If you have noticed, I have a thing for cooking hawker meals at home. Char Kway Teow, Fried Fish Bee Hoon, Bak Chor Mee, Kway Teow Soup.. it was only a matter of time that 鸡丝面– Shredded Chicken Noodle– found its way to my dining table.

My plan was to cook braised noodles that day for lunch, but it was a blessing in disguise that the Giant opposite my place ran out of Ee-Fu noodles. It was the perfect reason for me not to be lazy and cook something new. And so, shredded chicken noodle it is!

You can keep costs low by reducing the amount of mushrooms, or buy frozen chicken fillet in bulk. When making the sauce, add more cornstarch if you like it thicker, but remember never to add cornstarch directly to hot liquid. Dissolve it first in tap water using a 1:1 flour to water ratio, then gradually add it to the pot.

I hope you try this recipe out because we really enjoyed it! (They had fun eating.. I had fun cooking and plating!)

Oh, and a special mention to Woh Hup.. remember the Concentrated Chicken Stock I used for our Steamboat Day? I used it to make the chicken stock for this dish and the flavour was quite unbeatable. I don’t think I will use chicken stock cubes again.. I’m quite a convert and will be using it as a marinade too. Thank you Woh Hup!

The post Shredded Chicken Noodle 鸡丝面 appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

I spotted some fresh, beautiful eggplants for sale at my local market and couldn’t resist picking some up. Large, firm, and vibrant with a deep, seductive hue, they were going for a song at 3 for a dollar.

I love eggplant but they’re quite tricky to deal with. I tried airfrying them on their own but because of no oil or moisture, the were not cooked enough and dried out. The thing about eggplants is that they have to be thoroughly cooked.. you just cannot undercook them. I also added them to fish curries, and although they’re quite awesome like that, I don’t think they’ve reached their full potential, flavour wise, when boiled, even if in curry. The best way to cook them, I feel, is by drizzling them with some olive oil, then pan-grilling over low heat on the stove top, til the flesh caramelises into a creamy, luxurious mash while still retaining some bite.

That day, I decided to make eggplant “pizza”. I pan-grilled the eggplant (steps below), topped them with tuna sponsored by the very generous Ayam Brand, sprinkled mozzarella + cheddar cheese, then airfried them for 3 minutes in my Phillips Airfryer, til the cheese had melted and became bubbling hot. For the tuna, I used Ayam Brand’s Spicy Tuna Flakes in Olive Oil:

I added some chilli sauce, chilli paste and chopped shallots and garlic to make it “spreadable” and for extra flavour. I hear they also have “Chilli Tuna Light” so the next time I make this dish, I can just reach straight for the can.

Makes 4 servings (2 pieces each)

What I used:

2 eggplants (= 8 pieces. see preparation notes below)
1 can Ayam Brand Spicy Tuna Flakes in Olive Oil
1 teaspoon chilli sauce
Half teaspoon chilli paste (you can use any sambal-type paste)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 clove shallot, chopped
Shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese, or you can use a combination of both
Olive oil for brushing

1. To prepare eggplant, wash them, slice off the top and bottom, peel in intervals and slice into half length wise, then half again to make 4 pieces per eggplant. Make some deep cuts diagonally across and sprinkle some salt all over. Let them sit for 15 minutes. The salt will draw out the excessive water and the eggplant will absorb less oil when cooking.
2. In the meantime, combine the tuna, chilli sauce, chilli paste, garlic and shallots and set aside.
3. When the 15 minutes are up, pat the eggplants dry with paper towels and brush with olive oil all over.
4. Heat up a flat frying pan using medium heat, then place eggplant face-down to grill. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil if the pan gets too hot. Remove from pan after about 10 minutes but watch the fire. When you notice the purple skin turning light purple and a bit see-through, it’s almost done.
5. Remove eggplant and spoon prepared tuna over. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and airfry for 3 minutes at 180 degrees. Alternatively, bake in oven til cheese melts.
6. Enjoy your piece of heaven!

How much I spent:

$0.65 for eggplant
$0 for tuna as they’re sponsored (retails $2.45 regular price)
$1.50 for cheese
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $1.12
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Some photos to help you:

I prefer to peel in intervals instead of removing all the skin. This way, the eggplant maintains its shape and holds together better.

Make deep cuts before sprinkling salt. Be careful not to cut all the way through.

Some photos to tempt you:

These are really good.

See the beautiful layers and how the eggplant is sooo soft and creamy. (I combined sliced cheese with shredded cheese for this piece. I ran out!)

I really, really hope you try this recipe. They taste sooo good and are a much better option than pizza!

The post Pan-grilled Eggplant with Chilli Tuna and Cheese appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

It’s gonna be a busy, busy November for me. Indeed, with the wedding date inching nearer, I am busy going on a diet! I am a last minute bride, I swear. I had months to lose weight but was busy eating potato chips during our home movie sessions! But those potato chips tasted so good. #YOLO is all I can say. And I’ve been using it wayy too many times this year :)

Looks like lunch and dinner this few weeks have gotta be quickfixes without much prep work (no braised pork belly, me thinks), but this doesn’t mean that they can’t be delicious! Take this recipe for example. It is so simple but so presentable (I suggest adding red and green peppers!), you could serve a portion with rice and make it a one-dish meal like how they do it at zi-char stalls.

As you might know by now, I do a lot of Chinese stir-fry because it is quick and easy, and most importantly, it is what my two aunts are used to eating. I don’t know if this has anything to do with us being Teochew, but they sure love anything cooked in black bean sauce. I made slow cooker bittergourd for them a few days back and they even compared it to my grandmother’s version.

I’ve never met my grandmother, and no.. as much as I love to cook, I don’t believe that anything that I cook can even come close to my grandma’s cooking. I’m sure she made everything “from scratch” though (chuckles), and I take what some would say the “easy way out” by not fermenting my own black beans. Good for you la, if you do that or grow your own bean sprouts. I know of a lady who did.. and she’s none other than Lily Ng from Lily’s Wai Sek Hong. She probably doesn’t even know that I exist but she’s kitchen God in my eyes and I truly admire and respect her! Hop on over to her blog. You might never come back! LOL.

Makes 2 servings

What I used:

1 piece good quality sutchi fish (or you can use any chunky white fish)
3 slices ginger
1 yellow onion, chopped into small wedges (quartered, then half each piece. I don’t know how you call it, eighth-ed? haha)
1 red chilli or chilli padi, sliced
2 tablespoon cornstarch solution (half tablespoon cornstartch mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Seasonings:
1 tablespoon Lee Kum Kee black bean garlic sauce
1 sachet sugar
1 tablespoon chinese cooking wine (hua diao jiu)
A dash of white pepper
A dash of fish sauce

1. Clean and pat dry the sutchi fish, then chop into chunks (about 2 inches across).
2. Heat up the oil in a frying pan, fry the onions and ginger til fragrant. Add the fish and seasonings and fry for 3-4 minutes, then add water. Stir gently to combine as you don’t want to break up the fish.
3. Cook til water is bubbling. Add cornstarch solution and cook til thickened. Garnish with sliced chilli and serve with warm rice or noodles.

How much I spent:

$1.40 for sutchi fish
$0.30 for onion
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $0.85
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This is a super easy stir-fry which took all of ten minutes in the frying pan. I would have added chopped bell peppers (green and red!) but I didn’t have them on hand. Looks like I gotta cook them again next time!

The post Chinese Stir-Fry: Black Bean Fish Fillet appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Made a simple lunch yesterday with store bought croissant. The tuna and baked beans were generously sponsored by Ayam Brand.

If you love french sandwiches as much as I do, you would know that they cost quite a lot outside. I remember having Delifrance sandwiches for $3.90 when I was still in school and I think they now cost $6 or $7? Too expensive for my budget! I got to make it myself!

I had my mind set on making a panini or ciabatta ($2.20 for a pack of four, from Gardenia) but got distracted by the fat Bonjour croissants sitting in the clear plastic box. You’d be surprised at the variety of breads available at NTUC. On top of the regular white sandwich breads, they now stock panini, ciabatta, cranberry loaves, multigrain buns, baguette, hard rolls and yes, croissant in their bread aisle. The croissants were better than I expected! I airfried them slightly before filling them with cold tuna mayo, and they were so buttery and flaky, you would never have thought they came in a plastic box. The key here is to warm them- if you don’t have an airfryer, use your oven. They’re amazing, I promise! The best part? They cost just $0.54 a piece.

Makes 5 croissant sandwiches

What I used:

5 Bonjour croissants (you can find them in NTUC)
2 cans Ayam brand tuna chunks in water, drained (reserve 1 tablespoon liquid)
Half a red onion, chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Djorn mustard
1 sachet sugar
A dash of white pepper
Black pepper (optional)
Fresh lettuce
1 tomato, sliced

1. Combine tuna, reserved liquid, onion, mayo, mustard, sugar and white pepper, mix well and chill.
2. Cut a slit across the top of each croissant and toast lightly.
3. Fill with fresh lettuce, tuna mayonnaise and tomato. Top with a sprinkle of black pepper and enjoy!

How much I spent:

$2.70 for croissants
$4.90 for tuna (retail price is $2.45 per can)
$0.30 for tomato
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $1.58

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I served it with a baked bean gratin. I combined one can of Ayam Brand baked beans with cheese with the other half of the chopped onions, then topped it with mozzarella cheese before airfying til the cheese melted. The beans were a tad too salty for me but I think they will go quite nicely with crusty baguette!

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I love home made wanton soup because I like the wrapping process. No, really. I like to wrap wantons! I wrap mine this way:

1) Put a glob of filling in the center of the wanton skin and fold it into a triangle.
2) Use a bit of water to seal the edges. Then, holding both ends of the triangle, fold them over the top so that both ends meet.

Some people choose to fold it into an ingot shape, or twist it into something like a money bag, which is fun! Mine’s something like this:

For more ways on how to wrap wantons, check this page out.

Whenever I eat wantons soup in Hong Kong, they always come with lots of sweet yellow chives. It is almost impossible to find yellow chives in the local markets so I had no choice but to leave them out. The vegetable seller told me that yellow chives spoil quickly and she has not seen them for years. If you know of where I can get yellow chives, please leave a comment below!

When making wanton, I always add tiny dried shrimps to the pork, shrimp and mushroom filling. I get mine from Giant and also use it when stir frying vegetables and chicken. The dried shrimps lend a good savoury flavour to the minced meat and prawn filling. Here’s what the packet looks like:

Ready to make some easy wantons? Me too!

Makes 30 wantons (4 large servings)

What I used:

1 pack of 30 wanton wrappers
200g minced pork (marinated in 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 1 sachet sugar, white pepper, a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon corn flour)
200g small prawns (soak in cold water + one sachet sugar for 15 mins, drain, then cut each prawn into half)
5 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in water til plump and sliced thinly
1 tablespoon dried shrimp as above
1 litre chicken stock
A handful green leafy vegetables
A small bowl of tap water to moisten the wanton skin when wrapping
A sprinkling of sesame oil and white pepper

1. Mix the prawns, mushrooms and dried shrimps with the minced pork mixture.
2. To wrap wantons, place a wrapper in your palm and spoon a teaspoon of filling in the center. Fold into a triangle and use a bit of water to seal the edges. Then, holding both ends of the triangle, fold them over the top so that both ends meet.
3. Heat up the chicken stock til boiling, then add the leafy vegetables. Slowly drop in the wantons til they are cooked and have floated to the top.
4. Sprinkle the white pepper and sesame oil and serve immediately.

How much I spent:

$2 for wanton wrappers
$1.60 for minced pork
$2 for prawns
$0.30 for vegetables
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $1.47

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I decided to make these for lunch because I found a packet of wanton wrappers in the fridge after 88 went to the supermarket- a clear sign that she wanted me to make some wantons! She is quite cute– she doesn’t tell me to cook a particular dish but when I find something in the fridge that I did not buy, it’s a hint for me to cook her that something. Since she “asked” for them, she got them! You can choose to add egg noodles into the soup which is what I’m gonna do when I cook these again. Then maybe, I’m gonna experiment with folding them differently.

Do you have a favourite way of folding wantons?

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