Easy DIY Recipes

What means “Chi le fan mei you?（吃了饭没有？）” It is one of the most usual Chinese greetings. It means “Have you eaten yet?” That greeting says a lot about the role food plays in Chinese culture. Chinese people spend an average of 40% of their income in food. Every region has its own delicacies.  Whatever they are, people are passionate about them, and they will go to any length and expense to enjoy them on special occasions.
And what do you suppose “DIY” means? The acronym means Do-it-yourself. Here are three simple and easy to follow Chinese food recipes!

Enjoy!

TOPSaozi Noodles （臊子面）

Ingredients:

Hand-pulled Noodles, carrot, dried bean curd, pork, shallot, garlic, potato, green pepper, agarics, mature vinegar, salt, sugar, soy, oil and hot pepper powder. The seasons as mature vinegar, salt, sugar, soy, oil and hot pepper powder are added according to your favor.

Instruction:

There are three main steps to make Saozi Noodles:

First, make hand-pulled noodles. The authentic Saozi Noodles are made of hand-pulled noodles, but it is too hard for people who have never been trained to pull paste into noodles. You can buy noodles at supermarkets.

Second, make Saozi, This is the most important step.

(1). Chop the pork, garlic and ginger and cut carrot, dried bean curd, shallot, garlic, ginger, potato, green pepper and agarics (mushrooms) into small slices. Heat the pan; put some oil, and sauté the chopped pork while stirring continuously.
(2).When the pork is medium rare, add the chopped ginger, the small pieces of carrot, dried bean curd, garlic, potato, green pepper and agarics, and then add small salt and sugar. Continue to sauté the ingredients while stirring continuously.
(3). When the chopped pork is medium well, add some mature vinegar, and then some soy sauce. Continue to sauté the ingredients while stirring continuously.
(4). When the chopped pork is well done, put some hot pepper powder, and add a litter water.  Braise for few minutes.
After that, Saozi is well done and standby for the next step.

Third: Make soup.

Clean the pan and add some oil.  After the oil has been heated, put some mature vinegar and salt and water (not too much). After that put Saozi into it and boil the soup. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in another boiler; after the noodle is well done, drag the noodle without water. When the soup is boiled, add some hot pepper powder and small pieces of shallot, and then the soup is done.

Pour the soup on the noodles and mix them well. The Saozi Noodle is done and you can enjoy it now. 

TOPWheat Starch-Tapioca Flour Dough

This dough is a favourite of the master dim sum chefs, the dai see fu, of the Chinese kitchen, because it can be shaped and sculpted. It is perhaps the most traditional of dumpling dough, which is used for a variety of dim sum preparations and is not at all difficult to form. The small, individual pieces of the dough, used to fashion the dumplings are called pei, or “skins” in the Chinese kitchen.
1 cup wheat starch
½ cup tapioca flour
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup boiling water
1 ½ tablespoons peanut oil

To form the Dough

1. - In a bowl place the wheat starch, the tapioca flour, and the salt. Mix well. Pour in boiling water and mix quickly. Add peanut oil and continue to mix. Mixing is best with a pair of chopsticks or a wooden spoon. The consistency should resemble a biscuit mix, dry and slightly crumbly. Mix until the dough, while still heated, is sufficiently cool to the touch, and can be kneaded.
2. - Knead with your hand in the bowl until a smooth mass of dough is formed. Remove from bowl, knead a few times, then cut the dough in half and place both halves in a plastic bag. Allow to cool and to sit for at least 30 minutes before working with it.

To form the Skins

1. - Before working with the dough, oil the work surface. Soak a paper towel in peanut oil and repeatedly rub across the blade of a Chinese cleaver across the folded towel so that the blade is slightly oiled.
2. - Roll each half of the dough into a sausage-shaped length. The lengths will vary with the sizes of the dumplings made, as you will see, but each length will be cut into 1-inch segments. Each segment will be rolled into a small ball, and then pressed down with the palm of the hand, then finally pressed flat with the broad side of the Chinese cleaver to create round dumpling skins. (These rounds will vary in size as well, with dumplings made, but the technique employed is identical).

Note: When working with the dough half, use one at a time and keep the other in the plastic bag. For each of the following dumplings that use this skin, you should make five skins at a time. The remaining pieces should be kept under plastic wrap. Always do your dumplings in multiples of five. This ensures the dough will remain moist and pliable.

Note: When making each individual skin, a tortilla press rubbed with peanut oil may be used. The skin produced will be thicker, however. Preferably use the cleaver blade, the classic way of the dim sum chefs.

TOPShrimp Dumplings

Har Gau is the most famous dim sum in China, and if one is to judge by the number consumed at dim sum restaurants everywhere, perhaps in the world. It is light and delicate and flavoured by all. Chinese children regard Har Gau with the same reverence that American children give to Hamburgers.
½ pound shrimp, shelled, deveined, washed, dried, and diced
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1 egg white, jumbo size, beaten
1 ½ tablespoons tapioca flour
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
Pinch of white pepper
¼ cup water chestnuts, diced
1/3 cup white portion of scallions, finely chopped
¼ cup bamboo shoots, diced
1 Wheat Star-Tapioca Flour Dough recipe

Makes 30 dumplings

1. - Place shrimp in a large bowl.
Add salt, sugar, egg white, tapioca flour, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper and mix together. Add water chestnuts, scallions, and bamboo shoots and combine thoroughly and evenly. Remove the mixture from the bowl, place it in a shallow dish, and refrigerate uncovered for 4 hours, or overnight, covered.
2. - With Wheat Starch-Tapioca Flour Dough, using the techniques as described, make two sausage-shaped lengths of dough, 15 inches each. Cut each length into 15 one-inch segments. Make dumpling skins 3 inches in diameter. Form 5 at a time, keeping dough not being used under plastic wrap.
3.- Form the dumplings:  Place 1 ½ teaspoons of shrimp filling into the centre of each skin, then fold the skin in half, forming a crescent or half-moon shape.

4. - Hold the dumpling securely in your left hand, then begin to form pleats with the fingers of your right hand along the curve of the crescent. Continue to form small pleats until the dumpling is completely closed. Press the top pleated edge of the dumpling between your thumb and index fingers to seal it tightly. Tap the sealed edge lightly with your knuckle to give the dumpling its final shape. Repeat until all dumplings are done. (As your proficiency increases, increase the filling to 2 teaspoons)

5. - Steam the dumplings for 7 minutes and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestion: Some people prefer eating Har Gau without a sauce or dip, but try them with a bit of Hot Mustard, or with a mix of the mustard with Chinese chilli paste.
Note: Har gau may be frozen for future use. They will keep at least 3 months when piled neatly and wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and then in foil. To reheat, defrost, and then steam for 3 to 5 minutes.
 

TOPSichuan Ma Po Beancurd  (Si Chuan Ma Po Doufu, 四川麻婆豆腐)

4-6 portions with other dishes

3-4 cakes bean curd (tofu)
2 tablespoons salted black beans
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
180g (6 oz) minced or ground pork or beef
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
3 slices root ginger, finely chopped
60g (2 oz) Sichuan pickles, chopped
3 spring onions (scallions), chopped
2 dried red chillies
5 tablespoons chicken stock
2 tablespoons light soya sauce
1 tablespoon chilli sauce
1 tablespoon Sichuan hot bean paste (optional)
2 tablespoons rice wine or sherry
1 tablespoon corn flour (cornstarch) blended with 3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sesame oil
This is a simple but distinctive dish of the common people. First cooked by a woman who had a pock-marked face –for that is what ma po means in Chinese- it has always been popular in the East and is now gaining recognition in the West.

Method: Cut the bean curd into dice. Soak black beans in warm water for 5 minutes, then drain and finely chop.

Heat oil in a wok or in a frying pan. When hot, add the meat, salt and pepper and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes. Add black beans, ginger, pickles, spring onions and chillies and mix together over high heat for another 2 minutes. Add stock, soya sauce, chilli sauce, hot bean paste and rice wine or sherry. Stir the mixture into sauce. Add the bean curd cubes to the sauce and turn them over to coat with sauce. Cook gently for 3 minutes. Add corn flour mixture and sesame oil. Stir the contents over medium heat for 1 minute and serve.

Serving: Serve in a deep serving bowl with ample rice.
 

TOPRestaurants

LukYu Tea House

24-26 Stanley St, Central, Hong Kong
A 1930s tea house with a classic atmosphere: dark wooden booths, marble backed chairs, brass spittoons and surly waiters; some of the best dim sum in town.
Shu Zhai, Dim Sum Tea House & Chinese Cuisine
G-1/F 80 Stanley Main Street, Stanley, Hong Kong