All Foods White and Tempting!

When we think of the color white, we think of weddings, fragrant paper white blossoms of lilies, and white icing on cakes. In western cultures the color White is associated with purity, goodness, and innocence. However, in Asian cultures white is more often associated with the more somber aspects of life. When it comes to food, however, these cultural associations rarely apply. White food like milk, rice, and flour are bland and thus sugar and other seasonings are added to create different tastes and flavors to fit the mood of the occasion. I thought it would be fun to showcase some of the recipes in MzTasty's Kitchen using a new theme: by color. This compilation features a selection of sweets and snacks to whet one's appetite. (Mouseover picture to view recipe).

Shanghai Noodles Soup in Brown Meat Sauce

When I have a craving for noodles, I usually cook a bowl of this Shanghainese noodle soup. It is a simple dish of meat and pickled mustard greens in brown sauce. I had this many years ago at a friend's house and I remembered how she would make her own noodles and spend hours washing the fresh mustard greens and pickle them in salt. Nowadays, you can easily purchase these plastic wrapped pickled mustard greens in Chinese supermarkets. I loved mine served with sambal belachan, a spicy hot chili sauce with shrimp paste) on the side.
Ingredients:
1 lb Shanghai noodles (or fresh or packaged Udon noodles)
½ lb lean grounded pork, or beef
2 (12 oz.) pickled fresh mustard greens (washed and drained well)
2 slices of ginger, minced
5 cups low salt chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
2 eggs, beaten (for garnishing)
Fried minced garlic (optional)
Sauce:
1 Tbsp. dark black soy sauce
1 Tbsp. dark sweet sauce
2 tsp. soy paste
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. light soy sauce
2 tsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
3 tsp. cornstarch
Method:
1. Mixed the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat some oil in a pan pour half of the egg mixture to form a thin omelet. Flip over and brown both sides of omelette. Remove and cook the rest of the egg mixture to make 2 omelettes. When cooled enough to handle, roll omelettes and cut into thin strips.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan and fry ginger until fragrant but not brown. Fry the mustard greens for about 10 minutes until fragrant. Add the grounded pork and fry until pork is no longer pink and cooked evenly, then add in the sauce ingredients, followed by the 4 cups of the broth. Stir to mix well and turn heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until greens are soft and sauce has thickened slightly. Add more broth to the mixture if you like it more soupy. Adjust seasonings to your taste.
3. Divide noodles into individual bowls and pour meat sauce gravy on top. Garnish with egg strips and fried garlic.
Printable Recipe

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Satay or "Sate" was originated from Java, Indonesia. It is also popular in other Southeast Asian countries: Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. It is an authentic and a popular dish consisting of richly spiced meat (chicken, pork, beef) on bamboo skewers. The meat is grilled over a wood or charcoal fire and served with a spicy peanut sauce, onions, cucumbers and ketupat (pressed rice cubes.) When I was a kid growing up in Malaysia, my friends and I would wait anxiously for our regular satay vendor. On his shoulder he had a long wooden stick to carry two hugh rattan baskets--a hot charcoal stove on one, and the other basket his famous satay. We would squat near his hot stove and watched hungrily while he cooked our satay. Hmmm..it was the best Satay I've tasted!

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs chicken thigh meat
2 stalks lemon grass, crushed
bamboo skewers, soak overnight with a few drops of oil
oil for basting
Seasonings/Marinade:

3 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. cinnamon powder
5-6 shallots, diced finely

2 tsp. coriander powder

2 tsp. tumeric powder
1-2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsps. oil

1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Peanut Sauce:

300 gms raw skinless peanuts, roasted
2 Tbsp. coriander powder
2 tsp. turmeric powder

2 tsp. ginger powder

2 tsp. galangal powder
2 tsp. cumin powder
1 onion, cut in chunks
3 cloves garlic
2 stalks lemon grass, grind finely

4 Tbsp. chilli paste

½ cup brown sugar
½ cup tamarind paste (or 3-4 Tbsp. tamarind, mix with water to get about ½ cup)

3 Tbsp. oil

Method:

1. Cut meat into 1-inch strips, drain and set aside. In a bowl mix the seasoning ingredients together to form a smooth paste. Taste and test the marinade--it should be spicy, salty and sweet, adjust to your taste. Add more chili if you want a spicier satay. Marinate the meat well with this mixture at least 4 hours or overnight. Pierce meat on bamboo skewers. Set aside in refrigerator while you prepare the dipping sauce.

2. To make peanut sauce: In a pan on medium heat, pan roast raw peanuts till golden brown. Cool, and grind peanuts to resembles like breadcrumbs. Set aside.

3. Mix all the spices, brown sugar and chilli to a paste. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil and fry mixture until fragrant until a thin layer of oil forms on top of mixture. Lower heat and add tamarind juice and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Add sugar and 3/4 of the peanuts. If mixture is too thick, add a little more tamarind juce and a little more sugar if you like it sweeter. The taste should be spicy hot with a balance of sweet and sour taste.

4. Prepare charcoals for grilling. Grill meat over burning coal, constantly basting with cooking oil over the meat using the crushed lemon grass as a brush. Turn chicken over and baste with oil. Grilled till cooked on both sides.

5. To serve, arrange a few sticks of satay on a plate, accompanied with peanut sauce, sliced cucumber, onions, and compressed rice (ketupat)
Printable Recipe

White Chocolate Tart

White Chocolate--what's there not to love about this exquisite ingredient? It's rich and full of flavor. This delicate and decadent tart is simply delicious for any occasion. Who can resist a slice?
Ingredients:
1 pack frozen short crust pastry, thawed
1 egg white, beaten
Tart pan(s) with removable bottom
aluminum foil
pastry weights or beans
Filling:
200 gm. white baking chocolate
450 gm. mascarpone cheese
5/8 cup whipping cream (150 ml)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Roll out pastry crust to about 1-inch thick, and carefully place onto tart pan. Trim excess pastry. Line pastry surface with aluminum foil and spread pastry weights on top.
3. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes until slightly brown. Remove paper weights and brush over the pastry and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven set aside to cool.
4. To make the filling, break chocolate into small chunks. Place chocolate and half of the mascarpone cheese in a metal bowl over a pot of water simmering on medium low heat. Be sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon until it is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
5. Pour the remaining mascarpone into the chocolate mixture. Beat with an electric beater on low speed until smooth. Fold and mix in the whipping cream.
6. Spoon mixture into the baked pastry shell. Chill for 5-6 hours until sets. Serve with fresh fruits if preferred.

Printable Recipe

Kheer

Kheer is Indian for rice pudding and is quite similar to the western rice pudding. It is a traditional Indian dessert made with rice, sugar and cream. It is often flavored with cardamon and other delicate spices. This creamy rice pudding makes a great dessert served either warm or chilled.
Ingredients:
½ cup Basmati rice
4¼ cups of milk
4 cardamons, crushed
4 Tbsp. sugar
some chopped nuts for garnishing
some raisins (optional)
Method:
1. Wash and drain rice well. Bring milk, rice and spices to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer until rice becomes soft and translucent like porridge. Stir occasionally to prevent rice sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add more water or milk if mixture is too dry.
2. Add sugar and raisins (if used). Stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove cardamons before serving. Serve warm and sprinkle chopped nuts on top.
Printable Recipes

White HoneyComb Cake/Pak Tong Gou

"Pak Tong Gou" is basically White Sugar Cake in Cantonese. It is a popular and classic street food in Malaysia. It is a steamed white spongy cake that is springy and the texture resembles a honeycomb when sliced. This is one of the many simple joys of my favorite childhood snack.
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2¼ cups rice flour
2 cups water
2 stalks of pandan leaves, knotted
1 tsp. pandan essense (if pandan leaves not available)
1½ tsp. instant yeast
2 Tbsp. lukewarm water
1 Tbsp. oil
A greased pan
Method:
1. Add rice flour into a mixing bowl, stir in half of the water and mix well.
2. Add sugar, pandan leaves or pandan essense and rest of water. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Remove from stove and let it sit to cool down slightly. Pour into the flour mixture and stir with well until a thick, gooey texture is achieved. Strain through a sieve and set aside.
3. Prepare yeast by adding water into a small bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Let it sit undisturbed for about two minutes, then stir to dissolve the yeast. Set aside until the mixture becomes frothy. Note: If it does not bubble after five minutes, the yeast is no good as the water is either too hot or too cold. Discard and do it again.
4. Add the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir well to mix. Cover with a clean towel and keep in a warm place to allow the mixture to ferment between 5-8 hours. The mixture should be double in volumne and bubbly on the surface.
5. Add oil to the mixture and stir well. Pour into prepared tray and steam over high heat for 20-25 minutes. Allow cake to cook before slicing.
Printable Recipe

Indian Flatbread with Potato/Aloo Naan

Naan is a popular leavened flat bread that is served by itself or with any curry sauce. The word, "Aloo" is potato and Aloo Naan is basically bread stuffed with potatoes and spices. It is easy to make at home and you can freeze them for up to a month.
Ingredients:
(Adapted by manjulaskitchen.com)
Potato Filling:
3 medium potatoes, peeled
1 chopped green pepper, seeds removed
1 tsp. cumin powder
½ tsp. mango powder (amchur)
1 tsp. garam masala
½ tsp. chili powder
½ cup cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2½ Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. plain yogurt
¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ cups lukewarm water
Others
¼ cup flour for rolling and dusting
2 tsp. ghee or clarified butter
some oil
a baking or pizza stone for baking
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 500°F with the baking stone on the middle shelf.
2. Add two tablespoon of lukewarm water into a small bowl and sprinkle dry yeast on top. Let it sit undisturbed for about two minutes, then stir to dissolve the yeast. Set aside until the mixture becomes frothy. Note: If it does not bubble after five minutes, the yeast is no good as the water is either too hot or too cold. Discard and do it again.
3. In a mixing bowl add sugar, salt, and baking soda to the flour and stir to mix well. Add oil and yogurt and mix to a crumbly dough (the mixture tends to be sticky). Add in the prepared yeast and water (only as needed to form the dough)
4. Knead the dough with your fingers until smooth in texture. Cover with a warm towel and keep in a warm place for 3-4 hours. The dough should double in size and volume.
5. Cut potatoes in halves and steamed them until they are tender and cooked. Remove and let it cool in a bowl. Once potatoes have cooled down, mash it to a fine texture without lumps. Add the rest of the fillings ingredients and season to taste.
6. Gently dust the rolling pin and counter top. Knead the dough for about two minutes and divide the dough into six portions. Divide the fillings into six smaller portions.
7. Roll the dough into a circle and place the potato filling ball in the center. Pull the edges of the dough to wrap the potato filling, pinching the edges to seal. Do the same to the rest of the dough and fillings. Set aside for about 3-4 minutes. Lightly dust one ball and roll it flat to a 5-inch circle. Do the same for the rest of the balls.
8. Turn oven to a high broil. Before putting the bread into the oven, oil the palms of your hands and flip naan between your palms to oil both sides of the bread. Place naan on the baking stone (2-3 at a time depending on the size of the baking stone) Bake for 2-3 minutes until the naan is puffy and golden in color. Remove and brush with ghee or clarified butter. Let the oven heat for another 3 minutes before baking the rest of the bread.
Printable Recipe
Cook's Note: Be sure to check the expiration date on the yeast packet as dead yeast will not activate or bubble. The temperature of the water is also important for the yeast to activate. It should be lukewarm (between 110°-115°F), when tested with a thermometer. The water should be just warm to touch, like the temperature you would prepare a baby bottle.