice into a wet wooden sushi tub or a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the vinegar mixture.

5. Using a wooden spatula gently fold the vinegar mixture into the rice. Do not stir. Cooling the rice at the same time, by fanning it, helps to ensure prefect results. Cool before shaping, but do not chill or the rice will harden.

Making rolled sushi:
1. Cover a sushi rolling mat with a toasted sheet of nori, placed shiny side down.

2. Spread the vinegar rice evenly over the nori, leaving a 1/2inch margin on the side farthest from you. Press the rice down firmly.

3. Spread a thin strip of wasabi paste or mayonnaise lengthwise down the center of the rice (optional) and arrange the filling horizontally over it.

4. Roll up the sushi rolling mat from the near side. Squeeze gently to form the filled nori roll, then carefully unwrap the mat.

5. Slice in small pieces just before serving.

6. Done.

Serve with wasabi and soya sauce, *yum* or with more mayonnaise.
Enjoy!

Tempura Plate

My tempura plate consists of: tamagoyaki (fried egg), shrimp, crab meat, carrot.

More of the other varieties:
Meat: raw scallop, calamari, fish - cut into bite size pieces

Veg.: sweet potato, japanese pumpkin, shiitake, eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, green bean, green pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, onion.

Unfolding of how to make Tempura

Preparing tempura pieces:
raw shrimp - shell, devein and butterfly
Drain and pat dry with paper towel. Dust with dry tempura batter mix.

carrot
Cut vegetables into bites size pieces. Drain and pat dry with paper towel.

Preparing tempura batter:
1 cup miyako tempura batter mix (or any brand)
1 cup ice cold water

Combine in bowl and stir until large lumps are gone; do not beat or over mix. Mixture will be lumpy.

Cooking tempura:
1. Using a wide, deep pan or wok, add vegetable oil to measure 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. Heat oil to 375F.
2. Dip tempura pieces in batter to coat.
3. After dripping off excess, gently slide into oil, cooking only a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd.
4. Turn occasionally to cook evenly until crisp and light golden brown.
5. Drain on paper towels.
6. Serve hot with tempera dipping sauce or with a light sprinkle of salt and lemon wedges.

Note: For best results, clean to remove batter residue from oil with wire mesh strainer after each frying procedure.

Tempura dipping sauce:
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (japanese sweet sake) or sherry

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and pour into shallow bowls. Enjoy with hot tempura.

Unfolding of how to make tamagoyaki

Ingredient:
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tbsps second dashi stock
2 tps sake
1/2 tps salt
vegetable oil. for frying

Method:
1. Mix the beaten eggs, dashi stock, sake and salt in a bowl.
2. Heat a little oil in a frying pan on a medium heat.
3. Pour in just enough egg mixture to cover the base of the pan thinly. As soon as the mixture sets, fold the omelette in half toward you and wipe the space left with a little oil.
5. With the first omelette still in the pan, repeat this process until all the mixture is used.
6. Each new omelette onto a chopping board. Leave to cool, then cut.

*Walla* you got your home-cooked japanese cuisine, the tempura plate!

Mee Rebus

Mee rebus aka Malay noodle.

Ingrediants
Yellow noodles
Bean sprouts
Hard boiled egg
Diced deep fried beancurd
Chopped spring onion
Chopped celery
Deep fried sliced shallot
Sliced green chili (optional)

Sauce
2litres water
400g cooked mashed sweet potatoes
80g chopped dried shrimps
100g chopped shallot
100g chopped garlic
30g chopped turmeric
20g chopped galangal
2 stalks lemongrass (chopped)
4 tbsps ground bean paste
2 tbsps roasted peanuts (crushed)

Seasoning
1 1/2 tsps salt
4 tbsps sugar
1 tps dark soya sauce

Thickening
3 tbsps plain flour
4 tbsps water
*mix well

Method
1. Heat some oil. Fry dried shrimps, shallot, garlic, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass and bean paste till fragrant. Add water and bring to the boil. Add mashed sweet potato.

2. Put in crushed roasted peanuts. Add in seasoning. Stir in thickening glaze. This is the sauce.

3. Cook the noodles and bean sprouts in water. Drain. Put into a bowl. Pour in some sauce from step (2) and top with egg, beancurd, shallots, spring onion, celery and green chilli (red chilli), prawn (optional). Serve.

Kuey Chap

As i don't really enjoy fatty belly pork, pork loin is as good. Another simple and hearty meal.

Unfolding of the recipe:

Ingrediant
4 large soya bean cakes, cut into small squares
2 tbsps oil
2 tbsps sugar
6 cloves garlic, lightly bashed

(A)
2 tbsps light soya sauce
4 tbsps dark soya sauce
225ml (8fl oz) boiling water
1/2 tps salt

605g (21 oz) belly pork pork loin, cut into pieces
10 2 hard-boiled eggs

Method
1. Immerse soya bean cakes in salted water for 5mins, drain and fry in a non-stick pan till lightly browned on all sides. Remove to a dish.

2. Heat a heavy-bottomed aluminium saucepan. Put in oil and sugar and leave till sugar turns a light golden brown. Add garlic, cook for a moment, add (A) and bring to boil. Put in pork and cook briskly for about 2omins or till pork is well done.

3. Add eggs and leave to simmer for another 1/2hr or till pork is tender. Add the fried soya bean cakes 10mins before the pork becomes tender and leave to simmer for 5mins. Serve hot.

4.Cook the kuey chap in water. Drain. Put into a bowl. Pour in some gravy. Top with celery, shallot. Serve.

Note:
Add small amounts of boiling water if gravy thickens before meat is tender.
Kuey chap, a fatter smoother version of kwayteow.

Tau-Suan

I never thought it was so easy to cook, only after i give it a try.

Here the unfolding of the recipe:

Ingredient
250g shelled mungo beans
1bowl sugar
1 bunch pandan leaves
deep fried twisted donghnut

Thickening glaze
5 tbsps caltrop starch (or substitute caltrop starch with cornflour and tapioca flour in equal portions)
6 tbsps water
*mix well.

Method
1. Soak mungo beans for 2hrs. Drain. Steam for 45mins.
2. Caramelize sugar over low heat. Add 1.5litres of water and pandan leaves. Discard the pandan leaves after it boils.
3. Stir in thickening glaze. Add the cooked mungo beans. Stir well. Serve with deep fried twisted donghnut.

The above portions cooked a big pot. Approx. serving 6 to 8ppl.