#ewew cooks Sweet Preserved Radish with Prawns.....& Fish.....& Tofu

As promised, in my previous blog post of "What Can You Cook/Eat with Preserved Radish", I'm sharing my recipe of Sweet Preserved Radish with Prawns which turned out pretty successful even though I winged it.

You see, I've only bought the salty version for cooking but remembered (if I heard correctly) my sister-in-law saying someone told her that a dish of stir-fried prawns with sweet preserved radish tastes really nice.  With that in mind, I went out looking for sweet preserved radish after the wet markets were allowed to open under the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) coz that's when my dry goods supplier is back in action.

So, I managed to buy some....and by that, I really meant "some" coz in came in a sealed packet of three. "What am I going to with three packets?", I said to my dry goods supplier.  I only know how to fry omelette with the salty kind of preserved radish I told him.  When he said you can do the same with the sweet type, I was like "ok", I can use up the rest for that if I don't know what else to do with them.

Ingredients:

10 (fairly) large prawns
5 tbsp sweet preserved radish
5 shallots, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks spring onion, chopped
1 or 1/2 a red chilli, finely chopped
A drizzle of dark soy
Salt & white pepper to taste

Preparation:

I prepped the prawns by removing the shells of the body (for ease of eating) but left the head (with tip of prawn head, feelers and legs snipped) and tail intact (for more flavour) or you can choose to remove all the shells.  Make a slit at the back of the prawn to devein.

Method:

I pan-fried the prawns (seasoned with salt & white pepper) first in some oil and took them out once they're almost done.

Then, I sauteed some chopped shallots (till translucent) in some oil before adding green onions (white parts only) and chopped garlic.

Add the sweet preserved radish and fry all the aromatics till fragrant before finally adding chopped spring onions (the green parts) and chillies at the last minute.  Note that you can agak-agak the quantity for the aromatics as slightly more or less wouldn't affect the outcome a great deal.

At this point, put the prawns back in to toss with a very light drizzle of dark soy (you may add a little light soy and/or oyster sauce if you like yours more on the savoury side).....and it's ready to be served.  Prawns are very good friends with shallots, a lot of them is bound to make any prawn dish tasty.

I've to say I was pretty pleased with the outcome of this dish of Sweet Preserved Radish with Prawns which I cooked (or, should I say, experimented with) for the first time.  I loved the sweet-salty flavours from the preserved radish with the firm, fragrant prawns as a result of them being cooked with condiments of shallots, garlic, green onions and chillies.

The deshelled bodies of the prawns make for easier devouring while the intact heads are excellent vessels to absorb the flavour of the sauce.  Suck on the prawn head if you wish (no-one's judging....hee..hee)! ;)  I sure would...that's how I enjoy my prawns anyway.

I cooked this as one of our dishes for our dinner table.  As you can see, I only attempted to cook a small portion as I didn't want my (fairly) big prawns to go to waste just in case it doesn't turn out well.  In this case, my fears were unfounded as the dish turned out great (must cook a bigger portion next time).

This radish condiment is pretty versatile as I found it to be equally great as a topping for steamed fish.  Just dry fry the shallots, preserved radish, green onions (white parts only), garlic, chillies and spring onions (green parts) in a little oil until fragrant....in that particular order for best results (the preserved radish I thought needed a bit more frying time).  Drizzle a little light (or dark) soy at the end to bring some colour to the topping.

Spoon that over your usual steamed fish with soy + garlic oil and you'll realise that it adds so much more flavour to your fish.  But, more importantly, you can pretty much get away with serving fish that's not super fresh this way as the condiment can mask the slightly less fresh fish to a certain extent.  I'm happy to just eat this alone with plain porridge.  The sweet-salty flavours of the radish topping and soy sauce concoction of the fish goes very well with congee. ^.^

I make this for myself only since no-one in my family likes to eat steamed fish.  That's why you see half a fish steak if you're wondering why the fish is odd-shaped (I get my fishmonger to cut it down the middle when it's a big slice).  Cook this for your family if they happen to be lovers of both congee and steamed fish (I'm confident that they'll love it).

It works equally well as a topping for silken tofu too.  Having it this way is so much better than my previous boring way with just oyster and soy sauce.  It brings a lot more flavour and texture to the bland tofu. ^o^

I added a few drops of dark soy to make the topping even darker.  Besides extra flavour, I think the darker colour stands out (in terms of presentation) against the pristine white of the silken tofu (I'm in chef mode...lol).

Since discovering this delicious condiment, I've cooked it numerous times...usually with steamed fish and silken tofu.  On its own, I eat it with plain porridge.  I believe it's good as a topping on steamed eggs too but I don't make that at home since I suck at steaming eggs as it doesn't turn out smooth and soft like the ones from chap fan stalls.

But if you're feeling a little bit more hardworking, then make it with prawns.  Best of all, there's no hard and fast rule when it comes to the quantity of ingredients used to make up this condiment/sauce.  A little more...or a little less of each ingredient is not a major hoo-ha.  Give it a go and you'll forever be glad that you've found an extra way to enjoy tofu, steamed fish and prawns...or just plain with congee! ^_~

Serves two petite appetites (will cook a bigger portion next time)

Say Hello to a New Furry Family

I've become something like a foster mom recently.....a foster mom to a few furkids that is...a family of three who has moved in to my street recently! ;)  The mommy cat comes to my house (almost on daily basis) for food since I started feeding her (sometimes accompanied by her kittens) as I felt she needed the nourishment to provide milk for her two offsprings.

This cat family actually lives across the street in one of my neighbour's house as I've seen them running in and out of that house (the same house that a little fluffball once thought he found a forever home).  So, one day, I asked the neighbours if the cats belong to them and the man of the house said no.  He said he feeds the mommy cat occasionally and when the cat gave birth to kittens in the house (and he didn't chase them away), she and her litter continued to stay there.  This is not a foreever home for this family and, lately, I've seen the family taking refuge in other houses on our street.

Initially, the mommy cat was unapproachable as she'd run away whenever I come near (the kitties too).  But, after giving her food a couple of times, she seemed to have warmed up to me...but the kittens weren't as trusting (initially).  So, I had to admire them...and their cuteness from afar.

They're very playful at this age and I use to see them playing around outside the neighbour's house under the watchful eyes of their mommy, of course.  I soon came to realise that the two kittens are really good looking felines.

The white kitten is female if I'm correct...and she has gorgeous blue eyes not seen in many cats.  That's why she's beautiful with a nicely striped brownish tail and an almost white-coloured body (that turned slightly light beige as she grew).

The ginger-coloured kitten, on the other hand is male if I'm not mistaken as he's bigger in size with a squarer face + he's ginger-coloured.  I learned this from Google...that male ginger cats are more common than female ginger cats (odds are roughly three males to one female).  It seems the 'ginger gene' that produces the orange colour in cats is from the X chromosone in which female cats have two whereas male cats need only one to become ginger.  Remember the stray ginger male cat I named Sniffles from before who got adopted?

If I don't already have my adorable Cookie, I'd probably adopt one, maybe even both these kittens myself coz I've bumped into many kittens before in my lifetime but none were as pretty as these two (not even Sniffles or the other little furball who came calling).

Then again, I think it's also difficult to adopt a kitten in the same neighbourhood where the mother roams without taking in the mother as well coz as soon as the kitten you adopt is let out of the house, it might find its mother and follow her back (+ it sounds rather cruel to take in just the kittens and not the mother).  But I also know that adopting more than one may be too much to handle for some...both physically (in terms of time and effort) and financially. >_<

Just look at those mesmerising blue eyes!  This one is a little fiesty, she bit my finger when I tried to pick her up before she wriggled free.  Although there's no pain coz she has baby teeth, I could still feel her fangs.

His extra fluffy fur and perfectly formed bushy tail makes him extra cute.  This one is a bit of a scaredy cat, he won't come near (unless his mommy comes along).

How not to fall in love with these two?  The mother is a very young cat herself...almost kitten-like in behaviour (I believe this is her first litter) as I've seen her jumping around and playing with her kittens like she's a sibling instead of their mother.

Now I have to buy even more food (the cheaper kind, of course) to feed this family of three.  Luckily, I've seen another two neighbours a few doors down that also feed the cats so the cost of feeding with them is split among us.

I wish someone would adopt these two kittens so that they can have a forever home that'll love and take care of them coz eventually when they grow up, they'll wander off to find their own territory (especially the male kitten) away from the mother.

And some time later, another pregnant cat (top of photo) joined in the fun too.  Alamak, now I have four cats to feed...and if this soon-to-be mother brings her kittens here as well, I don't know how many more mouths I have to feed...yikes! >.<

Unfortunately, there are more stray cats and kittens looking for forever homes than there are providers of such homes.....and that's the sad truth. T_T

But even sadder....is that many pet owners who do end up adopting some of these strays themselves don't bother to fix their pets which eventually leads to even more unwanted strays.  One case in point is my neighbour's cat, Cowboy, who obviously have not been neutered (look at the size of his ball-ball).

He has come of age now (aka sexually mature/active) and have been spotted chasing after the two females on my street (especially the mommy cat)...haiz.  He's such a nuisance, he's even chasing the kittens (maybe to scare them away from their mother or wean them off her milk in an attempt to get the mommy cat on heat again).  What's worse than a pet lover doing a good deed by adopting a stray...is a pet lover not fixing his/her adopted stray! >_<  Then again, I've seen Cowboy spending a lot of his time roaming outside lately...and the fact that he's now collarless (or bandana-less), I suspect his owner don't care about him anymore and has let him loose. :'(

The sad truth is.....let's face it....looks does matter!  But hope is bright for these two furkids to be adopted by some kind-hearted souls (the mama cat, probably not so much).

They have what we call adoptable colours + they're really adorable, these two, don't you think? ^_~  I first saw them during the MCO in April, so they're probably about 5 months old now (perfect age for adoption).

In the meantime, I'll do what I can....and that is shared responsibility of feeding them.  Hopefully, they'll find forever homes one day.

GravyBaby @ Pavilion

No, I've not dined out yet (at least not at malls, enclosed air-conditioned environments or anything like that yet) but yes, I've dined out already (at mostly non-air-conditioned shops...hee..hee...baby steps!) ;P  So, this is obviously an old (but hopefully not stale)....post! :D  This was some time before Chinese New Year when I was out and about doing some last minute shopping...and was ultimately attracted by the bright lights of stardom GravyBaby @ Pavilion.

I'm not sure how many bulbs were used in the making of their bar and restaurant or what their monthly electricity bill is like but I do know that there are people who are attracted by bright lights! ;D  Well, I know of at least one such person....more on that side story a little later.

Touted to be "famous for cocktails & pies", I obviously went for one of their infamous gravybaby pies since it was only late morning and too early for a cocktail (though some might disagree)...lol! 

I had my pie with an invigorating Fresh Pineapple Juice @ RM13.  It was really good, no complaints at all as it was nicely sweet and lightly sour.

Their extensive menu encompasses a selection of toast, eggs, gourmet breakfasts, tacos, sandwiches & wraps, chicken wings, burgers, pizzas, rustic flatbreads, pastas, steaks, roast chicken, Sunday roast, fish & chips, hot dogs, soups, salads, a grazing menu of light bites, waffles, ice cream, cakes, sweet pies and pudding.

But pies are their speciality and they have a few on their menu like Chicken, Mushroom & Tarragon Pie, Braised Steak & Ale Pie, Lamb Shepherd's Pie, Creamy Fish Pie, Pumpkin & Apricot Pie and Steak & Wild Mushroom Pie.  All pies are priced at RM24 for just Pie & Gravy and RM32 with a choice of Buttery Mash, Chunky Chips or Fries + Peas or BBQ Beans + Gravy.

I chose the Steak & Wild Mushroom Pie @ RM32 with sides of buttery mash and minted mushy peas.  For gravies, you have a selection of Original British Meat Gravy, Traditional Vegetable Gravy or Traditional London East End Parsley Liquor.  This was a much easier choice...I went with the first one as liquor is a no-no (for me) + who wants vegetable gravy, right? ;P

When my food arrived, I was a bit disappointed by the size of the pie in proportion to the mash and peas (which were in bigger portions in comparison to the pie).  The pastry dough of this pie is of a thicker, denser version.  If you're one who prefers a lighter, crisp, flaky pie crust....this one's not for you.

The flavours of the tender, shredded beef/steak wasn't too bad, with bits of carrots and onions, though I found only one piece of fresh button mushroom inside (I can't remember if it was only half or a whole mushroom but I obviously wanted...and needed more!).

The buttery mash wasn't all that buttery...and also not quite as fine and smooth as some I've had before while the minted mushy peas had this unappetising green taste to it.

The Original British Meat Gravy wasn't a standout either with flavours failing to impress.  Worst still was, as the meal progressed, the gravy congealed as it cooled, the gelatinous texture of which made me feel like the sauce had been thickened by some sort of thickening agent and not properly reduced like a good sauce should be.

For the price paid (RM32), I was expecting a little bit more from the pie in terms of portion and taste.  It was as if they were trying to bulk us up with gigantic portions of mash and peas to make up for the size of the pie.  In the end, I left both the mash and peas unfinished as it was just too much + they weren't all that pleasant-tasting (especially the peas!). >_<

Now for my little side story.  When I was seated waiting for my food to arrive, I noticed a young lady walking in to the front of the restaurant.  She whipped out her handphone and took some photos of the place (nothing weird at this point + like I've said before, the bright lights were captivating).  Then she asked one of the service staff to take a photo (maybe photos) of her in the surroundings.  What did you think happened next?  Well, she walked out of the restaurant after that! O_o  I was expecting her to at least sit down and dine there (or have a drink at the minimum) after what transpired.

When I walked in, the place was deserted at that time (except for one other table) and I felt the eyes of the service staff fixated on me, so I was too shy to even take a proper frontage photo of the place (and I was dining there!).  Would you be thick-skinned enough to do something like she did?  Obviously there are people who could and would, especially those who want to be 'seen' at cool and happening places to post on their Facebook and Instagram accounts but too 'cheapskate' to actually dine there...haha! :D  Why not, there are even people who would dice with death just to take a hip photo for social media.

My Personal Opinion

As their menu is so extensive and I've only tried one thing (which, incidentally, is the one thing they're famous for), it's only right that I should reserve my judgement on them but I'm sure of one thing though...I won't be coming back for their pies...or their gravy, baby!

I wonder if they bit off more than they can chew with such an elaborate menu and lost focus in their speciality.  Well, they have four other branches in KLCC, Bangsar, Damansara Heights and Melaka (besides the one in Pavilion and with some overseas outlets due to open in the pipeline) which prove that they're doing something right at least.  Perhaps, my tongue is the odd one out!  So, don't take my word for it, try it out for yourself. ^_~

GravyBaby
Lot C3.10.04 Level 3
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2113 0133

What Can We Cook/Eat with Preserved Radish?

Preserved radish or choy poh/chai poh comes in two types.....one version is salty while the other is sweet.  So far, I've only cooked with the salty version but recently experimented with a few recipes using the sweet kind...and they turned out mighty fine, I might add.

That's when I realised you can actually cook and eat preserved radish in more ways than I initially thought....and here are some of them.

#1 - Preserved Radish Omelette

I think most of us would have gotten our first introduction to chai poh probably in one of the most commonly cooked dish....choy poh omelette.  I've made it countless times at home myself, usually with the saltish kind of radish.

But you can also make it with sweet preserved radish (according to my dry goods vendor), so I gave that a try (and liked it with the sweet kind more + you don't have to presoak to get rid of saltiness like you need to with the salty kind).  You can choose to add long, snake or french beans to the mix too, if you wish.

#2 - Fried Radish Cake

Who can deny that one of the most popular way to eat radish is in a plate of fried radish/turnip/carrot cake (or char koay kak).  A commonly ordered item from a street stall or dim sum restaurant, it's great for breakfast or any time of the day.

These cakes are steamed first before being cut into small cubes and fried with choy poh, egg, beansprouts, chives and soy.  It's the salty choy poh that adds crunch and gives the rice cakes its flavour.

#3 - Stir-Fried Prawns with Preserved Sweet Radish

Well, I bought this sweet preserved radish for the first time solely for one purpose...for a stir-fry prawn dish that my sister-in-law mentioned.  I didn't even ask her how the dish was supposed to be cooked...I just 'winged' it!  After all, how difficult can it be, right? ;)

This turned out rather well, so I'll share the recipe in a separate post. ^_~

#4 - Steamed Woon Chai Koh (Rice Flour Cake)

These steamed rice cakes, known as woon chai koh (literally small bowl cake) or chwee kueh would be something I'd eat for breakfast if I come across them (but this hawker favourite is harder to find nowadays).

Topped with a generous mound of sweet chai poh (which gives it its sweet-salty flavours), the bland rice cakes are best eaten with some chilli and sweet sauce.

#5 - Preserved Radish Topping


In its simplest form, preserved radish dry-fried with shallots, garlic and green onions is a great condiment with plain congee.

#6 - Steamed Chee Cheong Fun Roll

I bought this tasty steamed chee cheong fun with a popiah filling of softened jicama finished with a topping of sweet preserved radish at the morning market.  Simple but a yummy start to the day.

#7 - Stir-Fried Green Beans

Probably the best vegetable to go with preserved radish is stir-fried green beans.  Blistered, charred green beans dry-fried with chopped dried prawns, garlic, red chillies and finished with oyster sauce seasoning sounds yummy, doesn't it?  This is the dish I cook the most at home coz we really like the hint of smoky flavour in the green beans as a result of the dry-frying which is kind of similar to grilled vegetables.


Or choose to add minced pork and dried chillies...and you've got yourself a dish of Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans...like this dish from Esquire Kitchen (minus the dried chillies) although I was given inside information that it's cha choy (Sichuan pickled mustard stem/root) instead of preserved radish.  Whatever it is, it's very good. ^.^

#8 - Wonton or Sui Kow (Soup Dumplings)


I heard that some recipes for wonton or sui kow may contain preserved radish in their meat or prawn fillings.

#9 - Minced Pork with Choy Poh Tofu

A dish that's probably available at many tai chow places is fried beancurd with a topping of minced pork and preserved radish.

You can have it in a non-fried version too with silken tofu (without minced pork) that's finished with just fried garlic bits and chopped spring onions.  Just as tasty.


This dish can be easily replicated at home to great success.  You can also put it on top of steamed eggs though it's less common.

#10 - Sei Tai Tin Wong (Four Seasons of Vegetables)

Sei Tai Tin Wong, literally translated as Four Heavenly Kings (not the singers!), is a stir-fry of four kind of vegetables (usually brinjal, long beans, ladies finger & petai or four angle beans) fried with dried prawns and a chilli/belacan mix...and possibly maybe even some preserved radish (at least some versions of this dish).

#11 - Oh Ku Kuih

This oh ku kuih, with a ramie leaf glutinous rice skin has a filling of savoury-sweet chai poh in it, is one of the kuihs you might find at a Nyonya kuih stall.  I'm rather fond of this kuih.

#12 - Chai Poh Tao (Diced Preserved Radish & Long Beans Stir-Fry)

This is a medly of diced vegetables with long beans, carrot, fried firm tofu, pickled cubed sweet radish, peanuts and sometimes red bell pepper (or fresh red chillies)...a dish that you might come across in a chap fan stall.  It goes by a cute name too...char liap liap.  Its sweet-salty flavour goes very well with plain congee.  I don't make this at home coz I don't quite like preserved radish in such big chunks. >.<

#13 - Steamed Fish with Choy Poh Topping


The sweet preserved radish topping, besides being great with porridge, can also be paired with steamed fish.


I recently found out just how great this combination was as the chai poh condiment works extremely well as a topping for steamed fish to bring extra texture and flavour to the otherwise bland tasting fish.

#14 - Pad Thai


It seems some pad thai versions even have preserved radish (the sweet type) among its ingredients.  I can believe that since Thai cuisine revolves around sweet-salty-sour-spicy flavours all in one dish.

#15 - Chai Poh Sambal

Finally, there's evan a choy poh sambal made with a mixture of preserved radish and dried prawns (I first had this at a Chinese nasi lemak stall).  Best eaten with rice...and you'll need lots of it coz it's so good! ^o^

Which type of preserved radish do you prefer...the sweet or salty kind?  I like the sweet kind better primarily because it's not so salty...plus it's more versatile as you can cook it in more delicious ways (other than just a radish omelette).

So, what's your favourite dish to eat with preserved radish?  Mine are fried carrot cake and woon chai koh...and if it's a dish I cook frequently at home, it'd be stir-fried green beans and as a topping for silken tofu.  Is there any other way of eating this that I missed out? ^_~