To Cook
In a large bowl, cover and rinse rice with cool water. Swirl rice around, drain water and then repeat until the water is clear.
In a medium saucepan, place equal parts rice and water over high heat. Leave uncovered and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn heat down and cover for 15 mins.
Remove from heat, but leave covered for another 10 mins.
Combine rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Transfer rice into the big glass bowl. Using a wooden spoon or rice paddle, gently fold in the vinegar mix so that every grain of rice is covered. Be careful not to get the rice too wet.
Allow rice to cool before assembling sushi.
On a sushi mat, take a piece of nori and place it shiny side down, about 2 cm away from the edge nearest to you.
Wet your hands and gently spread about ¾ cup of rice over seaweed, being careful to leave about 2.5 cm borders around all sides.
Line two pieces of finely sliced salmon end-to-end on the rice.
Holding the filling in place, carefully roll the mat over itself, away from you, making sure the nori folds over and seals itself.
Continue with the rest of the nori sheets and filling. Cut rolls into 2.5cm thick pieces and serve with soy sauce, beni shoga (pickled ginger) and wasabi.
Steam
Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens
To Cook
Fry the drained preserved mustard greens and half of the ginger without water and oil in a pan or wok at low-medium heat, until the aromatic and dry. Put aside.
Bring a pot of water to boil and add the pork belly, blanching for 5 mins.
Dry the pork belly and fork small holes in the skin. Cover in the dark soya sauce. Put aside for 30 mins.
Cook the pork belly in a pan heated up with 2 tbsp of oil. Brown all sides of the pork. Remove from the pan.
Leave the pork for 10 mins and cut into 1cm slices.
Heat up a pan or wok with 1 tbsp of oil. Fry the garlic and the rest of the ginger till it is aromatic.
Add the preserved mustard greens to the pan. Stir-fry briefly.
Add the star anise, soy sauce, oyster sauce and cooking wine. Simmer for 15-20 mins.
Season according to taste.
Place the pork belly skin side down on a bowl and layer the preserved mustard greens on top. Steam for 2 hours.
Serve while hot with rice.
Thai Steamed Fish with Chilli and Lime
To Cook
Boil chicken for 30 mins to prepare the chicken stock. Alternatively, you may also use store-bought chicken stock. Then, set aside.
Clean fish and make a few slits on both sides. Place fish in a deep dish.
Mix chicken stock with red chillies, garlic, coriander root, fish sauce and lime juice. Set aside.
Bring water to a rolling boil to prepare for steaming then reduce heat to moderate. Pour stock over fish.
Spread Chinese celery on top and steam fish for 10 mins or till fish is cooked.
Garnish with fresh Chinese celery, chilli strips and lime slices before serving. Serve hot with rice.
Glutinous Rice with Pandan Custard (Kuih Seri Muka)
To Cook
Place soaked rice in a 23cm metal tray.
Add coconut milk making sure it is enough to cover rice, add water if insufficient. Add salt.
Steam rice mixture until cooked. When cooked, mix well and press down in tray until firm.
In a mixing bowl, add in eggs and sugar and mix well. Then, add coconut milk and pandan juice.
Mix in plain flour.
Sieve mixture and add to the top of cooked rice and steam for another 30 mins.
Leave to cool entirely before slicing. Serve with coffee or tea.
Traditional Steamed Sponge Cake (Kai Tan Koh)
To Prep
In a mixer on a low speed setting, add the egg and sugar and mix till well combined before increasing to a medium to high speed and beating till the mixture has doubled in size.
Reduce the speed back down to a low and continue to beat for 2 mins to get rid of some of the air bubbles.
Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and sift in the flour. Hand mix until well combined before pouring in to a baking tin lined with baking paper. Set aside to rest for 10 mins.
To Cook
Set the baking tin in to a steamer and let steam for around 40 mins or until the cake has cooked through.
When the cake has cooked, remove from the steamer and let cool.
To Serve
When the cake has cooled, cut in to several pieces and serve!
Vermicelli Salad (Kerabu Bee Hoon)
To Cook
Prepare vermicelli as per instructions on package. Ensure that vermicelli is not overcooked, then refresh in cold water, drain and set aside.
Steam the prawns with their shells on for 10 mins until cooked and then peel off the shells. This helps as the prawns will not shrink.
In a big bowl, mix the shallots with the dressing and add in the vermicelli. When evenly mixed, add in prawns, half of the toasted groundnuts and kerisik.
Garnish with the remaining toasted groundnuts, coconut and curled coriander sprigs.
Steamed Spicy Chicken with Black and White Fungus
To Cook
Soak white and black fungus in water until softened. Drain and tear into pieces.
Mix chicken pieces with marinade and stir in white and black fungus. Steam for 15 mins over high heat or until cooked through. Garnish with spring onions and serve.
Stuffed Squid with Lemongrass Pork and Vermicelli
To Cook
Season squids in marinade for 30 mins. In a separate bowl, mix pork, lemongrass, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms and seasoning mix until well combined. Add softened bean vermicelli, mix well and the filling is ready.
Stuff the squids with filling. Seal the opening of both squids with toothpicks. Place the squids on a steam proof dish and steam over high heat for 15 mins. Remove.
Coat cooked squids with Lee Kum Kee Chicken Marinade. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry both squids slightly. Dish out.
Cut the stuffed squids into sections. In a saucepan, cook the sauce mix until thickened. Drizzle over the squids and serve.
Glutinous Rice Mini Dumplings with Salted Egg Yolk
To Prep
Soak the glutinous rice and mung beans together for 24 hrs and then drain. Add Lee Kum Kee Chicken Bouillon Powder and oil, mix well. Split 1 salted egg yolk into 8 equal portions. Split the remaining ½ of a salted egg yolk into 8 small pieces (for garnishing).
Place pork into a bowl and mix in marinade ingredients. Whip the mixture in one direction until it is about to turn paste-like. Leave in refrigerator to marinate for 30 mins.
Divide the pork into 8 equal portions. Put ⅛ of a salted egg yolk into each portion and roll into a ball. Coat the ball with glutinous rice and mung beans then, add a small piece of egg yolk on top. Repeat with remaining pork portions.
Place the dumplings onto a plate and steam for 15–20 mins or until cooked. Sprinkle the diced spring onions and serve.
Steamed Squid and Bean Vermicelli with Shrimp Sauce
To Cook
Place squid pieces, red chilli peppers, minced garlic and minced ginger into a bowl. Add in marinade ingredients and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 30 mins.
Place softened bean vermicelli on a plate. Then, put marinated squid pieces on top. Prepare a steamer over high heat and steam for 8 mins until cooked. Serve immediately.
Steamed Beef Ribs in Black Pepper Sauce
To Cook
Coat beef ribs with a thin layer of corn starch. Mix well with oil. Marinate beef ribs with marinade ingredients for 15 mins.
Blanch tofu puffs in boiling water. Squeeze out excess water from tofu puffs and cut into half.
Place beef ribs on tofu puffs. Steam for 10 mins over high heat until cooked. Garnish with spring onions and red chilli peppers.
Braised Spare Ribs with Chestnuts and Pumpkin
To Cook
Wash the spare ribs and pat dry. Mix in marinade ingredients and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hrs. Add 2 tbsp oil in a heated frying pan. Pan fry the spare ribs until golden brown. Remove the spare ribs from the oil and set aside.
Steam the chestnuts and pumpkin until half-cooked, then cool.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, spring onions, garlic and shallots and fry slightly. Add the spare ribs, chestnuts and seasoning mix, and bring to a boil. Turn to low heat and cover the pan with a lid. Continue cooking until the spare ribs are fully cooked and the chestnuts are soft. Add the diced pumpkin and cook for another 10 mins.
Add water if necessary. Cook the sauce to the preferred thickness and turn off the heat. Serve.