Hakka Food

Monday, November 12, 2012

Hakka Dishes - Index

All time favourite Hakka Food Revisited

These links would hopefully assist blog visitors to access links to various dishes :

MEAT

Taro Yam Braised Belly Pork 芋头扣肉
http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/10/taro-yam-braised-meat-yu-kou-rou.html

Another version of Yam Kou Rou
http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/01/taro-yam-braised-belly-pork.html

SOUPS

Black Bean Pork Soup
http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/05/hakka-black-bean-soup.html

Spinach Soup
http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/02/spinach-soup-packed-with-minerals-and.html

Chicken Rice Wine soup
http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/09/different-recipes-for-rice-wine-making.html

Cleaver Cut Noodle Soup
http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/12/hakka-dishes-index.html

* Happy Cooking !!!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Documentary on Hakka people (kejia)

Mega 100 series documentary on the Hakkas - 客家足迹行

http://news.cntv.cn/special/kjzjx/shouye/index.shtml

Chicken rice recipe handed down from a Hakka Grandpa

QUOTE :

Granddad was at one time a company cook who whips up huge portions of meals for the employees. When he emigrated to Southeast Asia as an adult, he brought along home cooking skills he learned from the the vibrant southern province of China he was raised.

Ingredients :
Chicken fillet from whole chicken (breast and thigh meat)cut into small pieces

Dried black shitake mushroom (soaked for 2 hours, change water half way through), slice into quarters
Ginger slices
Garlic (2) cloves wash and dry, leave unpeeled & uncut
Long-grain rice : 2 1/2 cups
Cooking oil
Chicken stock or water (3 cups)
Sesame oil (1 TBS)
Lemongrass (optional) remove root, smash the white portion and cut the green stalk into segments

Method
- Marinate chicken in soy sauce & pepper. Leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Wash rice and drain.
- Fry garlic cloves, mushroom, chicken and ginger (in this order) till fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Fry uncooked rice and add chicken stock or water little by little to prevent it from sticking to the bottom.
- Return chicken meat, mushroom, garlic and ginger. (Add lemongrass if available or preferred)
- Add in remaining water or stock till it covers just above the rice.
- Cover and cook in medium low heat for 15 - 20 minutes
- When ready, drizzle some sesame oil, stir and fluff the rice.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Bitter Melon with fish and meat stuffing

Adherents of Chinese medical herbal history (TCM) believe that bitter gourd has many health benefits. Not only does it reduce blood pressure, it helps to neutralise effects of insects stings / bites, cool down heaty sore throat and promote healthy, clear and glowing skin.

Moreover, heed the old addage : one who eats bitterness (endure hardships) would become more successful in future.

Originally special dish of Hakkas, many other Chinese and non-Chinese are loving it.

Method :

For 2 bitter melons (cooling bitter gourd)

Cut each bitter melon into 3 large pieces.

Remove the seeds at the core with a teaspoon.

Cut bitter gourd into smaller 2 cm thick rings.

Soak in salt water for at least 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and drain.

The filling is very much the same as niang doufu (yong tofu) :

- Fish paste 2 cups (from firm white fish meat, deboned, chopped, blended)

or frozen ready made from speciality supermarkets

- Pork mince 1/2 cup

- chopped spring onion

Season according to taste : pepper, salt and brown sugar

(less salt is needed if using ready made fish paste)

The most common method of cooking the bitter melon is pan frying with a little oil.

Alternatively, grill the stuffed melon in an oven briefly, cook in microwave (less tasty), use combination cooking in a convection microwave oven, bake in oven at 150 C for at least 30 minutes.

Sauce (optional)

1. Fry chopped garlic and shallot with vegetable oil in a saucepan till fragrant.

2. Mix a solution of oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil with tapioca starch and water.

3. Pour the mixture into the pan and simmer till lightly boil, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from developing.

Stir Fry Sweet Potato Leaves - Variations of Sauces Dressing

Fan Shu Ye or Sweet Potato Leaves (sometimes also known as "yam leaves") stir fry is considered a "poor man's food" because they are usually easy to grow in the backyard and sprout rapidly to give an abundant yield to cook a huge serving of vegetable dish for the family.

The young leaves of the humble sweet potato are usually tender. As for the stalks, break gently and peel the fibrous outer "skin" for a crunchier texture.

The base of each stalk is usually thick and not as palatable especially for children and older folks. Do not discard them. Keep in a moist place and wait for roots to grow. Then plant them in a large terracotta pot or in the garden. Whenever you need to cook sweet potato leaves, just cut the younger leaves and shoots. New shoots will grow no sooner.

After washing and draining the leaves. Prepare the ingredients for stir fry.

The ingredients for a basic recipe are garlic cloves (chopped), cooking oil, 1/2 tsp of soy sauce. Fry the garlic in oil till fragrant, add sweet potato leaves, stir fry for 1 minute and add seasoning.

Sweet potato leaves go well with different types of sauces. The following are some suggestions that are commonly used for home cooking.

Variation 1 : Belachan Sauce
Chopped Garlic
Pound fresh chilli (from 2 birds eye chillies)
Thumb size Malaysian belachan (shrimp paste mashed and toasted)
Dried shrimp (1 TBS washed & drained)
Fish sauce (1 tsp)
* Mix belachan with
* Just heat up cooking oil, fry garlic, dried shrimp,

Variation 2 : Nonya Coconut Milk Recipe
As in the above recipe (omit belachan)
Add one cup of coconut milk (not cream) after a quick fry of the vegetables.
Turn off heat when the gravy boils shortly.

Variation 2 : Salty Yellow Bean Sauce
Fry garlic in oil heated oil (not too hot or else it gets burnt and char easily). Add lightly mashed salty yellow beans (1 TBS). Put in the vegetables and give it a few quick swirls and toss. Add brown sugar according to taste.

Variation 4 : Oyster Sauce
Heat up oil and fry garlic. Stir fry the vegetable in medium heat.
Once the vegetable is cooked, add oyster sauce.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Cleaver Cut Flat Noodles Soup - dao ma chet 刀嬷切

Savouring this Hakka dish is a nostalgic trip down memory lane. You can literally taste and smell the aroma from food stalls in the markets of the far east.

I used ready made northern Chinese noodles "dao xiao mian"刀削麵 bought from the chilled section of Asian supermarket. It may be slightly thinner than Hakka "dao ma chet" 刀嬷切 but a good substitute that is easy to boil. Smooth and chewy.

If you are adventurous, try making the noodles from scratch with flour, water and alkaline water. Knead till pliable and round the dough. Let it rest (covered) for 1 hour. Knead, flatten, fold into waves, cut thinly with large sharp knife. As self explanatory from the name, the Hakka noodles are sliced thinly with a cleaver while the latter is shaved.

Recipe :

Prepare the soup using 2 bowls of chicken stock and 2 bowls of anchovy stock. (Tip : Korean made pure ground anchovy powder in muslin bag tastes natural and better than granules.) Add a little salt, brown sugar, pepper and light soy sauce according to taste.

Vegetables : carrots, mushrooms, small block of soy bean curd (firm) and baby bok choy (preferably the type with white and succulent stems that won't become soft easily when cooked).

Meat ingredients : thinly sliced chicken fillet, pork or beef, deveined prawns, fish fillet, fish ball, hard boiled egg.

(Optional : stir fry pork or chicken mince in a little oil and and oyster sauce and set aside as a topping.)

When soup is almost boiling, blanch the vegetable ingredients and set aside. Season with dark soy sauce and sesame oil.

While the soup is simmering, boil another pot of water for blanching the noodles. Separate the noodles before putting into the boiling water. When noodles turn a little translucent, it is cooked. Drain well and dish up into a bowl with a little oil.

Garnish and Condiments : fried crispy anchovy, fried garlic, fried shallot, spring onion, toasted seaweed, fried chilli paste in oil, dark vinegar with ginger slices. (Optional but highly recommended as all these would enhance the taste of a simple noodle soup).

To serve :

Put desired portion of cooked noodles in a bowl.

Pour hot soup over the noodles and let it steep for 5 seconds.

Then top with condiments and sauces as you wish.

Enjoy!

- copyright reserved

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Did Hakka originate from Huns or Xiongnu?

It is possible that

some Xiongnu disguised as Han and move to the south with the Han. Many Han aristocrats also had hundreds to thousands of Xiongnu servants and soldiers.

Hakka language was probably spoken by many Han Chinese in central China. A Hun language would not have survived under hostile political conditions.

Even if some Hakkas were Xiongnu, their language, behavior must be totally integrated with Han to survive this era. Culturally speaking, if certain Hakka were Xiongnu decendents, they should be totally indistinguishable from the Hans.
It is not impossible, but unlikely that 400 years can upgrade the identity and class of Xiongnu to equal the Hans.

Source : Asiawind Hakka History

History of the Hakkas - revolution as an enterprise?

A disproportionately high percentage of Hakkas hold key government positions throughout Chinese history.

http://www.jstor.org/pss/654189

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Hakka cultural heritage diluted even as leaders urge continuity

Hakka leaders of the present generation throughout the world voice strong support for Hakka cultural heritage. However, how could these statements be translated into concrete action could not be determined. As far as the Lee family of Singapore is concerned, their Hakka descent is ambivalent.
The Lee family being peranakans spoke Malay and English at home. They may retain some Chinese core values such as the spirit of perseverance and diligence but it is difficult to pin it down to Hakka traits alone. Clan associations have to reinvent themselves to attract young families or else suffer the fate of dwindling membership and eventual demise.

SINGAPORE, Dec 14 — The Hakka community, a small dialect group in Singapore, has a culture that should be passed down to the younger generation, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday. Lee, a Hakka himself, gave several suggestions on how they can do so, in a speech that traced the migration of the
Hakka people and their spirit of diligence and resilience.He was speaking at the 80th anniversary dinner of the Nanyang Khek Community Guild, the umbrella group for 24 Hakka clan groups here.As a result of their indomitable nature, the Hakkas have contributed to the prosperity of their new home countries although they tended to be in the minority wherever they settled, he said. In Singapore, they produced several ministers, he noted, naming his father Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, the late Finance Minister Hon Sui Sen, former Finance Minister Richard Hu and former Cabinet minister Howe Yoon Chong.Among the younger politicians, they include Minister of State for Manpower, Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan, and MPs Josephine Teo and Lam Pin Min.PM Lee, who spoke in Chinese, urged the clan associations to help young Hakkas learn about their history and the qualities of their people.Speaking in Mandarin, he said: “The challenge today is to preserve and pass on the Hakka cultural heritage.“It is important that young
Hakkas know where their ancestors came from, what they stand for, and inherit the indomitable spirit and tenacity of their ancestors.”The community is the fourth-largest dialect group in Singapore, making up about 8 per cent of the nation’s Chinese population.
Lee urged the guild and other Hakka associations to
organise interesting activities to attract young people, and spread the word through new channels such as the Internet, in order to make the heritage come alive for the new generation.The guild should also keep up to date with the
rapidly changing world, and keep its links to China and other Hakka organisations around the world, he added.
In tracing their migration to southern China, he said the Hakkas often lived in the less fertile regions and had to eke out a living in harsh conditions.He noted that Hakka women did not bind their feet but worked hard in the fields with the men.“Consequently, they developed a resolute spirit and adaptable nature,” he said.
The Hakkas came to Singapore in the early 19th century, and ventured into areas such as Chinese medicine and
pawnbroking in later years.“A lot of pawnshops here were opened by Hakkas,” he said to laughter from the audience of more than 1,000 people at the Raffles City Convention Centre. Noting that the guild had remained a vibrant organisation for the past 80 years, Lee — who is also its honorary adviser — called on it to continue to attract young members and groom new leaders.Marketing manager Chong Wei Tien agrees as she sees the benefits of knowing and keeping her Hakka roots.“It’s like a brotherhood. When anyone needs help, the clans will offer assistance,” said the 28-year-old, whose father takes her three-year-old daughter to the clan association every week.
— The Straits Times

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Taiwan Hakkas celebrate Yi Min

Yimin (or “righteous people”, 義民) was a title the Qing dynasty bestowed upon Hakka who helped the Qing government put down an uprising by the Fujianese in Taiwan in the 1700s.The uprising led to the deaths of more than 200 people in Hsinchu. The bodies were buried at the local Sinpu-Fangliao Yimin Temple.Hakka celebrate the memory of the Yimin on the 20th of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

http://www.taiwantodaynews.com/index.php/hakka-festival-celebrates-history-food-and-culture

Forum on Penang Hakka folks

CHUNG Ling High School, Chinese daily Kwong Wah Yit Poh and the Penang Philomathic Union all have one thing in common — Sun Yat-Sen and the Penang Hakka community.
Their history and connection are among the topics that will
be discussed during the upcoming ‘Hakka Study and Research and the Chinese Communities of Penang’ forum at Han Chiang College on May 2.
The forum will be the second joint effort between the college and the National University of Singapore (NUS).
---
He added that the Federation of Malaysian Hakka Associations also had high hopes of establishing a Hakka Village Cultural Centre in Balik Pulau soon.

The Hakka studies and research forum will start at 9am at the Han Chiang College hall. It will kick off with a dialogue session with Han Chiang and NUS academicians at 9.20am.
Three research papers on the Hakka community will be presented by post graduate NUS students at 10.45am.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/4/29/north/3758855&sec=North

Most people have the impression that most Penang residents are Hokkien and Peranakan. There is however a sizeable number of Penangites whose ancestry could be traced to Hakka origins but most have learnt to speak Hokkien for convenience.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Taro / yam braised meat -- yu tou kou rou 芋头扣肉

Tantalising taro arranged alternately with double cooked belly pork

Cooking the belly pork entails various stages. Ensure that you prepare hours in advance. Firstly, the pork has to be marinated in soy sauce and five spice powder for at least an hour. Drain the sauce before frying the fatty portion in a hot frying pan. Quickly transfer into a pot with the marinade and bring to the slow boil. Add 2 cloves of garlic. Lower the heat and simmer with lid on till tender and fragrant. This should take at least an hour or two. Then cool the meat. Remove and slice into smaller pieces.

Meanwhile, panfry the taro (yam) till slightly golden brown (half cooked).
Arrange taro and pork belly slices alternately in a large bowl. Adding fermented red beancurd will lend the dish more flavour, aroma and colour. Use fu ru sparingly as it can be very salty.

Steam over boiling water in a large pot or wok covered for 45 minutes to an hour. Ensure that water does not dry up or it may damage your cooking utensils or could even be dangerous. To tell if it's ready, the yam and meat should be quite soft and amalgamated. Place a large dish over the bowl and press tightly. Quickly invert the bowl and put on the table. Remove the bowl which has served as a mould while cooking.

This is a very popular dish among Hakkas who lived in Guangzhou. It is an adaptation from trademark Hakka dish salty mustard braised pork belly.

Another recipe : http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/01/taro-yam-braised-belly-pork.html
Mei cai kou rou : http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/03/mei-cai-kou-ro.html

- Copyright Reserved : photos and recipes

Friday, September 18, 2009

Different recipes for rice wine making and dishes - drunken chicken soup

Chicken Rice Wine Soup is a great comfort food in cold winters and post-natal convalescence.

Unlike most soups, the meat has to be stir fried with garlic, ginger and rice wine in medium heat till fragrant and three quarters cooked. Add sesame oil and proportionate amount of water as desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes and it is ready to be served with steamed rice.

This recipe is attributed to my mother.

Please refer to an earlier post : http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/03/hakka-rice-wine.html

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Hakka Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup is a popular post natal "confinement" dish because it is high in protein and a variety of nutrients such as omega3, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.. Please note that black beans are round and not the same as kidney beans used in Mexican cooking.

Black beans could be pre-fried in advance. Beans that are not soaked or fried before cooking tends to produce a strong bean taste and are not easily digestible.

Fry black beans in a heavy skillet or wok without oil in medium heat. Keep stirring to prevent the beans from burning. This could take about 30 minutes. Be patient and do not overheat the beans.

Parboil pork ribs or pig tail briefly in medium hot water. Do not let it overboil. Remove from heat and refresh with cold water.

In a large stock pot, submerge meat in cold water and bring to the boil. Add black beans and chicken stock. Continue boiling with the lid covered, checking that it does not overflow. When it is boiled, turn down the heat and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Add salt according to taste.

Stuffed Doufu in Hot Claypot

Dongjiang (Tong Kong) in Guangdong province, Meixian district, is known for its clear mountain waters which are said to be excellent for producing the best snow white and succulent doufu (tofu). Hakkas in Dongjiang have mastered the art of cooking tofu. This dish is cooked in a claypot to retain all the heat and flavours until it is ready to be served.

Cut 2 blocks of firm and silky tofu into rectangular bite sizes.

Blend mince lean pork, fish paste, dried shrimp, salted fish by chopping and blending vigorously with chopsticks. Alternatively, use an electric blender. Add salt, pepper and starch solution at every 5 minute interval.

Scoop a dollop of minced meat and press firmly on top of each beancurd, taking care not to dent it. Fry in oil till cooked.

Heat up frying pan with vegetable oil. Saute garlic, spring onion and ginger in this sequence. Bring 3 TBS of chicken stock to the boil in a claypot. Add garlic, spring onion and ginger.

Put in the vegetables : carrot, spinach or cabbage and simmer. Add the cooked beancurd. Drizzle a little soy sauce, sesame oil and oyster sauce.
Cover and bring to a gradual boil.

References to other types of stuffed tofu :

Compare this with fried tofu http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2009/04/pan-fried-niang-dou-fu.html

and assorted stuffed vegetables and beancurd variations http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/search?q=niang+dofu

Spicy Eggplant (aubergine) with minced pork, basil and mint

Thumbs up for this delicious and nutritious Hakka dish that is easy to prepare. The myraid of flavours makes it a good companion for a meal with rice and soup. You can imagine this must be very popular in the old days where meat was expensive and scarce.

Peel and slice eggplant. Soak them in salty solution if not cooking immediately. Drain well. Deep fry cut eggplant pieces (with out without flour or batter) in sufficient amount of heated vegetable oil. Healthier alternatives are to steam the eggplant for a few minutes or slow bake in the oven for 30 minutes till soft and cooked.

Wash. drain and air dry mint leaves and basil leaves from 2 to 3 stalks each. Set aside for later use.

Fry chopped garlic and onions till fragrant. Add minced pork marinated in light soy sauce and pepper and fry till well cooked.

Return cooked eggplant to the pot. Add oyster sauce, chopped chillies, spicy bean sauce and sesame oil. Give the mixture a quick stir on high heat. Finally, add mint and basil leaves as garnishing before serving.

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Toasted Rice Biscuit and Roast Rice Tea

炒米饼 Cao Mi Bing (Toasted Rice Biscuits) also known as "powdery crisp" in some parts of China should melt in the mouth instead of rock hard.
My regrets not getting the recipe of this Chinese New Year must-have from my late granny. I have a hazy idea of the recipe and searching the internet for clues have not helped much either.

According to traditional recipes, white glutinous rice grains are sieved and washed to remove impurities. Drain and air dry before dry frying (without oil) in a large wok or flat pan till golden colour. Similarly, mung bean flour should be fried till fragrant. Add fine castor sugar, vegetable oil or fragrant oil to the flours. Blend well. Some recipes recommend boiling the sugar into a carmalised syrup which I can imagine would be more difficult to combine with the flour. Adding a little beaten egg will help to bind the biscuit. Press the mixture into biscuit moulds and knock it out on the baking tray. In the old days, the cookies are baked in a charcoal fuel cooker.
Rice biscuits are now easily available in the grocery stores all around the world. Rice cookies from Macau contain ground Chinese almonds (apricot kernels) and groundnuts, making it more fragrant and crunchy.

Roast Rice Tea

A comforting beverage during winter and for women after delivery. Roast rice tea is quite similar to Japanese or Korean green tea with roast rice (minus the tea leaves). It has warming properties and leaves a pleasant after taste. Dry fry rice grains as in the above method of preparing toast rice biscuits. When cooled, store rice grains in an air tight bottle. A teaspoon of rice grains is sufficient to make a cup of tea

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Fried Pork with Black Fungus and Savory Red Sauce - "Hakka style Zha Nguek" 炸肉 zha rou

The dish is sometimes called deep fried pork with red bean sauce known as 炸肉 (pronounced zha2 rou4 in Mandarin and za nguek in Hakka).

It is a must-have dish for special occasions in Hakka (kejia) families. This is a must-have for birthdays and weddings.

Like most Hakka dishes, it was supposed to be salty but the flavours can be adjusted by the cook to suit different palates.

The main ingredients are quite simple : marbled belly pork (washed and sliced into cubes) and black wood ear fungus (soaked and cut).

Marinate the meat in five spice powder, ginger extract and light soy sauce for at least one hour.

Prepare batter mixture with eggs, flour and a pinch of rice flour. Whip till a thick consistency is formed.

Deep fry the battered meat till golden brown. Drain and set aside.

Prepare sauce for pouring over the meat or dipping : saute garlic till fragrant, then add a dash of wine and fu ru * in chicken stock to simmer.

If you like a more flavoursome and rich sauce, add a little wine (yellow rice wine, huadiao or any cooking wine), oyster sauce and brown sugar.

(Note : "fu ru" 红腐乳 also known as "nan ru" 南乳 commonly described as red fermented soy cheese)
My aunt who lived with my grandparents used to cook this dish for every festive meal or birthday celebrations.

Many thanks to my friend's mother's network of friends who provided inputs for the above recipe.

- Copyright reserved.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Pan Fried Niang Dou fu 煎酿豆腐

Panfried Niang Doufu with light cornstarch on a bed of lettuce.

An all-time favourite for those who love wholesome Hakka cuisine.

For deep-fried yong tofu, please check out an earlier post :
http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/search?q=niang+dofu

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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Alkaline Rice Dumpling with bean filling 简粽

This is a followup to an earlier post on meat dumplings :

http://hakkafood.blogspot.com/2008/12/rice-dumpling-with-meat-filling-zhong.html

Here's the nostalgic alkaline, chewy, soft and sticky glutinous rice dumpling with mung bean filling, drizzled with brown or yellow syrup. In Hakka, it's called "gun shui joong". A good dumpling is uniformly soft in texture. This demands meticulous sorting of random long grain rice from the glutinuous rice before mixing the ingredients and cooking them.