Category: Chinese

Chinese Chive Pies (韭菜盒子)

chive pies/pockets/boxes

Chinese Chive Pies

Ingredients

  • crust
    • 2 cups flour
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 tsp yeast
    • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • filling
    • 4 eggs
    • 12 shrimps, finely chopped (more if shrimps are small)
    • 1 lb. chives, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 4 Tbsp oil
  • 2 Tbsp oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Mix crust ingredients until it forms a dough. Set aside.
  2. Beat 4 eggs. Fry in 1 Tbsp oil, make scrambled eggs. Set aside.
  3. Fry shrimp in 1 Tbsp oil over high heat. Remove from heat.
  4. Mix eggs, shrimp, chives, salt, and oil.
  5. Split dough into 16 pieces. Make each piece into a thin circle.
  6. Put about .5 cup of filling onto each piece of dough.
  7. Wrap the dough around filling (doesn’t matter how, as long as it is sealed).
  8. Over medium high heat, fry each pie on both sides, typically 2-3 minutes on each side.

Baby Taro with Green Onion (葱花芋艿)

芋艿 = 小芋头

Baby Taro with Green Onion

Ingredients

  • 8 baby taros
  • 4 green onion
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • .5 tsp salt
  • a pinch of white pepper
  • 2 Tbsp chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Wash and boil baby taros until soft.
  2. Rinse taros under cold water, peel, chop.
  3. Put oil in pan. Fry taro over high heat, 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add salt, white pepper, and chicken broth. Cook for 2-3 more minutes.
  5. Add green onion, mix.

Notes

  • must use baby taro

Shanghainese Tofu with Shrimp (虾仁豆腐)

Shanghainese Tofu with Shrimp

Ingredients

  • .5 cup edamame
  • 16 shrimp, peeled (heads/legs removed)
  • 1 box/tube tofu, chopped
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 3 slices ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1 Tbsp cooking wine
  • .5 tsp salt
  • .5 tsp sugar
  • pinch of white pepper

Instructions

  1. Put half the oil in pan. Fry edamame over medium high heat for 5 minutes (or until cooked). Remove edamame from pan and set aside.
  2. Put the remaining oil in pan, along with the ginger and garlic. Cook over high heat until fragrant.
  3. Add shrimp to pan, cook until orange. add cooking wine. Fry 15 seconds.
  4. Add tofu, salt, sugar, and edamame. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  5. Turn off the fire. Add green onion and white pepper, mix.

Spring Rolls (春卷)

Spring Rolls

Equipment

  • deep fryer

Ingredients

  • filling
    • 1 Tbsp oil
    • 6 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 lb ground pork
    • 1 Tbsp cooking wine
    • .5 napa cabbage, thinly sliced
    • .5 tsp salt
    • 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
    • 1 Tbsp water
  • spring roll pastry (wrappers)
  • dipping sauce
    • 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
    • 1 Tbsp peanut butter
    • .5 tsp sesame oil
    • 1 tsp fish sauce
    • .5 cup water

Instructions

  1. Put oil in frying pan. Fry mushrooms and garlic over high heat until fragrant.
  2. Add ground pork and cooking wine for 3 minutes.
  3. Add napa cabbage until cooked, then add salt.
  4. Mix tapioca starch and water, add in pan.
  5. Cook until thick and liquid is gone.
  6. Wrap spring rolls:
    1. Place spring roll wrapper such that the corner is facing towards you.
    2. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the lower triangle of the wrapper. The filling should be in a rectangle shape (about the length of the finished spring roll).
    3. Fold bottom corner over the filling. Then fold filling over one time.
    4. Take the left and right corners and fold them towards the middle.
    5. Then roll up the spring roll, placing a bit of water on the top most corner to seal the spring roll.
  7. Deep fry! Spring rolls are ready to eat when the wrapper is golden.

Notes

  • if using shiitake mushrooms, soak overnight
  • can use .5 cup carrots

Braised Pork Chops with Green Onion (葱烤排骨)

Braised Pork with Green Onion

Ingredients

  • 6 pork chops
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 6 slices ginger
  • 2 bunches green onion, 1 inch slices
  • 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • .15 tsp dark vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp sugar

Instructions

  1. Wash pork chops.
  2. Use flat side of meat hammer to flatten pork chops.
  3. Use pointy side of meat hammer on each pork chop.
  4. Put oil in a pan. Fry pork chops over high heat until both sides are golden.
  5. Add ginger and 1 bunch of green onion, fry for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add soy sauces and vinegar, turn down heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes.
  7. Add sugar, cook for 5 minutes.
  8. Add remaining green onion, cook until green onion is cooked.

Shanghainese Wonton Soup (小馄饨汤)

yields 6 servings worth of wonton; the rest of the recipe is for 1 serving of wonton soup

Shanghainese Wonton Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 package extra thin wonton wrappers (about 60)
  • wonton filling
    • .25 lb ground pork
    • pinch of salt
    • pinch of sugar
    • pinch of chicken powder
    • pinch of tapioca starch
    • dash of sesame oil
    • dash of rice wine
    • 1 tsp of water
  • .5 cup chicken broth
  • .5 cup water
  • seaweed
  • .5 tsp mini dried shrimp (pale, NOT the same thing as dried shrimp) for 1 serving
  • .25 green onion, chopped

Instructions

  1. Begin by wrapping wontons. For each wonton, place wrapper on one hand. Place .5 tsp of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Make a fist to close the wonton. Repeat until wrappers used up.
  2. Make 1 serving of wonton soup.
  3. Boil 10 wontons (more if desired) until they float.
  4. Mix chicken broth and water, boil.
  5. Put wontons and chicken broth/water mixture into a bowl.
  6. Add seaweed, shrimp, and green onion`.

Notes

  • freeze extra wontons

White Radish Salad (凉拌萝卜丝)

White Radish Salad

Equipment

  • grater

Ingredients

  • .5 white radish/daikon
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • .5 tsp salt
  • .5 tsp sugar
  • pinch of chicken powder
  • 2 green onions, chopped

Instructions

  1. Wash, peel, and grate white radish.
  2. Mix the salt and radish, let it sit for 1-2 hours. Drain water.
  3. Add sesame oil, salt, sugar, chicken powder; mix.
  4. Garnish with green onion.

Seafood Tofu Clay Pot (海鲜豆腐煲)

Seafood Tofu Clay Pot

Equipment

  • clay pot

Ingredients

  • 2 slices ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 shrimp, unpeeled with head
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine
  • .5 block firm tofu
  • 4 leaves napa cabbage
  • 4 fish tofu
  • 4 fish balls
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 4 mussels
  • .25 tsp salt
  • cilantro
  • pinch of white pepper

Instructions

  1. In oil, fry garlic and ginger over high heat until fragrant. Add the shrimp, fry for a minute and add the rice wine. Continue to fry the shrimp until orange. Remove shrimp and add tofu, fry until browned.
  2. Get the clay pot. Line the bottom with cabbage leaves. Then place tofu on top. Add the fish tofu and fish balls. Pour in the chicken broth. Boil for 10 minutes.
  3. On the still boiling clay pot, place the shrimp, mussels, salt on the top, wait until mussels open.
  4. Place the cilantro and pepper, take off the heat.

Malantou with Tofu (马兰头拌豆干)

Malantou with Tofu

Ingredients

  • malantou
  • dried tofu (豆干)
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • .25 tsp dark vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • .5 tsp sugar
  • .2 tsp chicken powder

Instructions

  1. In boiling water, blanch malantou and tofu.
  2. Mince the malantou and tofu as small as possible. (Using a food processor is ok too).
  3. Add all seasonings and mix.

Notes

  • Shanghainese dish

Shanghai Stir-Fry Shrimp (油爆虾)

Shanghai Stir-Fry Shrimp

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. unpeeled shrimp with heads
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 5 slices ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine
  • a pinch of salt
  • .5 tsp sugar
  • 3 green onions

Instructions

  1. Wash shrimp, cut off legs and pointy part sticking out of head. Devein the shrimp.
  2. Put oil in frying pan. Fry garlic and ginger over high heat until fragrant.
  3. Add shrimp, fry until shrimp turns orange.
  4. Add rice wine, fry briefly until all shrimp are coated.
  5. Add sugar and salt, fry briefly until dissolved.
  6. Add green onion, fry until green onion is cooked.

Sponge Gourd and Fish Wheat Gluten Stir Fry (丝瓜鱼面筋)

Shanghainese dish

sponge gourd = luffa = loofah

Luffa and Fish Wheat Gluten Stir Fry (丝瓜鱼面筋)

Ingredients

  • 2 sponge gourds, sliced (丝瓜)
  • 4 fish wheat glutens (鱼面筋)
  • 1 handful wood ear (黑木耳)
  • .25 cup edamame
  • .5 sliced carrot
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • .25 tsp salt
  • .25 tsp sugar

Instructions

  1. First fry the edamame and carrot in oil over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the sponge gourd, wheat glutens, and wood ear. Fry for 5-6 more minutes.
  3. Add salt and sugar, mix.

Braised Wheat Gluten (烤麸)

Shanghainese appetizer

Braised Wheat Gluten

Ingredients

  • 16 oz. piece wheat gluten
  • 6 shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 Tbsp edamame
  • 2 Tbsp chopped bamboo shoot
  • 3 Tbsp oil
  • 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • .5 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Slice wheat gluten into 1 inch cubes.
  2. Cook the wheat gluten in boiling water for 3 minutes. Squeeze out all water.
  3. Using 1/3 of the oil, fry sliced shiitake mushrooms over medium high heat until brown. Add edamame, fry for 5 minutes. Add bamboo, fry for 2 minutes. Remove mushroom/edamame/bamboo mixture from pan.
  4. Using the rest of the oil, fry the wheat gluten over high heat for at least 5 minutes, until the wheat gluten soaks up the oil.
  5. Turn heat down to medium. Add the mushroom/edamame/bamboo mixture in, and all of the other ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes.

Notes

  • can add carrot if desired

Pork Belly With Mashed Garlic (蒜泥白肉)

Pork Belly With Mashed Garlic (蒜泥白肉)

Equipment

  • steamer

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pork belly
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 3 tsp rice wine
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp chicken broth
  • .5 tsp tapioca starch

Instructions

  1. Wash the pork belly. Marinate the pork belly in salt and rice wine for at least 1 day.
  2. Rinse the pork belly. Steam for 30 minutes.
  3. When cooled, slice.
  4. Fry garlic over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add chicken broth and tapioca starch, cook for 2-3 more minutes.
  5. Drizzle garlic mixture over pork belly.

Braised Duck (酱鸭)

Braised Duck

Ingredients

  • 2 duck breasts
  • 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 2 slices ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 green onions, 3 inch slices
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 inch piece of a cinnamon stick
  • 7 peppercorns
  • .5 cup chicken broth
  • 2 Tbsp rock sugar

Instructions

  1. Rinse duck breasts, pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Fry duck breasts over medium high heat in oiled pan until both sides are golden. Remove duck from pan.
  3. Fry ginger, garlic, and green onion in pan until fragrant.
  4. Add star anise, cinnamon, and peppercorns and fry for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add the duck breast back in along with the remaining ingredients. Wait for broth to boil, then turn heat to low. Cook for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Add rock sugar. Cook until liquid is gone.

Pork Sparerib Noodle Soup (Clear Broth) (清炖排骨面)

serves 4

Pork Sparerib Noodle Soup (Clear Broth)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pork spareribs
  • 3 oz. salted pork
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine
  • 2 slices ginger
  • 8 oz. noodles
  • 2 green onions

Instructions

  1. Boil spareribs for 5 minutes, drain water and rinse.
  2. Add salted pork, 4 cups of water, rice wine, and ginger to the spareribs. Simmer for an hour.
  3. Boil noodles.
  4. Pour soup and meat over noodles, garnish with sliced green onion, serve.

Eggplant Salad (凉拌茄子)

Eggplant Salad (凉拌茄子)

Ingredients

  • 2 Japanese/Chinese eggplants
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • .5 tsp sugar
  • .6 tsp chicken powder
  • .6 tsp chili oil (lao gan ma)

Instructions

  1. Wash and eggplants. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. Microwave for 4-5 minutes. Wait for eggplant to cool down.
  2. Use hands to rip into thin strips.
  3. Mix everything.

Celtuce Salad (凉拌莴笋)

Recipe Name

Equipment

  • Mandolin/grater

Ingredients

  • 2 celtuces
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • .5 tsp sugar
  • .6 tsp chicken powder
  • 2 finely chopped green onions

Instructions

  1. Wash celtuces, peel off skin. Use mandolin/grater to grate.
  2. Mix salt with the celtuce. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
  3. Drain out water from the celtuce.
  4. Add sesame oil, sugar, and chicken powder and mix.
  5. Garnish with green onion.

Char Siu (叉烧)

Char Siu (叉烧)

Ingredients

  • 2 lb pork tenderloin (must have some fat)
  • 4 Tbsp red yeast rice
  • 3 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 Tbsp cooking wine
  • 6 Tbsp brown sugar
  • .25 onion, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 slices ginger, minced
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp water

Instructions

  1. Soak meat for 30 minutes, rinse.
  2. Soak red yeast rice in hot water for 10 minutes, throw away the rice and reserve the remaining water, which should be colored red.
  3. Mix the red yeast water with all ingredients except for meat, honey, and water.
  4. Marinate the meat in the mixture for at least 2 days.
  5. Mix honey and water.
  6. Cooking methods
    1. In a pressure cooker, cook on the meat setting for 30 minutes. Brush honey water mixture on both sides of the meat. Then pan fry until outside is crispy.
    1. In an oven, cook at 375 F for 25 minutes. Halfway through, brush honey water mixture on both sides of meat. Flip the meat over. Continue cooking for 20 minutes.

Notes

  • can use leaner cut of pork belly instead of tenderloin, or eye of loin

Chinese Spareribs (烤排骨)

Chinese Spareribs (烤排骨)

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds spareribs
  • 1 cup dark soy sauce
  • .5 cup light soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • .25 cup dark vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • .25 cup paprika
  • .25 cup minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp black pepper
  • .25 cup rice wine
  • .25 cup honey

Instructions

  1. Soak spareribs in water for 30 minutes. Rinse spareribs, pat dry.
  2. Mix all ingredients except for honey, marinate spareribs for at least 24 hours.
  3. Take out of marinade (do NOT throw away marinade), bake on a baking sheet at 375 F for 1 hour.
  4. Brush the marinade over the spareribs. Flip the spareribs over, brush the marinade over the other side. Bake for 15 more minutes.
  5. Brush the honey on top, bake for 5 minutes.
  6. Flip the spareribs over, brush the honey on top, bake for 5 minutes.

Savory Sticky Rice (糯米饭)

Savory Sticky Rice (糯米饭)

Equipment

  • steamer

Ingredients

  • 150 g glutinous (sweet) rice
  • 1 Chinese sausage
  • 5 chopped shiitake mushrooms
  • 8 dried shrimps
  • 6 dried scallop
  • .3 cup peas
  • .3 cup corn
  • .3 cup chopped carrot
  • 1 Tbsp dried shallots/onion
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • .25 tsp white pepper

Instructions

  1. Soak rice overnight. Separate from the rice, soak the shrimp and scallop overnight as well.
  2. Steam rice for 20 minutes.
  3. Chop sausage, mushroom, shrimps, scallop.
  4. Over high heat, fry mushroom until aromatic. Then add shrimps and scallop, fry for 2 minutes. Add sausage, fry for 2 more minutes.
  5. Except for the rice, sugar, and pepper, add the rest of the ingredients, fry for at least 5 minutes over high heat.
  6. Over medium heat, add rice and fry for about 5 minutes.
  7. Add sugar and pepper.

Shanghai Savory Mooncakes (鲜肉月饼)

yields 24 mooncakes

Shanghai Savory Mooncakes (鲜肉月饼)

Ingredients

  • flour/water dough (水皮)
    • 2 cup flour
    • .3 cup oil
    • .75 cup water
    • .3 tsp salt
  • cake flour dough (油皮)
    • .75 cup cake flour
    • .3 cup oil
  • filling
    • 350 g ground pork
    • 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp sesame oil
    • 2 Tbsp tapioca starch
    • 1 Tbsp sugar
    • 1 Tbsp ginger
    • 2 Tbsp green onion
    • 2 Tbsp rice wine
    • 2 Tbsp water
    • .25 tsp chicken powder
    • .25 tsp white pepper
  • egg wash
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 tsp water
  • sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Mix flour/water dough ingredients, let sit for 20 minutes.
  2. Mix cake flour dough ingredients, also let sit for 20 minutes.
  3. While waiting for the doughs, mix the filling ingredients.
  4. Split the flour/water dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then use rolling pin to roll into a 1-1.5 inch wide, 3 inch long strip.
  5. On each strip, put a thin layer of the cake flour dough mixture.
  6. For each strip, place it with the shorter side closest to you. Roll the strip into a tube. Then turn the tube 90 degrees (so the circular part of the tube is closest to you). Roll it flat, once again into an approximately 1-1.5 inch wide, 3 inch long strip.
  7. Repeat step 6 2 times.
  8. Roll each piece into a ball. Flatten into a circle with a rolling pin.
  9. Put filling in each piece of dough. To close the dough, make folds (instructions). Place the mooncake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with the folds on the bottom (smooth side facing up).
  10. Mix the egg wash ingredients. Use a brush to spread egg wash on each mooncake. Sprinkle sesame seeds on each mooncake.
  11. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.

Green Onion Pancake (葱油饼)

yields 5 pancakes

Green Onion Pancake

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cup flour
  • 1 cup chopped green onion
  • 6 Tbsp oil
  • .25 cup boiling water
  • .25 cup cold water
  • .5 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Mix 1 cup of flour with the boiling water.
  2. Add 1 cup of flour and cold water to the mixture from step 1.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining flour, salt, 4 Tbsp of oil.
  4. Let sit for 40 minutes.
  5. For the flour and water mixture (dough), divide into 5 portions. For each piece, use a rolling pin to roll into .3 mm thick circles.
  6. Spread the flour/salt/oil mixture over each piece of dough. Scatter the chopped green onion over each piece of dough.
  7. Roll up each piece of dough. You should have 5 tubes.
  8. Then roll up each tube into a spiral to end up with a circle shape.
  9. Cover all the pancakes with a wet cloth, let sit for 20 minutes.
  10. Uncover, gently use a rolling pin to smooth out the surface.
  11. Fry each pancake over medium heat using the remaining oil.

Mooncake Filling (月饼馅)

Purple Yam Paste (紫薯馅)

Ingredients

  • 3 lb purple yam
  • 1 cup sugar
  • .75 cup oil
  • 90 ml condensed milk

Instructions

  1. Boil yams for 15 minutes. Peel off skin.
  2. Mash the yams.
  3. Add sugar, oil, condensed milk, cook over medium heat until moisture removed and no steam coming out (typically at least 30 minutes).

Notes

  • Very important to make filling as dry as possible, otherwise the mooncake will be soggy.

Mung Bean Filling (绿豆沙)

Ingredients

  • 14 oz peeled mung bean
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbsp corn starch
  • 4 Tbsp condensed milk
  • .6 cup oil

Instructions

  1. Boil mung beans until soft. Drain water.
  2. Add everything, cook until moisture gone (about 30 minutes).

Red Bean Filling (红豆沙)

Ingredients

  • 12 oz red bean
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 Tbsp corn starch
  • 4 Tbsp condensed milk
  • .6 cup oil

Instructions

  1. Boil mung beans until soft. Drain water.
  2. Add everything, cook until moisture gone (about 30 minutes).

Traditional Mooncake (广式月饼)

yields about 20 mooncakes

Traditional Mooncake

Equipment

  • mooncake mold

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cup flour
  • .25 cup oil
  • .6 cup agave nectar
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • .5 tsp baking soda
  • 60 oz. filling
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp water

Instructions

  1. Mix flour, oil, agave nectar, water, and baking soda until it forms a dough.
  2. Split into 20 g pieces of dough. Throw away remainder.
  3. Split filling into 80 g pieces, roll each into a sphere.
  4. For each piece of dough, use rolling pin to roll into a circle. Wrap around filling, press with mold.
  5. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, bake at 400 F for 6 minutes.
  6. Mix the egg yolk and water, brush the mixture on all of the mooncakes.
  7. Adjust the temperature to 350 F, bake for 7 minutes.
  8. Brush the egg yolk water mixture on all of the mooncakes
  9. Continue baking at 350 F for 5 minutes.
  10. Broil for 5 minutes.
  11. Let mooncakes cool down.
  12. Put in a sealed container at room temperature for at least 24 hours.

Notes

  • Optional to add salted egg yolk to the filling, but then the combined weight of the filling and egg yolk for a single mooncake must be 80 g.

Snow Skin Mooncake (冰皮月饼)

Yields 16-20 mooncakes

Snow Skin Mooncake

Equipment

  • mooncake molds

Ingredients

  • .5 cup glutinous rice flour for cooking
  • .5 cup glutinous rice flour
  • .5 cup rice flour
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2.5 Tbsp oil
  • 180 ml milk
  • desired filling

Instructions

  1. Over low heat, cook 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour.
  2. Mix everything in a bowl except for the cooked glutinous rice flour from step 1.
  3. Place bowl in steamer, steam for 25-30 minutes. Let it cool.
  4. Put mixture on plastic wrap, divide into 16 pieces rolled into spheres (or desired number of mooncakes) cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
  5. For each mooncake, you should have about 15 g of the skin, and 30 g of filling.
  6. Make 16 spheres of filling, about 30 g each.
  7. When wrapping each mooncake, take one piece of the dough (make sure the rest of the dough pieces are still covered in plastic wrap).
  8. Make a well in the dough sphere with one finger, put the filling in that well and carefully wrap the dough to cover the filling.
  9. Coat the mooncake with the cooked glutinous rice flour, and then use the mold to form the mooncake shape.
  10. Use a brush to remove excess flour.

Notes

  • Very important to cool the mixture in step 3.
  • For step 8, alternative is to roll the dough into a flat circle, but it will be difficult to wrap the dough around the filling. Making a well guarantees a thin, even layer of dough.

Sweet and Sour Pork Spare Ribs (糖醋排骨）

Sweet and Sour Pork Spare Ribs

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs pork ribs
  • 2 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar (zhen jiang vinegar)
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 5 slices ginger
  • 3 scallions
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp tapioca starch

Instructions

  1. Wash then boil pork for 5 minutes.
  2. Wash again. Over high heat, fry ginger in some oil until fragrant. Add pork ribs, fry until meat starts browning.
  3. Except for sugar and tapioca starch, add everything else. Turn heat down to low, cook for 30 minutes.
  4. Add sugar. Mix tapioca starch with some water, add to pan.
  5. When the sauce thickens, add chopped scallions. Stir fry for 2 minutes.

Steamed Vegetable Buns

24 small buns, 16 regular sized buns

Steamed Vegetable Buns

Equipment

  • steamer

Ingredients

Dough
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp active yeast
Filling
  • 2 lbs bok choy (2 heads)
  • 25 g shiitake mushrooms
  • 25 g hei mu er (optional)
  • 25 g bamboo (optional)
  • 25 g wheat gluten/peanut gluten (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • .5 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
  • .5 tsp chicken powder
  • 2 scallions

Instructions

  1. Mix warm water, yeast, and sugar. Cover with a wet cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Add flour and baking powder to yeast mixture. Knead dough. Cover with a wet cloth and let rise for 1 hour.
  3. Make filling. In boiling water, blanch bok choy for 15 seconds. Put bok choy into ice water to cool down. Squeeze out excess water, chop into small pieces. After cutting, squeeze out excess water again.
  4. Mix all filling ingredients.
  5. Split the dough into desired number of buns.
  6. For each bun 1.5 Tbsp filling for small buns, 2 Tbsp for regular sized buns.
  7. Make 12-15 folds when wrapping each bun (folding instructions).
  8. Cover with a wet cloth and let rise for 25 minutes.
  9. Steam over boiling water for 6 minutes

Notes

  • For cutting the bok choy, it is better to use a knife rather than a food processor, because otherwise the filling is too wet.

Pan-fried Pork Bun (生煎包）

24 buns

Pan-fried Pork Bun

Ingredients

Dough
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp active yeast
Filling
  • 16 oz ground pork
  • 2 scallions
  • 4 slices ginger
  • .25 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
  • .25 tsp white pepper
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp rice/cooking wine
  • 1.5 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp tapioca starch

Instructions

  1. Mix warm water, yeast, sugar. Cover with a wet cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Mix yeast mixture with baking powder and flour. Knead dough. Cover with a wet cloth and let rise for 1 hour.
  3. Mix filling, let sit for at least half an hour.
  4. Split dough into 24 pieces.
  5. With a rolling pin, roll each piece into a circle, .3 mm thickness. Make middle of circle thicker than the edges.
  6. Put a little more than 1 Tbsp of filling in each.
  7. Wrap with 18 folds (folding instructions).
  8. On outside of each bun, brush oil then place in pan. Make sure the buns are all touching (if not touching, the buns will flatten); the oil is to prevent the buns from sticking to each other.
  9. Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
  10. Then add 1 cup hot water (submerge bottom fourth of the buns).
  11. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  12. Add 1 tsp of oil to the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes, moving pan back and forth to prevent sticking, and to get oil on bottom of each bun.
  13. Sprinkle chopped scallion and sesame seeds on top.

Notes

  • fill the pan when frying (buns should be touching), if there are spaces the buns will flatten

Chinese Sesame Bread with Scallions (芝麻大饼）

Chinese Sesame Bread with Scallions

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp active yeast
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • .75 cup warm water
  • .5 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp oil, and 2 tsp extra oil
  • sesame seeds
  • 6 scallions

Instructions

  1. Mix yeast, water, sugar. Cover with a wet cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Add everything except sesame seeds and scallions. Knead dough. Cover with a wet cloth and let sit for 1 hour.
  3. Roll out dough into a rectangle, 0.4 mm thickness. Brush with extra oil, sprinkle chopped scallions on top.
  4. Roll into a tube, then roll tube into a spiral.
  5. Flatten the spiral using a rolling pin, so the top is smooth.
  6. Put dough in an oiled pan, Cover with a wet cloth and let rise for 1 hour.
  7. Spray water on top, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  8. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  9. Flip, cook for 3 minutes.
  10. Cut like a pizza to serve.

Notes