Fried Udon Mee

Udon are thick noodles, a type of thick wheat-based noodle popular in Japanese cuisine.

It looks somewhat like the thick yellow mee which we use in the Fried Hokkien mee. Udon is usually served hot as noodle soup in a mildly flavored broth. However, I normally fry it with black pepper sauce as it is one of my daughter's favorite noodles.

Fried Udon Mee




5 pkts Udon noodles
300 gm cabbage
100 gm pork, sliced thin
100 gm prawns, shelled
2 slices of fish cake, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 shallots, sliced
1/2 tsp shredded ginger
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp black pepper sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp black sauce
2 cup water

1. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in the wok.
2. Fry the ginger and shallots till golden brown.
3. Add in the chopped garlic and saute till fragrant.
4. Fry the prawns till just cooked and dish out.
5. Fry the pork with some salt.
6. Mix in the cabbage and stir fry for 2 minutes.
7. Add 1/2 cup water and cover for a minute.
8. Loosen the udon and add in.
9. Mix the black pepper sauce, black sauce and soya sauce with remaining water.
10. Pour in the sauce mixture.
11. Add back the prawns and mix everything together.
12. Serve the udon hot.

Char Siew Fried Rice

My family loves to eat fried rice, whatever style. So we normally have fried rice about once a fortnight. For fried rice, it is better to use leftover rice, if there is any, otherwise freshly cooked rice have to be cooled before frying.

Today, I'm using char siew to fry the rice. Char siew is a sweet, red, barbecued pork popular in Cantonese cuisine. It's normally made with pork shoulder or belly. The meat is marinated in a combination of honey, five-spice powder, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and rice wine. Maltose and red food coloring give the pork its glazed, red appearance.

Char Siew Fried Rice


5 bowls of leftover rice
200 gm char siew (barbequed pork), chopped fine
100 gm mixed vegetables
3 shallots, sliced
1/2 tsp shredded ginger
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp cooking oil
3 tbsp char siew sauce
4 eggs
Salt, pepper

1. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon oil in the wok.
2. Fry the ginger and shallots till golden brown.
3. Add in the minced garlic and saute till fragrant.
4. Fry the char siew till aromatic and dish out.
5. Add the mixed vegetables and stir fry a minute
6. Add the rice, sesame oil and some salt, break up any crumbs while frying.
7. Mix in the char siew and sauce.
8. Push the rice mixture to the side of the wok.
9. Add remaining oil in the center of wok and break the eggs in slowly.
10. Sprinkle some pepper and salt into the eggs.
11. Stir the eggs together with the rice, mixing them well.
12. Serve hot with cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes.

Lotus Root Soup

The lotus root is also known as lin gnao in Cantonese. Lotus root soup has been served by Chinese families for generations. My mother always have this soup for the reunion dinner every Chinese new year.

Lotus roots are the cylindrical brown or beige rhizomes that come from the lotus flowers. They are normally used to make soup but sometimes can be stir- or deep-fried. For the soup, we use the old roots while the young ones are often fried with meat or vegetarian dishes. The lotus roots contain much nutritional value such as iron and vitamins B & C and a host of other benefits.

Lotus Root Soup



500gm lotus root
200 gm spareribs or lean meat
2 litre water
100 gm groundnuts, washed
1 piece dried orange peel, 5 cm long
1 small beet root (optional)
6 red dates, pitted
1/2 tsp salt

1. Wash the lotus roots thoroughly, making sure there is no soil in the holes.
2. Remove the skin by scraping and discard the ends.
3. Cut the roots cross-wise into 1/2 cm thick.
4. Put all the ingredients into the pressure cooker.
5. Boil over high heat till you can see the second red indicator ring.
6. Switch to very low heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Serve hot with rice.

Seaweed Soup

The seaweed has many nutritional qualities. It is a rich source of antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, and the vitamins B1 (thiamine, which keeps nerves and muscle tissue healthy), B2 (riboflavin, which helps the body to absorb iron and is therefore good for anaemics) and vitamin B12.

Whenever I run out of the regular soup to cook in the daily menu, this is the soup that will save the day. It is very easy to cook and the children just love it.

Seaweed Soup



50 gm dried seaweed, purple variety
50 gm pork, cut into strips
3 pieces seafood tofu, cut to smaller pieces
1 teaspoon toong choy (preserved Chinese cabbage)
1 teaspoon tapioca flour
1 thumb-size ginger, smashed
salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ liter water

1. Marinate the pork with salt, soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil.
2. Place toong choy, ginger and water into the pot and bring to boil.
3. Toss pork in tapioca flour and stir into stock.
4. Add in the tofu.
5. Rinse the seaweed just before adding in.
6. Bring to boil.
7. Stir in the egg and add salt to taste.
8. Serve hot with a dash of pepper.

Stir-fried Japanese Cucumber

The cucumber is a fruit from the same gourd family as the pumpkin and zucchini. It is crisp, cool, and juicy and can be eaten raw, or cooked. When choosing cucumbers, select the firm, unblemished ones that are rounded at the tips and heavy for their size. Go for those that are relatively small and slender as these often have better flavor and fewer seeds.

The cucumber has many health benefits. Its diuretic, cooling and cleansing properties can help to reduce heat and inflammation and heal skin problems.

Today I'm using the Japanese cucumbers or kyûri for my recipe. This is a dark green cucumber with quite a bumpy skin. People normally used it for slicing, salads and pickling.

Stir-fried Japanese Cucumber



3 pieces Japanese cucumber, sliced angular
1 piece thin yellow tofu, sliced
100 gm prawns
1oo gm carrot, sliced
1 piece fish cake, sliced
1 teaspoon ginger, shredded
2 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoon oil
salt, pepper,sugar, water

1. Heat oil in the wok and toss fry the tofu till golden brown.
2. Drain and dish out.
3. Saute the ginger, shallots and garlic till fragrant.
4. Fry the prawns for a minute and dish out.
5. Fry the carrot and fish cake for a minute.
6. Add the cucumber and stir fry with some salt, sesame oil and oyster sauce for a minute, adding in 2 tablespoon water.
7. Mix in the prawn and tofu.
8. Sprinkle in some pepper and sugar for taste.
9. Serve hot with rice.