How To Cook Bittergourd Soup

 

Ingredients

• 500 grams pork spare ribs, blanched in boiling water to remove scum.
• 1 bittergourd, deseeded & slice them into 1" chunks
• 2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
• 2 dried honey dates
• handful of dried red dates (approx 15 pieces)
• 2 tablespoons goji berries
• 1800ml of water
• salt to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a soup pot. 
   
   
   
2. Fill pot with water to cover all the ingredients. 
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer it for an hour. 

   
   
4. Season it with salt to taste if desired. 

   
   

How to Make Yong Tau Foo

 

 

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon corn flour
• 1 tablespoon fermented soy bean paste
• 1/2 cup chicken stock / water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 12 to 15 pieces Yong Tau Foo (ready made)
• Coriander or parsley, chopped for garnishing

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a wok / medium-sized saucepan.
2. Fry garlic lightly untill it turns fragrant. 
   
   
   
3. Add the soy bean paste and mix well with garlic. 

   

    
4. Add the pieces of yong tau foo and ensure that every piece is evenly coated with the sauce. 

   

    

   

   
   
5. Add in the chicken stock, oyster sauce & corn flour with water. Mix well. 

   

   
   
6. Stir untill the sauce thickens.
7. Lower the heat and let the pieces simmer in the sauce for at least 15 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and serve topped with some chopped coriander.
9. Ready to be served on the table. 

   

   
   

Note: If you can't find any fermented soybean paste at the supermarket, try the Shine Korea
          mart at Harbourfront centre. I purchased its product recommended by a helpful staff
          there.

How to Cook Chinese White Radish Soup

Ingredients

• 300 grams chicken whole leg (skinned and cut into pieces)
• 1 white radish (200grams)
• 8 red dates (soak them to soften)
• 1 tablespoon white peppercorns (or ground white pepper)
• 1 tablespoon goji berries (soaked in cold water till plump
• 1500 ml water (equivalent to 6 cups)
• 1 teaspoon of salt to taste)

Instructions

1. Peel the Chinese white radish with a vegetable peeler first. Trim and discard the tip and end. Then cut it into chunks and set them aside.
2. Wash the chicken meat, trimming away excess fat and chop it into smaller pieces. Blanch the chicken pieces ina pot of boiling water to remove the scum. Set them aside.
3. Rinse the red dates and clean them with water. Use a small pairing knife to create a few slits for each one at one end of the red dates. This will enable them to release flavour and nutrients into the soup.
4. Then rinse and soak dried goji berries in water for a few minutes untill they have softened. Drain and set aside. 
   
   
   
5. If you are using white peppercorns, simply crush them and set aside. Otherwise just add 2 or 3 dashes of ground white pepper.
6. Heat up about 6 cups of water water to cook the soup.
7. While the water is boiling, add the chicken pieces, chunks of radish, red dates and rehydrated goji berries.

   

   

   
   

   

   

   
   
8. Lastly, add in lightly crushed whole white peppercorns. Bring it to a rapid boil. Leave to boil for about 15 minutes. Then cover, turn the heat down to low and allow it to simmer for about 2 hours. 

   
   
9. Simmer it untill the chicken meat pieces turn tender and the soup is reduced to about 5 cups. Then season it with salt to taste. Stir to mix well. Turn the heat back up and bring the soup to a boil before turning off the heat.