Hot & Sour Soup with Vermicelli

Hot and sour soup

These days, I try to stock up on lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves when I shop at the oriental store, making sure I never run out of them. Lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves freeze well so it is great to have them at hand as it is a staple in most south-east asian food. Lemongrass itself has multiple benefits. This natural ingredient has anti-cancer properties, high in anti-oxidant which also helps prevent cancer, reduces cholesterol, helps rid of cold and fever, and many more benefits. The juice of lemongrass is also used as insect repellent. I know this because each time I visit Tropical Spice Garden in Penang, the staff there would have us spray lemongrass juice on our bare legs and arms. There are lots of mosquitoes hidden between those tropical bushes so to prevent from leaving the garden with dozens of mosquito bites, bare with the smell and spray them all over you if you are going anywhere near a tropical forest or garden. It does help you enjoy the beautiful surroundings than to be annoyed being bitten by those tiny evil creatures.

HOW TO MAKE LEMONGRASS TEA:

Boil about 4 stalks of lemongrass in a pot of water. Make sure you bruise and split them in halves so the lemongrass will infuse a lot faster. I have not measured nor timed this process so depending on how strong you would like the tea to be, add water accordingly. Let it boil and simmer for about an hour. Once ready, pour into teacups and serve with honey or sugar.





HOT & SOUR SOUP WITH VERMICELLI RECIPE
serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 3 stalk lemon grass (bruised)


• 5 kaffir lime leaves


• 2-3 bird's eye chilli


• 15g shallots


• 5 cloves garlic (peeled & bruised)


• 2 inch ginger (peeled & sliced)


• 2 stalks celery


• 2 large carrots


• 2 large tomato (cut into wedges)


• 250g mixed seafood (prawn, squid, mussels)


• 1 litre boiled water


• 1 chicken bouillon cube


• 2 large lime (juice only)


• 1 1/2 tbs palm sugar


• Salt & ground white pepper to taste


• Coriander (as garnish)

• Vermicelli

1. Heat the pot with some oil and partially cook the seafood. Remove from pot and set aside.


2. Saute the onions, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, chillies and ginger in the same pot until fragrant.


3. Add in water and let boil for a few minutes, turn the heat down to let the lemongrass flavour infuse into the soup.


4. The celery, carrots and tomato is then added into the pot, together with the bouillon cube.


5. Let the soup simmer on medium to low heat fora bout an hour and until vegetables are soft.


6. While waiting for the soup to be ready, cook the vermicelli in hot water for 1 minute and drain.


7. Divide the drained vermicelli in separate bowls.


8. Squeeze some lime juice into the soup. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste.


9. Tip the seafood into the hot soup to heat them up.


10. Ladle soup over the noodles and garnish with coriander. You can add a few slices of red chilli if you like, just to give some colour and contrast.

Continue

Sambal Heh Bee (Dried Prawn Sambal)

My memories of 'Sambal Heh Bee' brings me back to the aroma that came from the kitchen. The pungent aroma would fill up the whole house. There was no escape. Not only did I not escape, I went into the kitchen, the source of all evil. I would watch my aunt patiently pound the ingredients with the heavy pestle and mortar until they become a paste. Then when she toss everything in to the hot wok, the smell starts to build up. Westerners might not like the smell at first but I was so used to the smell, I love it! But please don't be put off by that cause it tastes fantastic!!

Now I have an overload of 'Sambal Heh Bee'!! :D

SAMBAL HEH BEE RECIPE

Ingredients:

To blend finely:

• 300g red onions


• 1 bulb garlic


• 4 fresh red chillies (de-seed)


• 8 dried chillies (de-seed and soak in hot water)


• 4 stalks lemongrass


• 6 kaffir lime leaves


• 2 tsp tumeric powder / thumb size fresh tumeric


• 2 tsp tamarind paste


• 2 tbs water

• 300g dried shrimps (wash and soak in hot water)


• 4 - 5 tbs oil


• 4 tbs sugar


• 1 tsp sea salt

Method:

1. Coarsely pound the soaked dried shrimps or blend it slightly. Make sure they are not fine to give it texture.


2. Set the dried shrimp aside.


3. Blend the onion, garlic, chillies, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind paste and water into a fine paste. This blended paste will be slightly wet because of the 2 tbs of water that was added to make blending easier.


4. Cook this paste without oil until it dries up. Add a tablespoon of oil and the coarsely pounded dried shrimps into the wok.


5. Slowly add the oil in as you cook to make sure it does not stick to the wok.


6. Let it cook for about 30 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.


7. Add the sugar and salt.


8. At this stage, the sugar added will caramelise so it will burn easily. Remember to stir.


9. Let it cook for another 15 minutes or so until it is caramelised and becomes a deeper brownish red.


10. Serve as is or cook with something else.


11. There will be plenty left unless you have a big family.


12. Let it cool before storing in air tight container and refrigerate.

Tips:

• This can be kept in the freezer. Thaw before use.


• Sambal heh bee is very versatile. Stir fry with vegetables or sprinkle on top of steamed tofu. It is tastes good when fried with rice.

Sambal Heh Bee

Make a simple omelette by stir frying the 'Sambal Heh Bee' with oil until fragrant. Then add in the eggs and cook till just set and flip. Top with a scoop of 'Sambal Heh Bee'. So simple yet so delicious.

Continue