Year of the snake
- Pulsamai Bluberg
- Feb 5
- 28 min read
Snake is my zodiac sign so the turn of this lunar new year on January 29th was somewhat significant to me. The 12-year Chinese zodiac calendar cycle is represented by 12 different animals, in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The Year of the Snake in 2025 is a Wood Snake year. The wood element is said to symbolize returning to one's true nature in Daoism, becoming more polished in Confucianism, and letting go for growth in Buddhism.
* Illustration designed by Freepik
Since it is my year of snake, the year of learning new thing and try some new recipes.
I gathered the recipes of all my favorite asian foods from China, Korea, Vietnam and Thailand( except Churros from Spain).
1. Chinese Prosperity Cake Fa Gao (新年發糕)
I grew up having these steam rice cakes. I searched for different Fagao recipes and this is the one I want to try from the wok of life website
Ingredients
1 cup short grain white rice(anything labeled “sushi rice” will work)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar or brown sugar (plus 1/3 cup/70g)
1/2 cup tepid water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
vegetable oil for brushing
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
goji berries and golden raisins (for topping, optional)
Instructions
Add the rice to a medium bowl, and cover it with 2 inches/5cm of water. Cover the bowl with an overturned plate and let the rice soak overnight.
Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in the tepid water, and let it sit for 15 minutes until foamy.
Drain the rice, and add it to a high-powered blender along with the yeast mixture. Blend until smooth. Then add in the flour and remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Blend again until well incorporated and mixture resembles thin pancake batter. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Cover with an overturned plate and let the mixture ferment in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it doubles in volume. (I placed mine in a closed microwave with a large mug of boiling water next to it.)
Brush your steaming vessels (small tea cups, tart tins, or a muffin tin) with a light coating of oil. The rice mixture will look a bit bubbly and puffy. Fold in the salt, baking powder, and red food coloring (if using). Mix well to combine. Fill each oiled steaming vessel about 70% – 80% full, and top with the dried goji berries and raisins (if using). Set aside to rest while you heat up the water in the steamer (this short resting period will help ensure a better rise).
Fill your steamer with at least 3 inches/7.5 cm of water. (See our post on how to set up a steamer.) Heat over medium-high heat until the water is boiling.
When the water in the steamer is at a full boil, transfer the cakes to the steamer. Cover, and steam over high heat for 25 minutes. Do not open the lid during steaming. After 25 minutes, turn off the heat and let the cakes rest in the steamer for 5 minutes with the cover still on.
Tips & Notes:
Enjoy the cakes warm. Store any leftover cakes in an airtight container to keep them from drying out. Refrigerate or freeze, and steam to reheat.
Most of the prep time is inactive (rice soaking time, and 2 hours’ fermentation time).
Recipe makes 6 to 8 cakes.
This is another recipe of Fa Goa on YouTube that I want to try.
2. Chinese steamed cake, Ma Lai Gao (马来糕)
from The Wok of Life
Ingredients
3 large eggsat room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil (60 ml)
¾ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar (120 g)
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract (8 ml)
⅓ cup evaporated milk (80 ml, at room temp)
1½ tablespoons vanilla pudding mix / custard powder (18 g - we used Bird’s Custard Powder)
1 cup cake flour (120 g)
⅛ teaspoon salt (1 g)
3½ teaspoons baking powder (14 g)
1 teaspoon softened butter or vegetable shortening for greasing cake pan, if using (5 g)
A dusting of all purpose flour for cake pan if using
Instructions
Add 3 large eggs, ¼ cup vegetable oil, and ¾ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer, and beat on high for 5 minutes until well-combined and fluffy.
Scrape the bottom of the bowl and add 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅓ cup evaporated milk, and 1½ tablespoons custard powder. Beat for 1 minute.
Sift 1 cup cake flour, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and 3½ teaspoons baking powder. Fold into the batter gently until incorporated. Try to break up any large lumps, but don’t overwork the batter––some smaller lumps are okay!
Let the batter sit for 30 minutes. The dry ingredients absorb, and the baking powder has a chance to do its thing. While the batter is resting, line a 9 inch bamboo steamer basket with parchment paper. You can also use a 9 inch cake pan greased with vegetable shortening or butter and lightly coated with all-purpose flour. Lightly buttering and flouring the metal cake pan is important step, even if it is non-stick!
Gently stir the batter again in a folding motion—just enough to ensure the batter is mixed uniformly, but not too much since air pockets have already started to form in the batter. You will also see that the batter has thickened and most lumps have disappeared.
Pour the batter into the bamboo steamer basket lined with parchment paper or your prepared cake pan. Let the batter sit and settle for another 10 minutes while you heat up your steamer.
Place the Ma Lai Go into your steamer setup of choice, and steam on medium high heat for 30 minutes if using a bamboo steamer, and 35 minutes if using a metal cake pan. To find out if the cake is done, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it come out clean, then it’s done. Transfer to a baking rack and slice once cooled slightly.
3. Osmanthus Jelly 桂花糕 (guì huā gāo)
from Greedy Girl Gourmet
Ingredients
Making jelly with 1 litre of water
0.35 oz Osmanthus Tea Leaves (10g)
0.7 oz Wolfberries Also known as goji berries. This is 20g. You can use more if you like, but don't go over 40g or the jelly will be too fibrous.
Konnyaku powder Substitute: agar agar or gelatine (not vegan.) Amount as per back of your packet. If the amount of water required is not 1 litre, please adjust the rest of the ingredients accordingly. For example, if your packet only requires 500ml, please halve the rest of the ingredients used.)
4 Cups water 1 litre. Please see above.
5.3 oz granulated white sugar (150g, optional- only add if your konnyaku jelly packet does not already include sugar. Substitutes: Osmanthus syrup/ osmanthus sugar/ rock sugar/ a neutral honey
Instructions
Rinse the woflberries then soak them in a bowl of hot water.
Remove any hard and dark bits (leaves/ twigs) from the osmanthus flowers.
Heat 1 litre of water in a pot. Whilst the water is heating, you may want to rinse the osmanthus flowers in a sieve. (This is an optional step as it removes dust but the wet flowers are difficult to get off the sieve!) When the water is almost boiling, add all the osmanthus flowers to the water. Let the osmanthus tea simmer for 5 minutes.
Whilst the pot is simmering, mix the white sugar and konynyaku powder thoroughly. (Skip this step if using honey or rock sugar.)
After 5 minutes, quickly add the konnyaku powder- sugar mixture (from the previous step) to the pot whilst whisking continuously. Bring the pot back to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Whisk continuously and simmer for 3-4 minutes to get rid of any lumps. (This ensures that the jelly does not turn back into water after setting and that you don't have a lumpy jelly.)
After the 3-4 minutes, add the goji berries. Do not pour the soaking water into the pot or it will affect the setting of the jelly- you can keep it for tea, stews or soups. Continue to simmer for 3 minutes.
Pour the jelly into molds and allow to cool. Stir with a toothpick to ensure that the tea and wolfberries are dispersed evenly througout the jelly. When not too hot (you don't want to raise the temperature of your fridge), transfer to fridge to set for at least 3 hours (I usually leave it overnight)
Alternatively: if you don't have fancy molds, just pour the jelly into a wide and shallow heat-proof container to set, then cut with a sharp knife or cookie cutters
4. Japchae, Korean Noodles (잡채)
From Recipe Tin Eats site
Ingredients
Beef option:
600g/1.2lb bone-in beef short ribs RECOMMENDED (300g/10oz boneless)
300g/10 oz boneless beef short ribs RECOMMENDED
300g/10oz scotch fillet / boneless rib eye or other steak, recommend tenderising
Beef marinade:
2 tsp soy sauce , all-purpose or light soy (Note 2)
2 tsp white sugar
2 tsp finely minced garlic
0.5 tsp black pepper
Noodle dressing:
0.25 cup soy sauce , all-purpose or light soy
2 tsp white sugar
0.5 tsp finely minced garlic
1.5 tbsp sesame oil
0.5 tsp cooking/kosher salt
0.5 tsp black pepper
Noodles & vegetables:
250g/ 8oz sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon), dried
4 tbsp vegetable oil (or other plain oil)
1 tsp cooking/kosher salt , divided
1 onion , peeled, halved, sliced into 6mm/1/4″ wedges
3 green onion stems , cut into 5cm / 2″ lengths, white & green parts separated
200g/7oz fresh shiitake mushrooms , stem removed, cut into 5mm/1/5″ slices
2 carrots , peeled, cut into 3mm / 1/8" batons
1 red capsicum/bell pepper , cut into 0.5cm / 1/5″ slices
280 g baby spinach
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
Instructions
Quick beef marinade:
Cut beef into strips that are ~ 5mm thick, 1cm wide and about 5cm long (1/5" x 2/5" x 2"). If using shortribs, trim excess fat, cut the meat off the bone. Then cut each piece in half lengthwise (to form 2 "steaks") then slice into 5mm thick. (See step photos in post or video at 0.11s, Note 6)
Marinate – Put beef in a bowl. Add marinade ingredients, then mix. Set aside marinate while you proceed with recipe, ~15 – 20 minutes is all it needs.
Sauce and noodles:
Sauce – Mix the Sauce ingredients in a very large mixing bowl.
Noodles – Cook sweet potato noodles per packet directions (normally 8 min in boiling water). Drain, briefly rinse under tap water then shake off excess water well. Add noodles into the bowl with the dressing. DO NOT MIX.
Vegetables:
Batch 1 – Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick pan (30cm/12") over high heat. Cook the brown onion, white part of green onion and shiitake mushrooms with 1/2 tsp salt for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, just until starting to soften but not going golden. Pour on top of the noodles – don't mix yet!
Batch 2 – Using the same pan still on high heat, heat 1 tbsp oil then cook the carrot and capsicum for 1 1/2 minutes, constantly stirring. Add spinach, green onion and the final 1/2 tsp salt. Keep cooking for 1 1/2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Transfer into the noodle bowl – still don't mix!
Cook beef – In the same pan, heat the final 1 tbsp of oil still on high heat. Add beef and cook for 1 1/2 minutes until very lightly golden and just cooked through. Add to the noodle bowl. Don't mix!
Mix! Add most of the sesame seeds (reserve some for topping). NOW you can mix! Toss, toss, toss.
Serve – Transfer into a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds. This is meant to be eaten warm, not piping hot.
5. Korean Fried Chicken (양념치킨)
from the kitchn
Ingredients
For the glaze:
10 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons gochujang paste
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
For the fried chicken:
2 to 2 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, preferably large
2 cups cornstarch, divided
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons ground white pepper, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, divided
3 cloves garlic
1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger
3/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
5 cups canola oil, or another high-smoke-point neutral oil
Garnish options: Scallions thinly sliced on a diagonal, toasted sesame seeds
Kimchi ranch and pickled radishes, for serving (optional, recipes below)
Instructions
Make the glaze:
Finely chop 10 garlic cloves (about 1/2 cup). Place the garlic and 1 tablespoon canola oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat (this allows the garlic to infuse to the oil as it heats up). Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden-brown, 3 to 6 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1/4 cup rice vinegar. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and whisk until the cornstarch is suspended.
Add the cornstarch slurry to the simmering sauce and cook, whisking often, until bubbling and thickened. Turn off the heat. Add 2 tablespoons gochujang and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, and whisk to combine. Transfer to a large bowl.
Make the fried chicken:
Pat 2 to 2 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Cut into rough 2-inch pieces (about 5 per thigh).
Make the dredge: Place 1 cup of the cornstarch, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of the baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the ground white pepper in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Make the batter: Place the remaining 1 cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon ground white pepper in a second medium bowl. Finely grate 3 garlic cloves and 1/2-inch piece peeled ginger into the bowl. Add 3/4 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Whisk until combined.
Heat 5 cups canola oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet over medium heat until 350°F. (Test if it’s hot enough by dropping a bit of the batter into the oil and see if it bubbles immediately, or insert a wooden chopstick and see if bubbles appear.) Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels or fit with a wire rack. Coat as much of the chicken as you can while the oil heats.
Coat the chicken in batches of 8 to 10 pieces: Add to the dredge and toss until evenly coated. Shake off the excess, then add to the batter and toss. Let the excess batter drip off, then return back to the dredge bowl, pressing the cornstarch mixture into the chicken to help create more craggly, crunchy bits. Transfer to a second baking sheet. Rewhisk the batter occasionally as you’re coating the chicken, and add a little water as needed if it starts to get too thick.
Fry the chicken in batches of 8 to 10 pieces: Add one at a time into the hot oil and fry, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and golden-brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon or spider to the wire rack or paper towels. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Toss the chicken in the glaze in batches until evenly coated. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions, and serve with kimchi ranch and pickled radishes if desired.
Another recipe is from Joshua Weissman
Ingredients
Marinade:
2 cups (473ml) buttermilk
1.5 teaspoons (8g) MSG
1 tablespoon (12g) salt
1 tablespoon (9g) white pepper
1 tablespoon (12g) garlic powder
1 tablespoon (9g) smoked paprika
2 lbs (907g) chicken thighs or drumsticks
Flour Dredge:
2.5 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon (2g) dried thyme
1 tablespoon (12g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon (3g) onion powder
2 teaspoons (5g) celery powder
2 tablespoons (18g) smoked paprika
2 teaspoons (10g) MSG
2 tablespoons (23g) kosher salt
Sauce:
1/2 cup (160g) gochujang
6 tablespoons (104g) ketchup
1/4 cup (50g) regular soy sauce
5 tablespoons (160g) brown rice vinegar
1/4 cup (60g) mirin
6 tablespoons (46g) grated palm sugar
8 cloves grated garlic
Sesame seeds for garnish
Thinly sliced green onions for garnish
Korean Fried Chicken (Yangnyeom Chicken):
2 lbs (907g) chicken thighs or drumsticks
1 tablespoon (17g) grated ginger
1 teaspoon (under 1g) finely ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1 cup (165g) corn starch
1/4 teaspoon (under 1g) baking soda
Instructions
Marinade/Flour Dredge:
In a medium bowl, add all ingredients for the marinade minus the chicken. Whisk together until homogenous. In a separate large bowl, add all ingredients for flour dredge and whisk until combined.
Add your chicken to your marinade, making sure that it’s fully submerged; let it sit for at least 5 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.
Fill a heavy bottom pot with vegetable oil and heat to 350F.
Remove chicken from marinade and toss in your seasoned dredge; press the dredge aggressively to the chicken to coat it thoroughly. Once completely coated, place on a baking sheet and repeat with the rest.
In two or three batches, fry your chicken for 5 to 7 minutes each or until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit.
Remove, drain on a wire rack and repeat with the rest of your chicken. Eat while hot and fresh.
Sauce:
In a medium saucepot, add gochujang paste, ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, palm sugar, and whisk until homogenous. Heat that over medium heat until a light simmer and let it reduce for one minute, stirring often.
Immediately remove from the heat and stir in garlic.
Korean Fried Chicken (Yangnyeom Chicken):
In a medium-sized bowl, add chicken ginger, black pepper, generous salt to taste, and toss it together: let it sit for at least 5 min at room temperature or cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to taste.
Fill a heavy bottom pot with vegetable oil and heat to 325F.
Remove chicken from marinade and toss it into your dredge; press the dredge aggressively to the chicken until fully coated. Then shake off the excess; fry the chicken in batches for 5 minutes till just cooked through and a pale golden. Remove and drain on a wire rack.
Increase oil temperature to 375F, and place your chicken back into the fryer for 1 or 2 more minutes or until golden brown and crispy and an internal temperature of 165F.
Place your fried chicken in a bowl and toss it with as much sauce as your desire, making sure all the chicken gets completely coated with the sauce.
Optionally garnish with white toasted sesame seeds and green onion.
6. Baked Cinnamon Mochi donuts
from Bites by Bianca
Ingredients
For The Mochi Donuts:
½ cup (110 g) brown sugar packed; light or dark
2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled; or neutral oil like canola or vegetable
1 tablespoon (13 g) vanilla paste or extract
1 (1) egg room temperature
½ cup (122 g) milk whole, almond, soy, etc.
1 cup (150 g) mochiko
1 tablespoon (8 g) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) table salt or fine sea salt
For Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
½ cup (100 g) sugar
1 tablespoon (8 g) ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
Instructions
For the donuts:
Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Lightly grease donut pan.
In a large bowl, mix together ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and 1 egg until smooth. Mix in ½ cup milk until fully combined.
Add all dry ingredients: 1 cup mochiko, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon table salt. Stir until no dry spots remain.
Transfer the donut batter into a container with a spout, like a large measuring cup. Alternatively, you can use a spoon or ladle. Pour or spoon the batter into each cavity, filling each one a little more than ¾ of the way.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until donut springs back when poked. Cool donuts in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them onto a wire rack.
For the cinnamon sugar topping:
In a medium bowl or plate, mix the ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Using your pastry brush, lightly brush melted butter all over one mochi donut. Then, dip mochi donut in cinnamon sugar, making sure to coat all sides.
7. Mung Bean Cake (綠豆糕)
from China Sichuan Food
Ingredients
250 g yellow mung beans ,unshelled mung beans
40 g butter
50 g vegetable oil
110 g sugar or more if needed ,you can slightly adjust this amount
a small pinch of salt
Coloring
5-8 g matcha powder I use 5g
Instructions
Pre-soak the yellow mung beans overnight. Rinse and dry in the next day.
In a high pressure cooker, add clean water to slightly cover the mung beans and cook with a bean procedure until the beans are soft and easy to smash. Then smash them with a spatula until a smooth and fine mixture. Transfer it to a non-stick pan.
Add pinch of salt, butter and vegetable oil to the mung bean mixture. Heat over medium slow fine and keep stirring in the process. Add sugar when the oil is well absorbed. Keep stirring until they can sticky together easily. Turn off the fire.
Optional for coloring
Divide the dough into two equal portions and then transfer one portion out. Add around 5-8g matcha powder to the another portion and mix well.
Straining and Shaping
Then transfer the mixture to a strain and press them with a spatula. You will see then come out from the small holes. This step can provide a super smooth and fine texture.
Divide the mixture into smaller doughs around 30g to 40g and then wrap 10 filling red bean paste (optional). Shape with a mooncake mould or any other mould you prefer. You need to operate this step when the mixture is not hot but still warm.
Notes
How to keep: wrap with plastic wrap and store in fridge up for 1 week.
You can also use this directly as a mung bean filling for mooncakes.
For vegan readers, you can skip butter and replace it with vegetable cooking oil.
Red Bean Paste
Ingredients
Smashed version
1 cup red beans (azuki bean)
3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tiny pinch of salt
2 tbsp. butter, lard or vegetable oil
Smooth version
1 cup red beans (azuki bean) ,azuki bean ,around 200g
3 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. butter or vegetable oil ,28 to 30g
a tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
Wash the red beans and soak the dried red beans at least 8 hours or overnight. Longer soaking time can shorten the cooking time.
Drain and add around 3 cups of water in a high pressure cooker along with the beans.
Cook the beans for around 40 minutes or until quite soft.
Smashed version
Smash the beans with a hard spatula. Add sugar and heat over slow fire to cook off extra water until form a paste texture. Stir from time to time during the process.
Smooth version
Press the cooked mixture with a spatula through a fine strain to remove the skins to get the smoothest texture. Or if you prefer to keep the skin, transfer all the content to a food processor and blend to a smooth consistency.
Transfer the paste to a pan. Add salt, sugar and butter. Use low fire to simmer the exceeded water out. Keep stirring during the process until the paste can sticky together.
How to store
Transfer to air-tight container, wait for the paste to cool down. Store in fridge.
I also want to try this recipe from Catherine Desserts for Taro Snow Skin Mooncake
8. Bánh Xèo – Crispy & Savory Vietnamese Crêpes
from Hungry Huy
Ingredients
Batter
255 g (1 3/4 c) rice flour
85 g (0.7 c) all-purpose flour
2-3 tsp turmeric
28 fl oz (3.5 c) water
14 fl oz (396.9 ml) coconut cream if unavailable, use coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1 sprig green onions chopped about 1/2" long
Filling
1 lb (453 g) shrimp, heads removed and deveined size 45/50 or 60/70
1.5 lb (680.39 g) pork belly
1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
1.5 lb (680.39 g) bean sprouts
1/2 c dry mung beans optional
Vegetables
1 head mustard greens caỉ xanh
1 bunch mint
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch Vietnamese perilla (tía tô) optional
Dipping sauce
Instructions
Prepare Batter
Combine all batter ingredients except scallions in a large bowl for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Add scallions only right before making the crêpes.
Prepare Fillings
Steam or soak mung beans in water until soft.
Boil pork until cooked through and soft, then slice thinly.
Remove shrimp heads and devein shrimp if desired.
Wash bean sprouts and veggies.
Making Bánh Xèo – Each crêpe takes about 8-10 minutes
On medium-high heat add 1-2 teaspoons of oil and some onions
Immediately add a few pieces of pork and shrimp. Sauté, lightly mixing until very lightly browned and fragrant.
Pour in some batter and quickly tilt & rotate the pan so the batter is evenly spread. Add more batter if it wasn't enough to cover the pan. There should only be a thin layer of batter that almost flakes off at the pan edges where it's thinner. If your batter doesn't do that and is too thick, add a few tbsp water to the batter and mix to thin it out.
Lower the heat to medium. Add some mung beans, bean sprouts, and cover with a lid for about 3 minutes, or until bean sprouts are slightly cooked. The batter should also be slightly cooked and transparent around the edges. This step cooks the top side of the ingredients and batter while it steams since we won't be flipping the crepe.
Remove the lid, lower heat to medium-low and wait for the crêpe to become crisp. This takes about 5-7 minutes. This step lets the ingredients fully cook through, including the batter. It also lets steam escape so the batter can crisp up. Brush on a little oil around the edges if you're not seeing or hearing enough batter to pan contact. Fold in half, transfer to a plate and serve immediately. For batter troubleshooting please see the troubleshooting section in the post above.
Another recipe from Beyond sweet and savory that looks really good too.
9. Vietnamese Grilled Pork Noodle Bowl, Bún Thịt Nướng
Ingredients
Marinated Pork
2 pounds pork butt
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water, hot
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup chopped shallot
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
¼ cup scallions
Noodle Bowl
10 ounces vermicelli noodles
½ head of butter lettuce, shredded
2 Lebanese cucumbers, julienned
1 bunch mint, picked and washed
1 bunch Vietnamese mint, picked and washed
1 bunch Thai basil, picked and washed
1 bunch perilla, picked and washed
4 cups bean sprouts, washed
¼ cup scallion oil
½ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
dipping sauce for serving
Pickled Vegetables
4 ounces carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks ⅛th-inch thick and 2 inches long
4 ounces daikon, peeled, cut into matchsticks ⅛th-inch thick and 2 inches long
1 cup water
½ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup sugar
Dipping Sauce / Nuoc Cham
¼ cup fish sauce
½ cup water
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 red bird's eye chili, thinly sliced
Scallion Oil
½ cup scallion, thinly sliced, green parts only
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pork Marinade
Combine the hot water and sugar in a bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
In a large lidded container, combine the sugar water, fish sauce, vegetable oil, scallion, shallot, and garlic. Mix everything together. Add the pork and toss well to coat.
Cover the container and put the pork in the fridge and let it marinate for 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Pickled Vegetables
To make the pickle liquid, combine water, vinegar, and sugar in a bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
Divide the pickle juice into two bowls. Add carrots and daikon separately in each bowl. Let the vegetables pickle for 2 hours
Dipping Sauce
To make the dipping sauce, combine everything in a bowl and whisk together until combined. Set aside until ready to serve.
Scallion Oil
For the scallion oil, place the oil, salt, and onion in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes or until the oil just starts to simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Noodle Bowl
Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and run under cold water. Drain again and set aside.
Set up the charcoal grill by placing coals on one side and lighting them. Rake the coals to create a flat even bed to create an even steady heat zone.
Once the coals have burned down to about 375-400 degrees F, place the meat over the coals to sear for a minute on each side.
Move the meat to the opposite side, frequently turning for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer the meat to a serving plate. Drizzle scallion oil over pork.
When ready to serve, divide the noodles among serving bowls. Add lettuce, herbs, cucumber, and bean sprouts. Top with pork, pickled vegetables, and roasted peanuts. Drizzle dipping sauce over noodles.
10. Pastry with Mung Bean Paste (Banh Pia, Kanom Pia)
from Scruff & Steph
This dessert is actually the same as my favorite Thai cookies called Kanom Pia.
I just made a healthier version over the weekend. Mine was made from baked sweet purple potatoes dough and filled with slightly sweet mung bean paste.
I will try the dough from this recipe with my version of filling next time.
My version of Kanom Pia
Ingredients
Outer Dough
200 gm plain flour or all purpose flour
70 gm warm water
35 gm caster sugar
45 gm canola / vegetable oil
Inner Dough
150 gm plain flour or all purpose flour
45 gm canola / vegetable oil
Mung Bean Filling
250 gm dried mung beans
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
200 gm sugar
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract / paste
50 gm candied winter melon, chopped into small chunks (available at Asian groceries)
Thickener
1 tsp cornflour
2 tsp glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp water
Egg Wash
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp milk
1 drop yellow food colouring (optional)
Red Markings
red food colouring (optional)
Instructions
The Outer Dough
Put a medium sized mixing bowl on the kitchen scales. Measure and add the dough ingredients one at a time. The weight after adding each ingredient in the order of the recipe is 200 gm, 270 gm, 305 gm and 350 gm.
Use a wooden spoon to combine and then knead with your hands for 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with cling wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
The Inner Dough
Put a mixing bowl on kitchen scales. Measure and add the dough ingredients one at a time. The weight after adding each ingredient in the order of the recipe is 150 gm and 195 gm.
Use a wooden spoon to combine and then knead with your hands for 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with cling wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
My version of dough
Roast one large purple sweet potato until soft about 45 minutes at 350F.
Peel off the skin and put the cooked potato in food processor. Add 100 gram of almong flour, 60 gram of all purpose flour, 4 tbsp of shortening, 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar and a tsp of vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
divide into the desire size, make ball shape.
Refrigerate until firm. Proceed with wrapping the filling.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
Mung Bean Filling
In a pot on medium heat, add the mung bean, water and salt. Cook for roughly 30 minutes or until the mung bean becomes soft. Be sure to stir the mung bean to avoid burning once most of the moisture has been absorbed or evaporated.
Add the sugar to the mung bean and use a stick blender / food processor to blitz until smooth.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and add the mung bean puree. Cook and continuously stir for 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, make the thickener by combining the cornflour, glutinous flour and water.
Add the thickener to the mung bean one third at a time. After each time stir until completely mixed through before adding more.
Add the oil and cook for roughly another 10 – 15 minutes or until the mixture combines and becomes nearly thick like play dough but a bit softer.
Once done, take off the heat and stir through the vanilla and chopped candied winter melon. Allow to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, roll the mung bean filling into balls of roughly 80 gm each. Put it in fridge covered until needed.
My version of mung bean filling
Soak 44o grams of mung beans in hot water and covered for 2 hours.
Steam the beans over the steamer for 30 minutes.
Put in food processor with 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt, 1-2 tbsp honey(taste to your liking) and 1 tsp vanilla extracts. Process until come to smooth paste.
On medium heat, heat up non-stick pan stir in bean paste, keep stirring for 15 minutes. Put in the bowl and let it cool completely.
Making the Cakes
Weigh the outer dough and divide it into 10 equal portions. They should be roughly be 35 gm each. Keep the dough covered with a tea towel to avoid them drying out.
Repeat with the inner dough. They should be roughly 19 gm each.
Please refer to the pictures and instructions above to wrap the moon cakes.
Preheat the oven to 200 C / 392 F fan forced.
Line a baking tray with baking paper and bake the cakes for 15 minutes upside down at 200 C / 392 F fan forced.
Take the cakes out and flip them over. Brush the egg wash over top of the cakes.
Bake the cakes for another 5 minutes at 200 C / 392 F fan forced.
Take them out and let them cool on a rack.
Store them in the fridge uncovered for 1 -2 days before eating.
11. Churros
from Recipe Tin Eats
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
55 g caster / superfine sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Churros
150 g flour, plain / all purpose (Note 1)
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp vegetable, canola or olive oil (not extra virgin olive oil)
250 ml boiling water
500 ml+ vegetable or canola oil , for frying
Chocolate Sauce
100 g dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips (Note 2)
125 ml thickened / heavy cream (heavy cream)
Instructions
Cinnamon sugar coating: Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl, set aside.
Batter: Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add oil and water and mix until just combined - it should be a thick, gummy batter, like a wet sticky dough, not thin and watery.
Piping bag: Transfer dough into a piping bag with a 8mm / 1/3" star tip nozzle. Set aside while oil heats.
Heat oil: Heat 5cm / 2" oil over medium high in a small pot, wok or small but deep skillet (Note 3) to 170°C/340°F, or until it takes 20 seconds for a small cube of bread to turn golden.
Pipe & snip: Pipe 15cm / 6" lengths of dough into the oil, snipping with scissors (snip close to oil surface to avoid splash). Do 3 to 4 per batch, makes 10 to 12 in total.
Cook: Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crisp, rolling occasionally.
Drain: Remove onto paper towel lined plate to drain. Then roll in sugar. Serve hot with Chocolate Sauce!
Chocolate Sauce:
Place in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool and thicken slightly.
12. Thai Fried Bananas
This was one of my favorite snacks to eat after school in Thailand. I had a difficult time finding them when I was in Thailand last time. I want to try to make these fried banana myself, maybe this recipe will be a success.
from Hungry in Thailand
Ingredients
30 bananas Thai bananas
14.1 ounces rice flour
3.5 ounces tempura flour
3.5 ounces shredded coconut
16.9 fluid ounces ice-cold water
3.4 fluid ounces coconut milk full-fat
1.05 ounce sesame seeds
7 ounces white sugar to taste
Instructions
Make the batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine rice flour, tempura flour, shredded coconut, sugar, and sesame seeds. Create an opening in the middle, and slowly add ice-cold water while whisking to blend. Follow this up by adding in coconut milk and whisking.
Slice and batter the bananas
Cut the bananas into 3 thin slices each. Submerge all your banana slices into the prepared batter.
Deep-fried the battered slice bananas
Place a large wok or deep-frying pan filled with oil over medium-low heat. If you have them, you can add fresh pandan for extra aroma, totally optional.
Use kitchen tongs to dip the banana slices into the batter, making sure they're well-coated.
Deep-fry the bananas, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, or you'll end up with a sticky mess. Flip regularly for even frying.
Fry until golden-brown and crisp. Take them out and let them drain on a sieve or paper towel to get rid of excess oil.
13. Steamed Garlic Chive Dumplings (Kanom Gui Chai)
This was one of my favorite Thai street foods. Chewy skin with chives fillings with crunchy fried garlic dip in spicy sweet and sour soy sauce.
from Hungry in Thailand
Ingredients
GARLIC CHIVE DUMPLINGS
3.5 cups garlic chives roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
4 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch
10 tablespoons boiling water
DIPPING SAUCE
2 tablespoons white sugar
1.5 tablespoon dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 chilies finely chopped, add to taste
Instructions
SAUCE
In a small saucepan over medium heat, blend white sugar, dark soy sauce, white vinegar, and water. Let it simmer for 3 minutes, stirring well. Add chopped chilies and stir for another minute.
DUMPLINGS
Roughly chop the garlic chives. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chives with salt, sugar, oil, and baking soda.
Knead the mixture by hand to draw out the chives’ moisture. Once done, transfer them to another bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together tapioca flour and rice flour.
Slowly pour in boiling hot water(!), stirring constantly. Mix until the dough cools slightly and you can knead by hand.
Transfer the dough to a flat surface. Knead continuously, gradually incorporating oil into the dough as you go.
Knead until the dough is elastic enough to form into a rope without tearing.
Shape the dough into a long, even rope.
Cut the rope into 16 equal pieces.
Keep the pieces under a damp cloth to prevent drying. Roll out one piece at a time into a flat, round wrapper and fill immediately.
Place 2 heaped teaspoons of the chive filling in the center of your wrapper. Gently lift the edges of the wrapper and start pleating, working your way around the filling. Pinch the pleats firmly to seal the dumpling, ensuring the filling is snugly enclosed. Finish by closing the dumpling at the top and then keep your finished dumpling under the damp towel.
Arrange the dumplings on banana leaves or parchment in a steamer, spaced apart. Brush with remaining oil and steam over medium heat for 8 minutes.
After steaming, brush the dumplings with another layer of oil. Steam for an additional 2 minutes. Serve hot, topped with crispy fried garlic if desired.
14. Thai Roti
This dessert is more likely to find in food stalls at night markets in Thailand specially in the southern region that is influenced by muslim population. I remembered every time I saw the roti stall, I would run to it. Nothing tasted like fresh hot, crispy, chewy roti.
from Hungry in Thailand
Ingredients
17.5 ounces all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons oil
1 egg
6.75 fluid ounces water
0.9 ounces butter
condensed milk to taste
Instructions
Pour flour into a large mixing bowl. Create a hole in the center and add egg, salt, and oil.
Start kneading the dough with your hands while gradually adding the water. Knead until you get a smooth dough, bouncing back slightly when poked.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with a damp towel for 1 hour.
Using both hands, pull and stretch the dough multiple times.
Divide the dough into pieces, each weighing 2.5-2.8 oz. Shape them into balls by pulling the dough downward a few times.
Apply a generous amount of melted butter to each. Transfer each ball to a mixing bowl and cover with a damp towel for 30 minutes.
After resting, flatten the dough balls as thinly as possible, using your hands. For an extra thin layer, ‘throw’ them onto a flat work surface, which stretches the dough even further. Alternatively, use a dough roller.
Pick up one edge of the stretched dough and slowly let it come into your other hand.
Stretch out each dough one more time. For a crispy dessert, stretch out very thin. For a softer result, keep your dough a bit thicker.
Fry each roti with 1 tablespoon of oil, and add a small amount of the remaining melted butter.
Fry each side until golden-brown and crisp. Serve immediately and top with sweetened condensed milk/granulated sugar.
Notes
Thoroughly kneed the dough until it's elastic, and roll as thinly as possible.
Fry each roti separately.
Don't flip your roti too often, this can break its structure.
15. Thai Pandan Coconut Jelly
Sarah love this jelly. I will make this for her sometime in summer.
from Hungry in Thailand
Ingredients
For pandan layer
1 tablespoon agar-agar powder
8 pandan leaves
3.5 cups water (divided into 3 cups and 0.5 cup)
1/2 cup white sugar
For coconut layer
1 tablespoon agar-agar powder
1/2 cup water
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For pandan layer
Start by thoroughly mixing the agar-agar powder with 0.5 cup water in a small bowl. Now let it rest for 15 minutes.
Cut the pandan leaves into 1-inch sized pieces.
Toss the sliced pandan leaves into a blender, add the remaining 3 cups water, and roughly blend.
Next, pour the fresh pandan juice into a bowl and use a cheese cloth to catch the blended leaves. The finer your filter, the smoother your pandan layer will be.
Simmer the filtered pandan juice in a wok, skillet, or cooking pot over low to medium heat for 1 minute. Then, add the agar-agar mix from step 1, but first give it another good stir.
Cook and stir until the agar-agar powder is completely dissolved, no longer than 5 minutes. The agar has to be fully dissolved before moving on. Dip a spoon and check the back to see if there’s still traces of agar.
Once the agar-agar has dissolved, it’s time to add the sugar. Keep cooking and stirring until the sugar has also dissolved.
Gently pour or scoop the pandan layer into a baking mold, cup, or any bowl you like. Let it rest at room temperature to become firm for about 30 minutes until it firms up.
For coconut layer
Next, we can make the coconut layer. Just like in step 1, combine the agar-agar with 0.5 cup water in a bowl and stir. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
Wait 15 minutes and then pour the coconut milk into a pan or skillet and simmer it gently over a low to medium heat. Once the edges start to bubble, add in the agar mix. Let it cook until the agar-agar powder is completely dissolved, no longer than 5 minutes.
Add sugar and salt, cook until the sugar is fully dissolved (2 min) and remove from heat.
Use your finger to check if layer 1 has firmed up. When firm, use a large spoon to gently layer on the creamy coconut mixture.
Let the jelly dessert rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. After that, you can dig in straight away, or pop it into the fridge to enjoy chilled. I like to slice the dessert into equally sized pieces right before serving.
All these recipes are good for now. I will post what I make in the later blog post.
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