Luffa or petola (勝瓜) egg drop soup

This is a simple, easy-to-cook and absolutely delicious soup. TCM recommends having 5 food colours at each meal but I only managed 4. Fortunately, the steamed rice will make the 5^th colour. LOL

Sin qua (勝瓜) is a dark green elongated melon with ridges that run lengthwise making the skin rough and angular. It is called luffa, Chinese okra, angled luffa and ridged gourd in English and, petola in Malay. It should be eaten when it is young otherwise the flesh becomes quite fibrous when allowed to fully ripen. The spongy flesh is sweet and the seeds have a very soft texture. It is loaded with nutrients such as dietary fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, B and C. It is useful for treating and preventing colds, for nasal swelling and sinus problems. It can help restore absent menstrual periods and increase milk flow in nursing mothers. Some people use it for arthritic and muscle pain.

Ingredients

1 sin qua

1 egg

3 pieces wan yee

A few kei chi

Soak the wan yee and break into smaller pieces

Oh oh I bought an old sin qua today

Look at the big seeds when I cut it, they felt very fibrous

This is what a young sin qua looks like

The seeds are soft and small and the flesh is spongy

Prepare the soup stock

Put in all the ingredients (except the egg) as they all cook very fast

Cook on low heat for 5 minutes

Beat up the egg and pour it slowly into the soup

Turn off the fire so that the egg will not get overcooked

An alternative way to cook the petola soup.

This is another way to cook soup with this vegetable. In fact, the children prefer the soup cooked this way.

Cut the petola slantwise into fairly thin slices then julienne the slices.

Put the petola into a container with 2 eggs.

Prepare the soup stock.

Once the stock is boiling, add the petola and let it soften.

Beat up the eggs.

Lower the fire and slowly pour in the egg.
Add seasoning and the soup is ready.

Serve hot with rice. 

Mui choi kau yuk (梅菜扣肉)

This is a traditional Hakka dish which is absolutely delicious. In fact it is even better the next day. My grandma used to cook a big pot of mui chye but somehow she never added pork in it. I normally cook mui chye with Chinese roast pork because my previous attempts at cooking the kau yuk were absolute failures. Then a friend in Beijing taught me how to do it and so here it is.

Mui chye (梅菜) is mustard green vegetable that is salted and dried under the sun. There are 2 types - sweet mui chye (甜梅菜) which is brownish in colour and salted mui chye (咸梅菜) which is dark green in colour. It is best to mix them so that the dish will not be too salty.

Ingredients 

500g pork belly

50g sweet mui chye

150g salted mui chye

8 cloves roasted garlic (more fragrant)

It is easier to wash out the salt if you soak it without removing the leaves from the stem

Change the water frequently until it is clear

Remove the leaves from the stem and squeeze them dry

If the leaves are very big, halve them length wise so that it will not tangle when cooked

Remove the hard ends of the stems and finely slice the mui chye

Finely chop 2 cloves garlic and fry till fragrant

Most people fry the vegetable dry but I like to fry with oil so that it is smoother and more fragrant

Add the mui chye and stir making sure that the vegetable is thoroughly coated with the oil

Add 2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

Mix thoroughly

Transfer the vegetables into a slow cooker.

Add enough water to cover the mui chye.

Put in 6 whole cloves of garlic and some pepper.

Simmer over low heat for about 2 hours

Blanch the meat to remove any scum

Place the pork on the chopping board and let it dry so that it will not splatter when fried

Heat up some oil and fry the pork

Remove and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to go back into the pork

Cut into fairly thick slices

Put the meat at the bottom and cover with the mui chye

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours

Take the pork out of the slow cooker

Arrange the pork skin side down in a heat proof bowl

Scoop the mui chye on top of the pork

Do not put in all the gravy otherwise it will be difficult to turn it over later

Cover with tin foil, shiny side next to the food

This is to prevent water dripping onto the mui chye

Steam on low fire for 2 hours or more if you prefer

Take the bowl out and place on a towel so that it will be easier to hold when turning it over

Remove the tin foil

Put the plate over the bowl

Flip it over

Remove the bowl and there it is ready to be served

Stir fried dou miao (pea shoots) with garlic slices

Have you ever tried pea shoots? Just stir fry with garlic and you have a delicious side dish with steamed rice. I tend to fry it a little longer because the children don’t like the raw taste. You can actually grow your own sprouts if you like it.

 Dou miao (豆苗) are called pea shoots or sweet pea sprouts. They are the young leaves and tendrils of the pea plant usually sugar snap peas. They are crunchy with a delicate and sweet flavour and actually taste just like peas. They are a great source of folate, vitamins A and C as well as antioxidants.

Ingredients

3 packs of dou miao (pea shoots)

5 cloves of garlic

Soak the pea shoots in rice water for 5 minutes

Rinse and drain the water

Slice the garlic

Heat 3 tbsp oil in the wok and fry the garlic until slightly brown

Remove and keep aside

Leave about 1 tbsp oil in the wok and put in the pea shoots

Mix thoroughly in the oil

Add a little water and make a well in the centre and put salt and pepper into it

Stir to properly mix it with the vegetable

Add the fried garlic or use it as a garnish