Inspiration

I was inspired by Min's Kuay Chap and got me drooling on that for weeks. Finally got a chance to whip up this dish.

I braised pork belly, beancurd, tau pok and eggs. Though I didn't get the tradition noodle (the white, broad flat noodle), I improvised it with normal kuay teow.

Traditionally, included in this dish will have pig's small and big intestines. But cleaning these needs expert hands to do it in order to remove all impurities. So I skipped on this. Then I realised that I didn't have the recipe for the soup for the noodle. I was sent into a panic mode. How can I have a Kuay Chap without the soup!!!

As the Chinese saying goes, zuo dao qiao tou, qiao tou zhi. So here I am, my improvised Kuay Chap. As I noticed that whenever we have Kuay Chap at the stall, hubby always order this salted vegetable called Chai Bei.

I tried my hand at this too.



What you need:

4 large soya bean cakes
2tbsp oil
2tbsp sugar
6 cloves garlic, lightly bashed

Sauce:

2tbsp light soya sauce
4tbsp dark soya sauce
300ml boiling water
1/2tsp salt
600g pork belly, cut into pieces
4 hard boiled eggs
6pcs of tau pok or fried beancurd

Method

Fry soya bean cakes in a pan till lightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Heat a heavy pot and then pour in oil and sugar. Leave till sugar melted and turned light golden brown.

Then add garlic and cook for awhile.

Add sauce ingredients and bring to boil. Put in pork and cook for about 20 minutes or till pork is well done.

Add eggs and simmer for 1/2 hour.

Then add fried soya cakes and tau pok and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add additional water when the gravy becomes too thick and accordingly to your taste (without adding water, gravy will be salty).

Serve hot.

To serve, chop ingredients into pieces and pour some gravy onto the chopped ingredients. May garnish with fried onions and spring onions or chopped coriander.



Chai Bei

What you need:

Salted Vegetable (diced). Get those meant for Chai Bei
1 litre of pork stock
1 bulb of garlic (whole)
Pepper
Fish Sauce

Method

Add 1/2 litre of pork stock to salted vegetable and garlic. Boil for 10 mins.

Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, topping up stock when the water level goes low.

Season to taste



Noodle sauce

What you need:

Braise sauce Water
1 bulb of garlic
3 star anise
5 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Pepper Soya sauce

Method

Put all ingredients together and simmer till garlic turned soft

Season to taste with soya sauce and pepper Add to cooked noodle

My mom has been nagging me about cooking more soup for the family. Saw some watercress at the supermarket and so I prepared Watercress Soup.



What you need

500g pork ribs
3 litre water
400g watercress, washed well, roots cut off
1 tsp salt 3 - 4 honey dates

Method

Wash pork ribs, drain.

Pour hot water over then rinse again.

Heat water in a large pot.

When boiling, add cleaned pork ribs and honey dates. Cover with lid and lower fire.

Simmer for 3 hours until pork is tender.

Add watercress and continue to simmer for another 1 hour.

Add salt to taste.