Happy Call “Hotplate” Tofu with Prima Taste
Hotplate tofu is my must-order dish when I eat at Zi Char stalls. “Zi Char” is a dialect term which literally means “Cook” (zi) and “Fry” (char). Dishes are almost always eaten with rice and often prepared on high heat in a Chinese wok. My favourite hotplate tofu is from a zi char stall at Blk 279 Bukit Batok East Ave 3. The signboard reads “Mei Chin Seafood” (maybe from eons ago) but the packaging and receipt all read “大食家”。The dish is just a little spicy, with onions, shallots, a bit of chilli bean paste, tofu, prawns, minced meat, vegetables and beaten egg served in a hot plate.
Creamy Chicken Stroganoff
Who doesn’t like creamy gravy over rice? This afternoon, I made a variation of Chicken Stroganoff, cooked Asian style without sour cream, with plenty of sliced onions and button mushrooms in a creamy Carnation white sauce. Oh yes, I airfried the chicken pieces. They’re so tender and juicy. Many people associate Carnation evaporated milk with Teh-Si, and rightly so. Most would be surprised at the savoury dishes you can whip up with a can of Carnation milk! You can cook mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, butter chicken, potato soup, baked fish, and lots of other breakfast, lunch and dinner options you never thought possible. And with a 330ml can just…
