singapore hawker food Archives ⋆ Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby https://www.budgetpantry.com/tag/singapore-hawker-food/ Wed, 17 Feb 2016 09:00:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.7 Hawker Staple: 水饺面 Dumpling Noodle/ Sui Gow Mee (Dry) https://www.budgetpantry.com/dumpling-noodle/ https://www.budgetpantry.com/dumpling-noodle/#comments Sun, 16 Feb 2014 11:38:27 +0000 https://budgetpantry.com/?p=2062 Who loves big, fat, juicy dumplings? Me, that’s for sure! Many of my overseas friends have asked me, “What’s the difference between Wonton (云吞) and Sui Gow (水饺)?” They go by the same name in English for simplicity’s sake- dumplings (just like there’s “Aunt” and “姑母”，”姑妈”，”姑姐”，”姨母”，”姨妈”，etc which all mean “Aunt”)- but are indeed pretty different. Wontons are much smaller, and its primary ingredient- depending on where you’re from- could either be a whole prawn or just little morsels of minced pork. Dumplings, on the other hand, are larger, chockful of ingredients like minced pork, prawns, water chestnuts, mushrooms, black fungus (wood ear), carrots, etc added for crunchiness. Some recipes even add bamboo shoots. And then there’s the noodles. In this recipe, I’m going to essentially refer to the noodles as “Wonton Mee” as the way the noodles are prepared is the same. Malaysian-style Wonton Mee is very generous with black sauce, and I can see how people love that version. Singapore-style Wonton Mee usually have some ketchup added, and I love, love, love ketchup in my noodles. I can’t stand how people like to proclaim that a version is superior to the other.. it all boils down to having different tastebuds. I love the noodles that I grew up with, but the Malaysian version is delicious, too. Don’t be childish ok？ No food is “superior” to the other. 水饺面 Dumpling Noodle Serves: 4-6 (makes 20 dumplings) Total cost: $7.75 Total cost per serving: $1.95 What I used: 250g minced pork 15 small prawns, cut into 3-4 pieces per prawn 1 carrot, peeled and shredded 1 tablespoon dried tiny sakura prawns (refer to my Wonton Soup recipe for picture) 1 piece medium-sized black fungus, soaked and shredded 3 waterchestnuts, peeled and chopped Spring onions, chopped 5 cloves shallots, peeled and sliced thinly 5 tablespoons oil for frying shallots 4 servings thin egg noodles/ wonton noodles 1 packet sui gow skin/ wrappers (you actually only need 20) A handful of leafy veggies 700ml chicken stock or water to cook dumplings in For marinade: 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 tablespoon oyster sauce Half teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon cornflour Dash of white pepper 1 eggwhite For the noodle sauce (per plate of noodles): 1 tablespoon thick, dark soy sauce (kicap manis or caramel black sauce) 1 teaspoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon light soy sauce Half teaspoon ketchup 2 teaspoons shallot oil 1 teaspoon sambal chilli, optional but recommended Steps: 1. Soak one piece of black fungus in warm water for 15 minutes. If you’ve never seen or prepared black fungus before, it is sold in dried form (left pic) and usually used in soups, stews and stir-fries. It hardly has any taste on its own but it has a nice, subtly crunchy texture. Once soaked in water, you’ll see it balloon to an unbelievable size. You’ll just need half of this gigantic piece below: 2. In a large bowl, combine minced pork and sakura dried prawns with marinade ingredients except egg white. 3. Add the prawns and mix well, then add the shredded carrots, black fungus, water chestnuts spring onions and egg white. Combine everything together. 4. Wrap the dumplings. Just spoon a tablespoon of filling on your dumpling skin, then fold in half. Have a bowl of water ready to wet and seal the edges. 5. Fry the shallots til crispy and light brown over low-medium heat. Be careful not to burn it. Keep everything including oil. It’s the shallot oil you need for the noodle sauce later. Keep the shallots for other uses or use them as garnish (they’re so fragrant and delicious)! 6. In a serving plate, mix ingredients for the noodle sauce together. 7. Heat up water in a pot large enough to cook noodles in. At the same time, heat up the chicken stock in another smaller pot to cook the dumplings in. 8. When the water in the larger pot is boiling, add the vegetables and at the same time, drop 4 dumplings into the smaller pot. They’re done when they float to the surface. 9. In the larger pot, place one portion of noodles in a sieve and dunk in boiling water for 20 seconds. Quickly remove and run under tap water. Return to pot and cook for another 30 seconds. Be sure to keep twirling the noodles with chopsticks to keep things going. 10. Drain the noodles and toss well with the prepared sauce. Arrange the vegetables and dumplings on top, and serve with pickled chilli and additional sambal if you wish. 11. Repeat the steps until your family is fed! How much I spent: $2.75 for noodles $2.20 for minced pork $0.20 for carrot $0.30 for water chestnuts $1.50 for prawns $0.80 for sui gow wrappers Everything else from my pantry Don’t the dumplings look simply lovely? The fried beancurd skin is an add-on, prepared in my airfryer. :) This recipe makes 20 dumplings, actually enough for 6 people if you portion 3 dumplings per person- they’re huge! Only $1.40 per serving for 6, or $1.95 per serving for 4 with extras. With half a packet of sui gow wrappers left over, you can be sure I’ll be making another round of these veryy soon!

The post Hawker Staple: 水饺面 Dumpling Noodle/ Sui Gow Mee (Dry) appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

]]> Dumpling Noodle

Who loves big, fat, juicy dumplings? Me, that’s for sure!

Many of my overseas friends have asked me, “What’s the difference between Wonton (云吞) and Sui Gow (水饺)?” They go by the same name in English for simplicity’s sake- dumplings (just like there’s “Aunt” and “姑母”，”姑妈”，”姑姐”，”姨母”，”姨妈”，etc which all mean “Aunt”)- but are indeed pretty different. Wontons are much smaller, and its primary ingredient- depending on where you’re from- could either be a whole prawn or just little morsels of minced pork. Dumplings, on the other hand, are larger, chockful of ingredients like minced pork, prawns, water chestnuts, mushrooms, black fungus (wood ear), carrots, etc added for crunchiness. Some recipes even add bamboo shoots.

And then there’s the noodles. In this recipe, I’m going to essentially refer to the noodles as “Wonton Mee” as the way the noodles are prepared is the same. Malaysian-style Wonton Mee is very generous with black sauce, and I can see how people love that version. Singapore-style Wonton Mee usually have some ketchup added, and I love, love, love ketchup in my noodles. I can’t stand how people like to proclaim that a version is superior to the other.. it all boils down to having different tastebuds. I love the noodles that I grew up with, but the Malaysian version is delicious, too. Don’t be childish ok？ No food is “superior” to the other.

水饺面 Dumpling Noodle
Serves: 4-6 (makes 20 dumplings)
Total cost: $7.75
Total cost per serving: $1.95

What I used:
250g minced pork
15 small prawns, cut into 3-4 pieces per prawn
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 tablespoon dried tiny sakura prawns (refer to my Wonton Soup recipe for picture)
1 piece medium-sized black fungus, soaked and shredded
3 waterchestnuts, peeled and chopped
Spring onions, chopped
5 cloves shallots, peeled and sliced thinly
5 tablespoons oil for frying shallots
4 servings thin egg noodles/ wonton noodles
1 packet sui gow skin/ wrappers (you actually only need 20)
A handful of leafy veggies
700ml chicken stock or water to cook dumplings in

For marinade:
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Half teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
Dash of white pepper
1 eggwhite

For the noodle sauce (per plate of noodles):
1 tablespoon thick, dark soy sauce (kicap manis or caramel black sauce)
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
Half teaspoon ketchup
2 teaspoons shallot oil
1 teaspoon sambal chilli, optional but recommended

Steps:
1. Soak one piece of black fungus in warm water for 15 minutes. If you’ve never seen or prepared black fungus before, it is sold in dried form (left pic) and usually used in soups, stews and stir-fries. It hardly has any taste on its own but it has a nice, subtly crunchy texture. Once soaked in water, you’ll see it balloon to an unbelievable size. You’ll just need half of this gigantic piece below:

DSCF1079

DSCF1080

2. In a large bowl, combine minced pork and sakura dried prawns with marinade ingredients except egg white.
3. Add the prawns and mix well, then add the shredded carrots, black fungus, water chestnuts spring onions and egg white. Combine everything together.

DSCF1076

DSCF1082

DSCF1083

4. Wrap the dumplings. Just spoon a tablespoon of filling on your dumpling skin, then fold in half. Have a bowl of water ready to wet and seal the edges.

DSCF1092

5. Fry the shallots til crispy and light brown over low-medium heat. Be careful not to burn it. Keep everything including oil. It’s the shallot oil you need for the noodle sauce later. Keep the shallots for other uses or use them as garnish (they’re so fragrant and delicious)!

DSCF1088

DSCF1091

6. In a serving plate, mix ingredients for the noodle sauce together.
7. Heat up water in a pot large enough to cook noodles in. At the same time, heat up the chicken stock in another smaller pot to cook the dumplings in.
8. When the water in the larger pot is boiling, add the vegetables and at the same time, drop 4 dumplings into the smaller pot. They’re done when they float to the surface.
9. In the larger pot, place one portion of noodles in a sieve and dunk in boiling water for 20 seconds. Quickly remove and run under tap water. Return to pot and cook for another 30 seconds. Be sure to keep twirling the noodles with chopsticks to keep things going.
10. Drain the noodles and toss well with the prepared sauce. Arrange the vegetables and dumplings on top, and serve with pickled chilli and additional sambal if you wish.
11. Repeat the steps until your family is fed!

DSCF1098

Dry Dumpling Noodles1

How much I spent:
$2.75 for noodles
$2.20 for minced pork
$0.20 for carrot
$0.30 for water chestnuts
$1.50 for prawns
$0.80 for sui gow wrappers
Everything else from my pantry

Don’t the dumplings look simply lovely? The fried beancurd skin is an add-on, prepared in my airfryer. :) This recipe makes 20 dumplings, actually enough for 6 people if you portion 3 dumplings per person- they’re huge! Only $1.40 per serving for 6, or $1.95 per serving for 4 with extras. With half a packet of sui gow wrappers left over, you can be sure I’ll be making another round of these veryy soon!

Dumpling Noodle

The post Hawker Staple: 水饺面 Dumpling Noodle/ Sui Gow Mee (Dry) appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

]]> https://www.budgetpantry.com/dumpling-noodle/feed/ 4 [With Dancing Chef]: Airfried Har Cheong Gai/ Prawn Paste Chicken/ 虾酱鸡 https://www.budgetpantry.com/har-cheong-gai/ https://www.budgetpantry.com/har-cheong-gai/#comments Wed, 29 Jan 2014 14:31:55 +0000 https://budgetpantry.com/?p=1987 Most of you know about my affair with fried chicken. Friendships come and go, but my relationship with fried chicken has spanned 30 years and is still going strong, especially ever since Jason bought me my Philips Airfryer as an anniversary gift two years ago! But let’s not kid ourselves, as much as I am an advocate of the airfryer, nothing tastes better than crispy chicken freshly fried in hot oil. The crunchiness, crispiness, and juiciness of DEEP FRIED anything is incomparable, but life is all about choices. I choose 90% gratification over clogged arteries anytime. I may not be able to eat deep fried chicken all the time but I can do airfry! And the other day, I decided to airfry some prawn paste chicken. Prawn paste chicken is a popular zi-char (quick fry) hawker dish in Singapore. For readers not too familiar with prawn paste, it is made from fermented ground prawns mixed with salt, and gives off a pungent aroma hard to associate with delicious cooking. :) I’ve been wanting to try my hands at it, but the thought of preparing the dish from scratch is demotivating. Luckily for me, Dancing Chef was kind enough to sponsor me some of their sauces, and “Stir Fried Shrimp Paste” was among them! I’ve always loved their famous Suki Dipping Sauce for steamboat and was looking forward to trying more of their sauces and pastes, so Thank You Dancing Chef! I airfried the first batch and found that it wasn’t salty enough, so I added some salt to the rest of the marinade. I’d recommend adding some ginger juice to the mixture as well. I didn’t add it and the taste was still good, but could have been better. Give this a try, I’d say this is 85% close to the real thing as it is, without any extra seasonings! Airfried Har Cheong Gai/ Prawn Paste Chicken/ 虾酱鸡 Serves: 5 (3 wings per person) Total cost: $9.80 Total cost per serving: $1.96 What I used: 15 chicken wings 2 packets Dancing Chef Shrimp Paste Chicken 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ginger juice (grate ginger to get the juice, optional) Corn flour for coating Steps: 1. Marinate chicken wings for at least 3 hours in the 2 packets of shrimp paste, salt and ginger juice. 2. Dip each chicken wing in corn flour (use a shallow plate), coat both sides evenly and shake off any excess. Refill corn flour as necessary. Each airfryer basket can fit 4 wings. 3. Airfry at 180 degrees for 12-15 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Repeat until all wings are fried. How much I spent: $5.30 for chicken wings (it is up to you if you choose frozen or fresh wings) $4.50 for Dancing Chef Stir Fried Shrimp Paste (mine was sponsored but it costs about $2.25 a packet from NTUC) Everything else from my pantry How good were these? We made 15 wings for 4 of us.. Jason and I ate 4-5 a person and it was really finger-licking good. The best part was, I didn’t use any oil for this. There was minimal clean up apart from soaking the airfryer basket in soapy water. I didn’t have to mop the floor, and I didn’t waste any oil (or calories!) for deep frying. Looks like I gotta do this more often. Looking forward to try the Butter Chicken paste soon. Look out for the recipe soon!

The post [With Dancing Chef]: Airfried Har Cheong Gai/ Prawn Paste Chicken/ 虾酱鸡 appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

]]> Jan 29- Har Cheong Gai1

Most of you know about my affair with fried chicken. Friendships come and go, but my relationship with fried chicken has spanned 30 years and is still going strong, especially ever since Jason bought me my Philips Airfryer as an anniversary gift two years ago!

But let’s not kid ourselves, as much as I am an advocate of the airfryer, nothing tastes better than crispy chicken freshly fried in hot oil. The crunchiness, crispiness, and juiciness of DEEP FRIED anything is incomparable, but life is all about choices. I choose 90% gratification over clogged arteries anytime.

I may not be able to eat deep fried chicken all the time but I can do airfry! And the other day, I decided to airfry some prawn paste chicken. Prawn paste chicken is a popular zi-char (quick fry) hawker dish in Singapore. For readers not too familiar with prawn paste, it is made from fermented ground prawns mixed with salt, and gives off a pungent aroma hard to associate with delicious cooking. :)

I’ve been wanting to try my hands at it, but the thought of preparing the dish from scratch is demotivating. Luckily for me, Dancing Chef was kind enough to sponsor me some of their sauces, and “Stir Fried Shrimp Paste” was among them! I’ve always loved their famous Suki Dipping Sauce for steamboat and was looking forward to trying more of their sauces and pastes, so Thank You Dancing Chef!

Jan 29- Har Cheong Gai2

I airfried the first batch and found that it wasn’t salty enough, so I added some salt to the rest of the marinade. I’d recommend adding some ginger juice to the mixture as well. I didn’t add it and the taste was still good, but could have been better. Give this a try, I’d say this is 85% close to the real thing as it is, without any extra seasonings!

Airfried Har Cheong Gai/ Prawn Paste Chicken/ 虾酱鸡
Serves: 5 (3 wings per person)
Total cost: $9.80
Total cost per serving: $1.96

What I used:
15 chicken wings
2 packets Dancing Chef Shrimp Paste Chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ginger juice (grate ginger to get the juice, optional)
Corn flour for coating

Steps:
1. Marinate chicken wings for at least 3 hours in the 2 packets of shrimp paste, salt and ginger juice.
2. Dip each chicken wing in corn flour (use a shallow plate), coat both sides evenly and shake off any excess. Refill corn flour as necessary. Each airfryer basket can fit 4 wings.
3. Airfry at 180 degrees for 12-15 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Repeat until all wings are fried.

How much I spent:
$5.30 for chicken wings (it is up to you if you choose frozen or fresh wings)
$4.50 for Dancing Chef Stir Fried Shrimp Paste (mine was sponsored but it costs about $2.25 a packet from NTUC)
Everything else from my pantry

Jan 29- Har Cheong Gai

How good were these? We made 15 wings for 4 of us.. Jason and I ate 4-5 a person and it was really finger-licking good. The best part was, I didn’t use any oil for this. There was minimal clean up apart from soaking the airfryer basket in soapy water. I didn’t have to mop the floor, and I didn’t waste any oil (or calories!) for deep frying. Looks like I gotta do this more often. Looking forward to try the Butter Chicken paste soon. Look out for the recipe soon!

The post [With Dancing Chef]: Airfried Har Cheong Gai/ Prawn Paste Chicken/ 虾酱鸡 appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

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