Yam Rice

YAM RICE RECIPE (芋头饭)

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. yam/taro (cut into small pieces)
3-1/2 cup rice (MEASURED USING THE SMALLER RICE CUP THAT COMES WITH THE ELECTRIC RICE COOKER)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
2 shallots (finely chopped)
2 1/2 tablespoons dried shrimp (soaked in warm water, drained and roughly chopped)
10 oz. ground pork or chicken meat (minced)
2 cups water (using a REGULAR MEASUREMENT CUP to measure the water)
5 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in warm water, drained and cut into thin slices)
4 tablespoons cooking oil
Fried shallot crisps (for garnishing)
1 scallion (cut into small rounds, for garnishing)

SEASONINGS:

2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 dashes white pepper powder
1 teaspoon sesame oil

METHOD:

Measure the rice using the small rice cooker cup (comes with electric rice cooker). Transfer the rice into your rice cooker and wash and rinse it with water like you are cooking regular steamed rice. Drain the water dry and set aside.

Heat up a wok and add cooking oil. Stir-fry the shallots and garlic until aromatic. Add pork (or chicken), mushrooms and dried shrimp and stir-fry until the meat changes color. Use the spatula to break the ground pork or chicken so they form into small lumps. Add water into the wok and follow by the yam pieces. Add all seasonings and bring it to boil. Add rice into the wok and do a few quick stirs. Transfer everything into the rice cooker and cook it like you are cooking steamed rice.

When the rice is cooked, use the rice scoop to stir the yam rice and loosen it up. Serve immediately with some fried shallot crisps and chopped scallions.

VIETNAMESE BBQ SHRIMP VERMICELLI RECIPE (BUN TOM HEO NUONG)

VIETNAMESE BBQ SHRIMP VERMICELLI RECIPE (BUN TOM HEO NUONG) 

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz rice sticks
12 medium-sized shrimp, shelled (but leave tail intact) and deveined
3 lettuce leaves, thinly cut
1/2 small cucumber, cut into thin strips
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips
Some cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Some mint leaves, coarsely chopped
Some perilla leaves, coarsely chopped (optional)
Some Thai basil leaves, coarsely chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, coarsely ground

BBQ SHRIMP MARINADE:

1 teaspoon fish sauce
3 heavy dashes black pepper powder
A pinch of turmeric powder

METHOD:

Cook the rice sticks according to the package instructions. Rinse with cold water thoroughly after cooking, drain in a colander and set aside.

Marinate the shrimp with all the ingredients in the BBQ Shrimp Marinade for 30 minutes. Prepare and cut all the vegetables and herbs.

Fire up your BBQ pit and grill the shrimp until they are properly cooked. Divide the rice sticks, vegetables and herbs into 3 portions and transfer them into 3 bowls. (The rice sticks should sit on top of the vegetables and herbs). Transfer 4 shrimps into each serving, sprinkle some ground peanuts, and pour some nuoc cham (fish sauce) into the noodles. Serve immediately.

NUOC CHAM (FISH SAUCE OR VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE) RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon sugar (if you like it sweeter)
3 tablespoon lime juice

METHOD:

Add fish sauce, water, sugar and lime juice in a small bowl and mix well. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.

COOK’S NOTES:

1. To jazz up the taste, add some garlic chili sauce and mix well with the fish sauce (nuoc cham) before serving.
2. For the nuoc cham recipe, different brand of fish sauce tastes differently, so adjust the sugar, warm water level to your liking. If it’s too salty or strong for your taste, add more water and sugar.
3. For fish sauce, I recommend 3  Crabs brand Fish Sauce.

Mee Siam (Spicy Rice Vermicelli) Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz vermicelli (rice sticks)
12 oz bean sprouts
12 shrimps (shelled and deveined)
4 oz chicken (cut into thin strips)
3 pieces fried bean curd/firm tofu (cut into pieces)
3 stalks Chinese chives (chopped into 1-inch length)
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
Soy sauce or fish sauce to taste
3 tablespoons oil

SPICE PASTE:

4 red chilies
5 shallots
5 garlic
2 tablespoons taucheo (fermented yellow bean sauce)

GARNISH:

2 eggs (lightly beaten, seasoned with a pinch of salt)
2 stalks scallions (chopped into 1/2-inch length)
2 limes (cut into wedges)
1 red chili (thinly sliced)

METHOD:

Soak the vermicelli in warm water for about 30 minutes or until they turn soft. Drain and set aside. Using a food processor, grind the spice paste and set aside. Heat up a wok with some oil and make the beaten eggs into an omelet. Fold and slice the omelet thinly. Set aside.

Heat up the wok and add 3 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is heated. fry the spice paste until aromatic and the oil separates. Add shrimps and chicken, stir-frying until half done, then add the fried tofu pieces.

Add the vermicelli and keep stirring until the the spice paste has spread evenly. Add sugar and salt to taste, follow by bean sprouts and chives. Continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt or sugar to taste. If the noodles taste bland, add a little soy sauce / fish sauce to taste.

Transfer the Mee Siam onto a big serving bowl and garnish with the omelet strips, chopped scallions, chili and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Steamed Asari (Manila) Clams with Sake

Recipe: Steamed Asari (Manila) Clams with Sake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. asari/manila clams
1/3 stick unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup cooking sake
1/4 cup mirin
salt to taste
Chopped scallion (the green part only)

Method:

Clean the clams thoroughly and set aside. Heat up a saucepan on medium heat and add the butter. As soon as the butter melts, transfer the clams into the pan and do a few quick stirs. Add the water, sake, and mirin into the clams and cover the pan with its lid. Turn the heat to high and bring the clams to boil. As soon as all the clams are open, add in salt to taste. Dish out into a bowl, garnish with the chopped scallion, and serve immediately.