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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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!

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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

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

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