Chilli hot and with lots of oomph

Century egg drizzled with chilli oil and topped with garlic, chilli and parsley. Pictures by Eu Hooi Khaw

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 Lately we have been on the trail of Hunanese food in Kuala Lumpur, after our very delicious experience in Xin Dong Tong, Pudu (reviewed on September 10). Our friend J had promised to take us to yet another one, and this time we landed in Cheras, at a place called Xiang Lin Jian Xia.

Here we encountered a very friendly lady owner who recommended what we should eat. The Hunanese/Sichuan menu is all in Chinese, but all you need to do is to point at the pictures of the dishes and order. Frozen Beef Slices looked good, so did the pigs ears. Would we like the Pigs Stomach Stuffed with Chicken Soup? Yes! Then it was the Kah Heong Yook (braised pork), the gizzard and the pei tan or century egg appetizers, and the Sour Vegetable Fish Soup.

Slices of lean beef in a hot Hunanese dressing.

The menu reads like a well-illustrated book (if you know Chinese), and we hadnt even ordered even one per cent of the dishes available.

First, the thin, lean beef slices sit on a chilli-oil dressing tinged with vinegar and sesame oil, and topped with finely chopped parsley, chilli, sesame seeds and fermented black beans. It added lots of zing to the beef which I liked very much.

The thinly-sliced pigs ears had a good crunch to them, but I wished the dressing had been different from the first. Perhaps we should have detected this from the picture in the menu. Still it made great bites.

The century egg and the gizzard got the same treatment, except for the gizzard there was lots of chopped Chinese celery to give it a little punch. We will get smarter with the ordering the next time.

Our palate was still smarting from the ho! t chilli oil when the black claypot of bubbling soup of pigs stomach stuffed with chicken was served. A pot of good soup in a Chinese meal is always looked forward to. This one was hot and peppery; maybe not as hot as we thought it was because we had eaten a lot of chilli oil and the sting was still with us. I picked out a large white slice of wai san (a mountain herb good for the spleen, kidney and lungs) that was chewy and sticky that had picked up some of the flavours of the soup. It was delicious. There were slices of ginger in the very tasty soup, and dried red dates that seemed to have been added last as they still retained their original sweetness, and texture.

Soup of the Pigs Stomach Stuffed with Chicken is simply scrumptious.

I tried the soup again when the chilli heat had gone from my mouth, and it was quite sweet and mellow. As we were finishing the pot of soup, we were offered a refill!

The Braised Pork with Suet Choy had lots of oomph. There was fat and lean in almost equal proportions. The meat tasted creamy and just lovely, after having been marinated, seared in high heat and braised till tender with the suet choy. It had a robust flavour, and its braising sauce made you reach out for a bowl of rice.

The Sour Vegetable Fish Soup was a little disappointing, as we have had an exceptional one at TKS in Jalan Alor. It had all the requisite fish slices, whole garlic, dried chillies and pickled vegetables, yet something was missing. It lacked the balance of sourness with the sweetness of fish and the hotness of chilli.

We realised after a while how Hunanese food differs from Sichuan, though both are quite similar.

Sue Par or Loh Mei Chee a glutinous rice ball filled with sesame paste and crystallised with honey syrup.

Sichuan pep! percorns are liberally used in Sichuan cuisine, but Hunanese food is about heat from fresh and dried chillies. The Sichuan peppercorns have a numbing sensation that stays in your mouth, while the heat from chilli dissipates after a while.

I remembered after a meal like this at Xin Dong Tong, LKY and I craved for green tea ice-cream and eventually settled for a pistachio one at home. So do have a dessert to end the meal. Something sweet is perfect after a chilli hot meal. We had the Sue Par or Loh Mei Chee glutinous rice dumplings filled with black sesame paste. These were fried, and coated with honey syrup that crystallised as the dumplings cooled. There was a sweet crunchy exterior, a sticky middle and a fragrant centre from the sesame paste. I had more than one!

Xiang Lin Tian Xia is located at C-1-6 Jalan 3/39A, off Jalan Cheras, 2 mile Warisan City View, Kuala Lumpur.

Share it with others

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Coffee Chemistry Signature

Coffee Chemistry recently opened its second outlet; the "Signature" attached to this Subang branch's name signals that it's a notch above the Sunway Giza original.

Entry on Coffee Chemistry @ Sunway Giza: January 26.

The menu here at Subang seems wider, with thoughtful touches that make the recipes memorable. The "Beef Goddess" Pizza, loaded with flavor-packed toppings, features a base that leans closer to pita bread than regular pizza dough.

Fish & chips, blanketed with a cheesy salsa sauce that kids might find fantastic.

Honey-glazed black pepper chicken with butter herb rice & mashed potatoes, as satisfying as can be. The meat is impeccably prepared, the rice is aromatic & the potatoes are a creamy pleasure, clearly made from the real thing.

Save space for alcoholic macarons! We can't confirm what booze is infused into these babies _ brandy? rum? _ but rest assured, the flavor of liquor is discernible.

Macarons by Feliciously, with cool names including Crouching Caramel, Hidden Sea Salt (salted caramel), What's Up Matcha (green tea), Rose, Rose, I Love You (rose, lychee pulp), Passionately Yours (passion fruit) & Whazzaup ... Bi!!! (wasabi).

And of course, Graffeo brews, Coffee Chemistry's pride & joy.

Paulaner Natural & orange juice.

Coffee Chemistry Cafe,

First Subang Mall.

Pink Ribbon Almond Tofu 1

" Never underestimate the power of a chilled almond tofu."

Pink Ribbon Almond Jelly: Refreshing, silky and soft almond tofu with a center of fruit cocktail, decorated with a Pink Ribbon.

Now I know why my guava sherbet wasn't every smooth (I thought it was because I didn't use an ice cream maker)and why yesterday's ginger jellywouldn't set. It's because the enzymes in ginger, papayas, kiwifruit, pineapple, figs and even guava can break the protein bonds in gelatine, agar etc, preventing them from setting. You can read all about it here.

I know that almond tofu is too common a dessert but there's a reason why it is one of the top favorite Chinese dessert in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southern China, Singapore and Malaysia. Besides beingvery refreshing and delicious, almond tofu is usually served at wedding banquets because the word for almond in Mandarin Chinese is xingren which also sounds like 'newly weds'. There may be other reasons but I'm not recollecting them right now. I read that the Japanese love this dessert (annin tofu)and the Koreans too. I've never made almond tofu so I turned to the Net but couldn't find any recipes that had spoon measurements. I prefer using measuring spoons than whole envelopes of prepared gelatin powder or leaves because the Nick Mun! ro mould s hold are small--only 200 ml capacity each--and I'm too lazy to convert the proportions of ingredients from grams. Okay, the truth is I didn't have a weighing scale that could weigh lower than 10 grams until last week and it is too much hassle to use it compared to a measuring spoon.

Almond tofu(xingren doufu in Chinese) isn't really made of almond and tofu. When you buy almond tofu mix in a box,the 'almond' powder is really the seed of apricots and if, I'm not wrong, those seeds are the ones used in cooking Chinese watercress soup. There's no tofu either but the combination of agar (a gelling agent commonly used in Asia), evaporated milk, water and almond essence results in a silky soft 'jelly' that's similar doufu hua, a Chinese tofu dessert. I don't like the taste of any ready mix so I had to make the jelly from scratch.

I finally found a recipe using measuring spoons here. Roses's recipes are just like mine, true and tried at home. A thing about Rose that is quite poignant is that she started her blog to share her recipes after recovering from breast cancer 7 years ago.

I've adapted Rose's recipe to suit my cooking and the Jellirific! mould by reducing the sugar and adding a bit of dairy cream because I wanted a more opaque-looking jelly. From Day 1 of the Jelliriffic Challenge, I wanted to make a Pink Ribbon jelly but had no idea how to do it. It turned out to be so simple. Just make 'ribbons' out of konyakkubecause that's a very stretchable, almost elastic gelling agent.

You might think that almond tofu is too e! veryday ordinary. Make one, chill it very well and be surprised by how refreshing and yummy it is.










Pink Ribbon Almond Tofu

The Pink Ribbons:
1/4 tsp konyakku powder
a pinch of citric acid
60 ml water
a drop of pink coloring
1/2 tsp of milk or cream

1. Scatter the konyakku powder over the water in a small pot and cook, stirring, until the powder is dissolved. Add the citric acid and coloring. Stir well and pour into a flat rectangular pan to get a thin piece of jelly.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut the jelly into very narrow strips (3/4 cm) and into suitable lengths. Make one ribbon to see how long you like it to be.

The Almond Tofu (for 2 moulds):
200 ml water
2 T caster sugar (this will not be sweet)
1 1/2 tsp agar powder
2 Tbsp evaporated milk
1 Tbsp dairy cream
1/4 tsp almond essence (or more if like)
1. Mix the agar powder with the sugar. Put the water into a small pot and scatter th agar over the water, stirring well. Heat ! and stir until the agar and sugar are dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the evaporated milk and cream. When cool, pour into the Nick Munro moulds. Chill until set.
2. Scoop the agar from the center of the set jelly to make a well.

The Clear Fruit Cocktail Jelly:
150 ml water
1/2 tsp konyakku powder
1/2 to 1 tsp caster sugar
a pinch of citric acid
2 to 3 tbsp fruit cocktail, drained

1. Mix the konaykku powder with the sugar. Put the water into a small pot and scatter the powder over, stirring well. Heat and stir until sugar and konyakku powder are dissolved. Add the citric acid, stir well. Cool.
2. Pour the konyakku jelly into the well of the almond jelly, adding the fruit cocktail as you pour. Pour in stages so that the fruit cocktail will not float. Chill until set.
3. Turn the jellies out onto a serving plate. Stick a short piece of toothpick on the jelly and hang a strip of ribbon on it. Cross the ribbon to make a 'Pink Ribbon'.
Serve very cold with more fruit cocktail and longans.

Pink Ribbon Almond Tofu 2 continues tomorrow.

A Glimpse into Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia @ Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country

ll

Thanks Dato' for the complimentary ticket.

Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB) To Buy All Sorts Of Good Quality Daily Used Washing and Shower Liquids

How many of you ever think of recycle? Most of us would normally recycle our can drinks (aluminium cans) or newspaper. How about the plastic bottles? Do you know that it takes a very long time to recycle a plastic Continue reading

Lemon, Olive, and Parsley Quinoa Cakes

Dear Success,

I got you.

Ive got a jar of Sharpie markers on my desk, a frozen coffee cake in my freezer just waiting to be baked, a handful of people tell me they love me, and theres spinach in my bowl. See? Ive got you, Success. Were totally roommates and Im totally not letting you move out, ever.

Its Friday! Double Success!

Love,

Joy

Look around. I bet you live with success too! sometimes success is as simple as a jar of markers on your desk.

Enjoy your weekend! Im rooting for you. Go do good things!

This recipe was inspired by Heidis Super Natural Everyday. Do you have this book? Lovely! thank you Molly and Kelsey.

This book is full of whole grains, whole wheat, spices and health. Just flipping through the book makes you feel strong.

Do you know! how har d it was to not put melted butter in these quinoa cakes?

Like really hard.

When quinoa is in my house, its all I eat. from scrambled eggs to sauteed dinner.

Its filling. Its delicious. Its major healthy.

This quinoa is a salty and bright combination of flavors. I love green olives and lemon. Theyre super bright and complimentary to the earthy/base flavors of the quinoa. Onion and garlic? Easy. Parsley and cheese? Always.

Eggs and a splash of water are the binder for the quinoa. I like to think of these as mini veggie patties.

Warm quinoa patties, packed with flavor, served over seasoned spinach with extra cheese. Duh.

This mean is a lovely lunch, a dreamy dinner and the quinoa can even be served up at breakfast. Every meal, people! Every meal!

The best part about this recipe is that you can make up the quinoa mixture and fry up to order. The uncooked quinoa mixture will last in the fridge for a few days. Thats fresh food for days! Im way into it!

Lemon Parsley and Olive Quinoa Cakes

makes about 2 dozen small cakes

adapted from Su! per Natu ral Everyday

Print this Recipe!

1 1/2 cups rawquinoa

2 1/4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, beaten

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan or Gruyere cheese

1/3 cup coarsely chopped green olives

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoon olive oil

Place dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Wash under cool water for a few minutes. Quinoa needs to be rinsed or it tastes dirty.

In a medium saucepan place rinsed quinoa, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for about 25 t0 30 minutes, until the quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Well need 3 cups of cooked quinoa for the recipe.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs and set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together onion, garlic, cheese, olives, parsley, lemon zest, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and cooled quinoa. Add beaten eggs and stir until all of the quinoa mixture is moistened. Add water to thoroughly moisten mixture. Quinoa should be slightly wet so it doesnt dry out during cooking.

Scoop out mixture by the 2 tablespoonful. Use clean, moist fingers to form into a patty. Create as many patties as youd like.

In a large skillet over medium low heat, heat olive oil. If you pan is large enough, add four to six patties to the hot pan. Youll need a bit of room to successfully flip them.

Cook on each side until beautifully browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Low heat helps the quinoa cakes cook slowly. Brown on each side then remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Serve warm with a small spinach salad, or with scrambled eggs. Serve the! m any wa y youd like.

Also, the quinoa mixture can be left, uncooked in the fridge for a few days. Cook as necessary.