Black Pepper Chicken with Bell Peppers

A very appetising dish which will have you reaching out for more rice. Make an accompaniment of clear vegetable soup to wash down the heat from the black pepper.

 

Black Pepper Chicken with Bell Peppers
Flower: Hibiscus rosa sinensis

Black Pepper Chicken with Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

400 g chicken fillet - Cut into bite-size pieces

1 each of Red, Yellow, or Green Bell Peppers - dice
1 large onion - sliced into six segments

1 stalk spring onions - cut into 1-inch lengths
3 cloves garlic - mince
1 tbsp black pepper or more as desired
2 tblsp oil

Combine:
1 tblsp light soy sauce
1 tblsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn flour
1 tbsp water

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil and when smoking, add garlic and fry until aromatic and slightly brown. Note that at this stage, garlic can burn easily.
2. Add chicken and black pepper. Stir for 2 minutes under high heat until just cooked or when meat change from translucent to white.
3. Add bell peppers and fry for another 2 minutes.

4. Combine soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, cornflour with water in a small bowl. Pour mixture over the whole ensemble. Add salt to taste.
5. Add sliced onion, continue to stir fry until gravy thickens and become sticky.
5. Toss in spring onions, stir fry briskly and dish out.

Remarks:


If you wish for a more spicy version, simply just add more black pepper.

Char Koay Teow

Char Koay Teow is a dish of Fried Flat Rice Noodles with Prawns and Cockles. It is one of Malaysia's iconic dishes and is extremely popular with the locals.

Char Koay Teow

Ingredients:

• 80g koay teow (fresh flat rice noodles)
• 2 tblsp cooking oil 
• 5 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1/2 kg cockles
• 12 prawns, shelled and de-veined but with tail left on
• 20g chives - chopped into 1 inch lengths
• 30g bean sprouts
• 2 egg  per serving
• 2tblsp chilli paste* 

Sauce

•  1 tblsp light soy sauce
•  1 tblsp dark soy sauce (a sweet and thick soy sauce)
•  1 tblsp fish sauce (nam pla)
•  1 tblsp oyster sauce
•  1 tsp toasted shrimp paste (belacan)
• pepper and sugar to taste

Preparation:

1. Prepare the noodles; place in colander and wash off excess oil, then drain off water. Allow to air-dry for a while.
2. Wash and scrub cockles clean, then place in a deep bowl. Pour boiling water over it. Leave for 10 mins before scrapping the meat off with a teaspoon. Any excess grit can be removed in the process.
3. Make the sauce in a bowl by combining light and dark soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, shrimp paste, sugar and pepper. 
4. Heat wok, add a little oil. Add noodles and stir quickly. Push to one side of the wok.
5. Fry chopped garlic until fragrant then add chilli paste and sauce.
6. Add prawns and stir fry briskly.
7. Push the noodles over it and combine.
8. Stir-fry well under high heat. Make a  hole in the centre of the mixture and break the eggs into the wok. Scramble it well before adding the cockles.
9. Toss in chives and bean sprouts. Give it a quick stir to combine.
10. Dish out onto a plate and shake pepper over it.  

Remarks
Makes about 2-3 servings. Sliced fish cake, squids and sliced Chinese sausages can be added. If banana leaves are available, serve the noodles over it to enhance its flavour.

Some Char Koay Teow connoisseurs like to add a squeeze of lime to this dish for added zest. The flower is Heliconia rostrata aka Hanging Lobster Claw.

chilli paste* - Grind dry fresh chillies and garlic into a paste. Keep aside and use whenever required

Cauliflower-Leek-Potato Soup

This hearty and flavourful soup is simply delicious.  A dash of chilli flakes help to perk it up. For enhanced flavour, top it off with a swirl of melted butter. Garnish with split chilli and finely sliced saw-edged coriander or parsley. Flower: Tecoma stans.

Cauliflower-Leek-Potato Soup 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion - sliced
• 1 head garlic - sliced 
• 1 large potato - peeled and diced
• 2 stalks leek - chopped
• 1 head of cauliflower - chopped
• 5 cups chicken broth
  
• 1/2 cup milk or light cream
• 1 tsp chilli flakes or 1 bird's eye chilli - sliced
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Garnish: 2 stalks saw-edged coriander or parsley - sliced

 

Preparation:

1. Heat the butter in a large saucepan.
2. Add the onions and garlic, fry till aromatic, then add potatoes.  Cook, stirring frequently for a few minutes before adding 2 cups chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Uncover, add leek and cauliflower. Continue simmering for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the milk, chilli and pepper.
5. Puree the mixture in blender or use hand-held blender. 
6. Return the puréed soup to saucepan and add the remaining 3 cups chicken broth. Bring to boil.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Garnish with saw-edged coriander or parsley.

Remarks

If no chicken broth is available, dissolve 1 cube chicken stock in 5 cups water. Alternately, anchovy cubes can be added. For vegetarians, vegetable broth can be substituted. Add more water or broth if a thinner soup is desired. Serve with butter-cheese toasts.

Makes about 10-12 bowls.

Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms & Garlic

This is a simple dish which can be whipped up in a jiffy. The harried working person can look forward to a wholesome meal at the end of the day without going through the hassle of heavy cooking. It is almost oil free (only a few drops of sesame oil) and so is absolutely dieter-friendly. The health benefits of this dish is boosted greatly with the liberal use of garlic and mushrooms, both of which are packed full of anti-oxidants.

Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms & Garlic
(Flowers: Podranea Ricasoliana)

Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms & Garlic

Ingredients:

400 g chicken drumsticks or fillet

12 pcs dried Shitake mushroom

6 cloves garlic

2 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sugar
1 tsp corn flour

1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tblsp water (from soaking the mushroom)
A sprinkle of chilli flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Mushroom and sliced garlic

Preparation:

1.  Rinse the dried Shitake mushrooms by pouring boiling water over it several times. Soak it for 15 minutes or until mushroom is soft.  Trim off the stalks and slice each softened mushroom into three sections. Keep aside the stalks for other uses. 

2. Slice or mince the garlic. 

3. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. 

Chicken fillet is used here

Place into a heat-resistant ceramic bowl for steaming.

4. Cover the chicken with sliced mushrooms and garlic.

The dish just before steaming

5. Combine soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, salt and pepper with water in a small bowl. Pour mixture over the whole ensemble.

6. When the water in the steamer is boiling, put in the bowl and steam for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked.


Remarks:

Simply yummy when served with hot, fluffy white rice. Add a side of stir-fried leafy vegetables together with any clear soup and you are done for a hearty meal.

Note:  Mushroom stalks can be used for preparation of stock or added to soup for added flavour.