Foodarrific

If it’s the one thing we hardly ever eat, it’s Ipoh kuay teow soup which my kids have never even tasted until lately. One day, we were at a coffee shop and DH ordered this for the girls. They had no idea what it was when they mentioned it so I told them it’s just kuay teow soup. After one bowl, they were hooked.

Now the girls will be looking for this on the menu whenever we’re at a kopitiam (new-fangled coffee shop) ! See, we don’t even need to take out an Outer Banks vacation rental to make them happy, we’ll just take them to eat this. I’m not quite sure what the big deal is because it’s certainly not one of my favorites .

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I honestly can’t remember where I had this bowl of fish head noodle. Maybe it’s near the place where I get cheap auto insurance. Suffice to say, I’ve been ordering fish head noodle everywhere I can find it.

The noodle is topped with large chunks of fried fish fillet and tomatoes with preserved veggies and the soup is milk-based giving the dish a sweet, sour and saltish flavor.

Kinda different, huh? That’s why I like it. Not many places serve it though so when I find it, I pretty much go nuts ! Wonder if I can homecook it and still have it taste as good.

Filed under: AsianRice & NoodlesStreet Food by chili queen - No Comments →

I happened to be parked near a roadside stall and the wonderful aroma of fritters deep-frying in a gigantic wok that came wafting into my car made me jump out and grab a bunch of these jackfruit (nangka) fritters.

Got a bunch of banana fritters too while I was at it .

I’m crazy about these crispy deep-fried goodies but I hardly ever buy them because they’re oily and I’ll probably need weight loss supplements when I’m done eating. But hey, it’s not very often so it’s okay to indulge myself.

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On weekends, when everyone is home, I try to cook something that everyone likes. One of our favorite hawker food is fried kuay teow, or fried flat rice noodle, which is pretty easy to whip up at home. I fried this and couldn’t wait to gobble it up.

All you need are these fresh ingredients which you can adjust according to number of people you’re feeding:

• kuay teow, or flat rice noodle (I use 1 kg for two meals for 5 people)
• fresh medium or large shrimps, shelled and deveined
• nga choy, or bean sprouts
• gow choy, or chives, cut into 2″ lengths (discard the heads)
• cooking oil
• thick dark soy sauce
• light soy sauce
• chili paste
• eggs
• salt to taste

I first heat up my wok with a generous drizzle of cooking oil. I usually fry one portion (for one person) at a time. You need to keep your wok on high heat and you need to work fast. So don’t get distracted now .

First I throw in a handful of shrimps followed by a couple handfuls of noodles, or kuay teow, and drizzle over some dark soy sauce (just enough to give it some color) and add a splash of water. I’m frying, frying, keep that hand moving, woo-oo!

Then I throw in a handful of bean sprouts, chives and a spoonful (or however many) of chili paste and I keep right on frying as I crack an egg and drizzle some light soy sauce into the mix.

And we’re done. So simple. We like our fried kuay teow pretty basic without clams, Chinese sausages or fish paste slices but you can go ahead and add those if you like.

Homemade hawker-style fried kuay teow is just as tasty and much cleaner and healthier. If you’re eat this a lot outside, don’t forget to some colon cleanse reviews as the hawker fried kuay teow is usually fried with lard .

Filed under: AsianHealthy EatingOne-dish MealsRecipesRice & NoodlesSpicyStreet Food by chili queen - 2 Comments →

Many years, when I worked in the city, my colleagues and I would drive out for lunch to Ampang which is famous for their yeong tow foo, or stuffed tofu. Well, that was years ago and although Ampang Yong Tow Foo franchises and copycats have sprung up everywhere, I haven’t eaten any in a long time.

Recently I bought fresh yeong tow foo at the market. They are fresh and sold loose so I get to make my own selection. They’re usually sold at the grocery stores in prepacked trays but they cost a bit more and you don’t get to pick what you want.

I bought lots of different shaped fishballs at the market the other day. The big fried ones and the white comma-shaped ones are a hit with my kids. I only bought 3 stuffed chillies for myself .

The long dark brown ones are foo pay, or soy sheets wrapped around fish and meat paste. I like those too. And of course, I must have my hot chilly dipping sauce. We typically eat yeong tow foo on its own without rice or noodles, so this is absolutely a no-carb meal!

You might not find me driving into town to buy a Sony Vaio but I might for a taste of yong tow foo once in a while. In this case, I don’t even have to drive into the city, I can have them in the comfort of home.

If you have time, you can actually make your own fish paste at home for fish balls and to stuff the soy pockets yourself. Yeong tow foo is great for parties and potlucks because everyone loves ‘em, kids and adults. Just be sure you have different dipping sauces for kids (tomato sauce) and adults (chilly sauce).

Filed under: AsianHealthy EatingKid-friendlyLunchbox IdeasNo Cooking RequiredSeafoodStreet FoodTofuVegetables by chili queen - No Comments →