8 Chinese New Year dishes

Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner

- Eight dishes to try.
 

When Chinese New Year Eve comes around, what are you going to cook for the Reunion dinner? Here are eight dishes for you to try out. These dishes have homonyms that have a symbolic meaning in Chinese.

1. A PRAWN dish. Prawn in Cantonese is Ha, meaning laughter, and in Mandariin Big Prawns is called daxia, meaning liveliness. So having prawns on the menu puts you in a lively happy mood. 

Prawns are quick to cook, delicious in every way,  whether steamed, fried or simmered in spices and curries.  I have chosen a spicy dish, named Spicy Dicey Prawn, where ginger, garlic, chilli padi and curry leaves all help to give it the spicy twang. So spice up your dinner with this happy dish.

2. A CHICKEN dish. Chicken in Mandarin is jirou, and serving a whole chicken is a visual signifier of family unity and togetherness.

Most people like chicken. You can steam or roast or fry a whole chicken. Here, I am introducing a special dish that will make your family ask for more.  It is a herbal dish that is adapted from the famous "Beggar's Chicken".  The herbs used can be bought from any Chinese Herbal shop.

3. A FISH dish. In Mandarin, fish is yu  meaning surplus or abundance of money or prosperity. So having a fish dish will usher in a year of abundance. Make sure it is a whole fish. 

Fish is best eaten when it is steamed, especially if it is fresh. You can also fry, bake or cook it with all types of spices. Here, I have chosen 2 types of fish recipe for you. Choose one you like. 

3a) MAGIC FISH. I call this "magic fish" because it looks like a fish but it tastes differently. It is stuffed with meat and other ingredients. My mum used to cook it on festive occasions, and as kids we called it magic fish. You can use threadfin (kurau) or red snapper for this recipe.

3b) SHIMMERING SEABASS uses a steaming method. This method preserves the flavour, texture and nutrients of the ingredients. It takes only minutes to prepare and cook. You can choose any fish to steam like pomfret, red snapper, garoupa or emperor fish.

4. A VEGETABLE dish. Vegetables contain a lot of fibre.  You can choose any vegetable you like, but make sure you do not overcook them.

I have 2 choices of vegetables here: a mushroom dish and a pak choy dish.

4a) MOUTH-WATERING MUSHROOM is braised mushrooms with broccoli and carrot. You can add abalone to give it auspiciousness. Broccoli has thousands of blossoms on each stalk, representing a blossoming year.

4b) PAK CHOY or baby bok choy. Pak Choy in Mandarin is baichai, which denotes hundred types of prosperity luck. You can stirfry it or microwave it and it will be ready within minutes.

5. A CASHEW NUT dish. Cashew nut in Mandarin is yaoguo. Its shape is like that of gold ingots of ancient Chinese history, symbolising gold or wealth and fortune.

CASHEW NUT CHICKEN, uses toasted cashew nuts and chicken slices. You can use any other meat. Dried chilli added gives it that spicy twist which all Malaysians love.

 6. A GINGKO dish. The nut Gingko, or bai guo in Mandarin, denotes hope for silver or wealth. This dish uses gingko, barley, and bean curd sheets, a dessert that will soothe your throat as well as your heart.

Anything sweet symbolises a sweet life. So end your meal on a sweet note. 

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 Happy Chinese New Year.  Gong Xi Fa Cai.

Enjoy the following recipes.                            

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 1. Big Prawns:  (daxia denote liveliness)
                                                                   

Spicy Dicey Prawns

300 - 400g big prawns

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp ginger strips

4 cloves garlic, chopped

6 bird's eye cili, cut finely

5 stalks curry leaves

 

1. Trim tips of head and legs of deveined prawns. Marinate with salt, sugar and pepper.

2. Heat oil in a wok. Fry prawns until it turns pink. Remove and set aside. Remove excess oil , leaving 1 tbsp. Saute ginger, garlic, cilli padi and curry leaves. Add prawns. Mix well. Dish out.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

2. Whole Chicken:(jirou) - denotes unity and family togetherness.
                                                      

Signature Herbal Chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 chicken (1.3 - 1.5 kg )

6 dried longan

10 slices dang gui

6 pieces yang shen

3 pieces dang shen

5 pieces ginger

4 pieces wei san

8 pieces yu zhu

6 red dates

1 tsp kei chi

1. Marinate chicken with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.

2. Boil and simmer all herbs in 3 bowls water for about 15 minutes. Let it cool. Then add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp soya sauce and 2 tsp cornflour. Mix well.

3. In a casserole, stuff boiled herbs (No, 2) inside the chicken. Place extra herbs and sauce around the chicken. Roast at 200 degrees C for 1 hour or cook on high in a crockpot for 4 hours.

 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes (or 4 hours)

 

3. Whole Fish: (yú) - denotes surplus or abundance of money or prosperity. 

 3a) Magic Fish

                        

 

1 medium size threadfin (kurau) (350g)         Sauce

½ tsp salt in ½ bowl water                         2 tsp soya sauce

½ bowl minced meat (chicken/pork)         ½ tsp dark soya sauce

½ bowl mushroom, diced finely                  1 tsp sugar

½ bowl water chestnuts, diced finely          ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper                                                1 tsp cornfour

½ tsp cornflour   

Spring onion and red chilli for garnishing

 

1.     Make a deep cut along fish on either side of the backbone. Scrape the fish meat from the two flaps, without breaking the fish skin.Chop the fish meat, adding salt water continuously until it becomes sticky.  Place the fish paste in a bowl. Add minced meat, mushroom, and water chestnut.  Add pepper and cornflour. Mix well.

2.     Stuff this mixture back into the fish. Smoothen the sides.

3.     Fry fish in oil on moderate heat. Add sauce. Garnish with spring onion and chilli.

 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

 3b) Shimmering Seabass

 

1 medium size siakap / seabass (500-600g)                    Sauce:

3 tbsp water                                                                     2 tbsp onion oil

1 tbsp ginger strips                                                          1 tbsp soya sauce

1 stalk spring onion, diced

1 chilli, sliced

2 tbsp fried shallots

 

     1. Rub salt on cleaned fish. (1 tsp) Set aside for at least 10 minutes.  Wash and drain off.   Place fish on a microwave-safe serving plate.  Add 3 tbsp water.  Place ginger strips on fish.

2. Microwave on high (covered) for 6 - 7 minutes.  Remove and let it stand for 1 minute.  Discard water on the serving plate. (Caution when lifting cover because of hot steam). 

 3. Add sauce to fish.  Garnish with spring onion, chilli and fried shallots.

 

Note: If you steam the fish on top of rice-cooker or in a wok, steam for about 15 minutes.  It

          is not necessary to add water before steaming.  

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 7 minutes

                             
4. Vegetables

4a) Mouth-watering mushroom (broccoli represents a blossoming year)

                    

             

20 mushroom (100g), soaked, washed                 Sauce:

1 rice bowl chicken pieces                                     1 tsp salt

2 tsp rock sugar (about 10 pellets)                       2 tbsp cornflour

4 rice bowls water                                                2 tsp oyster sauce

4 cloves garlic, bruised                                       ½ rice bowl water

5 slices ginger

½ rice bowl carrot, cut into discs

1 rice bowl broccoli, cut into florets

1 tbsp soya sauce

 

1.     Place 1 bowl water in a crockpot. Switch on high for 10 minutes. Add chicken, mushroom, rock sugar, garlic, ginger, soya sauce and 3 bowls hot water. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.

2.     Blanch carrot and broccoli by placing them in boiling water for ½ minute and then remove quickly. Drain and place on serving plate.

3.     Transfer mushroom and chicken stew to a pot. Add sauce, bring to boil. Dish on to broccoli and carrot.

Note: You can also stew/braise the mushroom in a pot, which takes 1 hour.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 3 hours.

 4b) Chinese Cabbage/Pak Choy: (baichai  denotes hundred types of prosperity luck)

 

 

 

Baby Pak Choy

 

1 soup (1000 ml) bowl pak choy/bok choy

1tbsp garlic, sliced

2 tbsp small ikan bilis (anchovies)

1/2 rice bowl oil

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

 

1. Separate whole leaves of pak choy/bok choy or cut into 4 cm pieces. Wash and drain.

2. Place sliced garlic and oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes. Remove this garlic oil and set aside.

3. similarly, microwave ikan bilis in a microwwave safe plate, uncovered, on high for 2 minutes, stopping to stir at 1 minute intervals. Set aside.

4. Microwave pak choy in a covered casserole on high for 3 minutes or until cooked. 

5. Add 2 tbsp garlic oil (from no. 2) and garlic slices, soya sauce and oyster sauce. Mix well.

6. Garnish with ikan bilis. Serve hot. 

Note: You can also fry the pak choy, ikan bilis and garlic oil using a wok.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

5. Cashew nut with chicken: (yaoguo) - denotes gold or money.

Cashew Nut with Chicken

 

 

 

 

1 rice bowl chicken meat, sliced                                               1 tsp salt

3 tbsp oil                                                                                    1 tsp sugar

½ rice bowl toasted cashew nuts                                               1 tsp dark soya sauce

½ rice bowl big onion, sliced 1 cm thick                                  1 tsp light soya sauce

5 dried chillies, soaked in hot water, drained and cut into 5 cm pieces    

 3 cloves garlic, sliced        

                                                                     

1. Heat wok.  Add oil and fry dried chillies until fragrant.  Remove and set aside, leaving oil.
2. Sauté garlic and onion in the oil.  Add chicken slices and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Add salt and sugar and drizzle some water (about 2 tbsp), stir-fry, cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add dark and light soya sauce.  Add cooked chillies and cashew nuts and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce is almost dry.
4. Serve with rice.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

6. Sweet-Gingko Barley: 

(Gingko or bai guo - denotes hope for silver or wealth)

                                    

Sweet Gingko-barley Dessert

30 ginkgo nuts, shelled and skinned               2 pieces foo chok / bean curd sheets

2 tbsp barley seeds                                          4 tbsp sugar or to taste

2 eggs                                                              8 dates (optional)

2 soup bowls (2000 ml) water

 Put all ingredients in a pot on a hot plate.  Bring to boil.  Simmer on low for about 2 hours.  Add sugar and bring to boil.

1. Wash foo chok, add in and bring to boil.  Add beaten eggs and stir.
2. Serve hot.

 Note: If bean curd sticks are used, soak in water first until soft.  It may take as long as 1 hour  to soften.

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours

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The above dishes are from my cookbook: Quick and Healthy Meals 

 

 Do try out other recipes from this book.

This cookbook is sold in:

1) Syarikat Buku Formula, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Telephone: 03 33710455

(Youbeli online shopping).

 

2) Top Books Plt, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Telephone: 0169002189

(Topbooks.my).

 

 This book is now sold at a discounted price: Rm 13 only.

 For more information, write to: kathkuan@gmail.com