Yu Xiang means “fish-fragrant” in Mandarin, but I’ve avoided using the direct translation in this title to avoid confusion – there’s no fish in this vegan dish, much like there’s no seafood in hoisin (Cantonese for “seafood”) sauce. “Fish-fragrant” references the fact that the sweet, sour and spicy combination in the sauce is often used in fish dishes.

I’ve made this dish a number of times, varying the recipe on each occasion (tossing the eggplant with tapioca starch vs coating it with batter, mixing the sauce ingredients like a salad dressing vs thickening it in a saucepan vs frying the garlic first).

By the way, I’m not sure if it’s a Western thing, but I’ve never felt the need to pre-salt my eggplant (and neither has my Malaysian fellow foodie Selena Fong) – which conveniently cuts 30 minutes off the time it takes to cook this dish.

Szechuan Crispy Eggplant With Yu Xiang Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggplants, cut into chunks

Batter –

100g tapioca starch (or cornstarch)

100g rice flour

100ml water

½ tsp salt

Oil for deep-frying

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2 TBSP oil

1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns

2 TBSP garlic, minced

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Sauce –

3 TBSP black vinegar

1 TBSP ground bean paste

2 TBSP sugar

1 TBSP light soya sauce

1 TBSP dark soya sauce

1 tsp chilli flakes

Sliced green onion for garnishing

METHOD:

1. Combine batter ingredients and mix well with a whisk or in a blender.
2. Heat oil to 180C. Dip eggplant pieces in batter, then deep-fry for a minute or so, or until they float to the surface and are crispy.
3. Remove and drain on paper towels or in a sieve.
4. Combine sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl.
5. In a separate frying pan, heat 2 TBSP oil, then add Szechuan peppercorns and lightly brown. Remove peppercorns and lightly pound and set aside.
6. Add garlic to the oil and saute until aromatic, then add the sauce ingredients and the crushed peppercorns. Simmer until slightly thickened, then add the eggplant pieces and mix to coat.
7. Remove, garnish with sliced green onion, and serve.

The post How to Cook Szechuan Crispy Eggplant With Yu Xiang Sauce first appeared on Jackie M..

Red bean paste filling is popularly used in Chinese snacks, from steamed buns to mooncakes; here are some examples of what I’ve been using my most recent batch in, with recipes to follow in my upcoming posts –

You can buy canned red bean paste filling at Asian grocery stores, but I like the idea of making my own when I can; it’s pretty easy especially if you have a pressure cooker and a food processor on hand.

This recipe is one from Cecilia J. Au-Yang’s Chopsticks Recipes Dim Sum cookbook series from 30 years ago, with tweaks.

Red Bean Paste Filling

INGREDIENTS:

500g red beans

8 cups water

500g brown sugar

2 cups vegetable oil

METHOD:

1. Combine red beans with water and cook in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes or in a saucepan for about an hour.
2. Remove and blend into a smooth paste in a food processor (I use my Thermomix).
3. Combine sugar and red bean paste in a non-stick wok and fry on low to moderate heat, adding oil gradually.
4. Cook until most of the moisture has evaporated and it’s a thick porridgy consistency. Remove and allow to cool, then refrigerate or freeze until use.

The post How to Make Red Bean Paste first appeared on Jackie M..

Kuih Bingka Ubi or Baked Cassava Cake is about as simple a Malay kuih as you can make, and the bonus is that it’s gluten-free. If you’re based in Sydney, you should be able to find grated cassava easily in the freezer section of Indian and well-stocked Asian grocery stores – it’s a definite timesaver.

BTW I know I’ve posted this recipe on this website previously; this version is based on baking it in an oven as opposed to an air-fryer. I’ve also made some tweaks based on the recipe posted in Malay (that’s why it pays to be multi-lingual, folks) at Resepi Bonda.

Cassava Cake (Kuih Bingka Ubi)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups grated cassava
• 1 ½ cups coconut cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

METHOD:

1. Combine all ingredients except butter, and pour into a greased 8-inch baking tray.
2. Dot the surface of the cake with butter.
3. Bake for 60 minutes at 200°C or until done.
4. Allow to cool before cutting into slices to serve.

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The post How to Make Kuih Bingka Ubi (Baked Cassava Cake) first appeared on Jackie M..