Wanton Noodle with Pork Dumpling (Sui Kow Mein)

 

Sui Kow Mein (Jan 2011)

My late Granny (Mum's mum) had Sui Kow Dumpling Noodle Soup at least once a week when she stayed with us. She has a favourite stall which was always packed and could always tell if we cheated and bought from another. Everytime I visit the stall now, ironically I think of Granny and how she'd look me square in the eye and say "This is not my Sui Kow Mein." After tasting her beloved Sui Kow, I knew why people kept going back for more.

Keeping it simple

I suppose you could make a complicated Sui Kow or keep it simple with the basic main ingredients of a decent dumpling. Sui Kow dumplings are different from other Chinese dumplings because the filling is a mixture of meat/prawns/fish paste and some sort of crunchy vegetable (ie. carrot, water chestnuts, etc) Usually it's wrapped into a half moon shape but as you see in my picture, I've wrapped some in a gold nugget shape to differentiate the meat and the seafood only dumplings.

Wrapped & Ready!

Sui Kow checked but what about the noodle? Wantan noodles are so readily available in the markets. If possible get some fresh ones as the frozen ones tend to break easily. I shall look forward to making my own noodles soon.

Sui Kow Recipe (to make 12 sui kows)

Ingredients:
1 packet of fresh dumpling skin
400gm pork mince (not too lean)
100g prawns, shelled & chopped coarsely
1/2 cup of carrots, chopped finely
1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped coarsely

Seasoning:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp of sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
A few drops of sesame oil / cooked garlic oil

Method:

1. Remove the dumpling skin sheet by sheet.
2. Mix all the ingredients with seasoning well. Use your hand if possible to feel the texture. You should have a slightly sticky springy texture.
3. Add 2 spoonful of filling in the middle of the dumpling skin.
4. Fold the skin upwards to meet the other end. Wet your finger and run it along the edge inside the dumpling skin. Press firmly and you should have a half-moon shaped dumpling in your hands.
5. When all is done, you can choose to boil the dumplings in soup or deepfry in a wok.

Putting the noodle together:

1. Blanch the noodle in hot water for 1 min, then immediately remove and dunk it into cold water. Remove from cold water and put the noodle back into the hot water for a few seconds. Drain away water.
2. To make the sauce for one serving of noodle, add 1 tsp of oyster sauce, 1 tsp of soy sauce, 1/2 tsp of dark soy sauce, 1 tsp cooked shallot oil and a dash of pepper onto a plate. 
3. Place  noodle the plate and mix well with sauce. 
4. You can see from my picture that I have also made a simple minced meat to be served with my noodles.

Vietnamese Fresh Salad Roll

Gui Cuon or Vietnamese Fresh Salad Roll (Jan 2012)

I LOVE Vietnamese food! Simple & refreshing yet dense & vibrant at the same time! How do you beat that food that taste like that?

I learned to make Goi Cuon, as the Salad Roll is called, from my Vietnamese housemate, Marissa, in Brisbane. At her quaint little wooden house in an eclectic West End, Marissa took me under her wings and taught me the essentials of Vietnamese street cuisine. Not far away, her parents' house smelled like basil & mint and there's always a large pot of beef stock simmering away in the kitchen! Anyone can have pho bo (beef noodle soup) no matter what time it was! See how my thoughts roam when it comes to food? Can you focus on the spring rolls first, dear brain?

Gui Cuon with Prawn

Goi Cuon is great if you've had too much oily food and want to cleanse your body (Well, it feels like it anyway!) The key to a good Gui Cuon is not the roll itself. Everyone can make the roll but it is the dipping sauce! Usually, the rolls are served with peanut sauce dipping but I just love Nuoc Cham, the fish sauce dipping. I've provided both recipes for you to enjoy!

Salad Roll Recipe:

Ingredients:

Rice Paper (I prefer to use the "Rose" brand")

Thin Rice Noodle (Mee Hoon)

Lettuce Leaf

Chives

Mint leaves

Beansprout

Carrots, shredded

Peanuts (roasted lightly and crushed)

Additional ingredients:

Thinly sliced cooked pork belly

Blanched prawns, shelled

Nuoc Cham Sauce: (for a rice bowl serving)

3 tbsp fish sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bird's eye chili (cili padi), chopped finely

Lime Juice

Peanut Dipping Sauce:

Hoisin Sauce

Crushed Peanut

A lil warm water ( to thin sauce)

Method:

1. Soak & blanch mee hoon.
2. Clean & dry vegetables.
3. First, soak rice paper into hot water until it softens. Place it on a dry surface
4. Place ingredients in the centre of the rice paper in this order for nice presentation: Meat/prawn, lettuce leaf, mint, noodle, peanut, carrot, chives.
5. Roll it as you would with any other spring roll.

Mmm... I just realised that it's hard to describe the process without showing you! Do look out in the near future as I shall make an effort to provide you with step by step pictures!