Koh Family's Auspicious Seven

Source: Rebecca Lynne Tan, recipe published in Sunday Times (Lifestyle section) dated 16 Jan 2011



This is a stir fried dish, typically eaten on the seventh day of Chinese New Year or also known as the Man's day (人日).  Each of the 7 vegetable selected has auspicious meaning.  It is possible to substitue each with another vegetable/ingredient with auspicious meaning.  Cuttlefish is a definite NO as it suggests being fired from job (炒鱿鱼).  Recipe's owner is a Peranakan decendant.  3 main vegetables used in the recipe are oriental mustard, leek and Chinese celery.  The other 4 vegetables are varied according to availability and preference.


Symbolism of the vegetables selected in the recipe as below:
(a) Oriental Mustard (芥菜): wealth, as shape symbolises ingot 
(b) Leek (大蒜): clever with money (会算)
(c) Chinese Celery (芹菜): hardworking (勤劳)
(d) Cai Xin (菜心): close family ties
(e) Gai Lan (芥兰): close family ties
(f) Cabbage (包心菜): wealth, as shape symbolises ingot
(g) Chinese Cabbage/ Da Bai Cai (大白菜): 100 types of properities


Other auspicious vegetables can be used as subtitute includes:
(h) Lettuce (生菜): increase wealth (生财) or energetic (生猛)
(i) Spring Onion (葱): clever (聪明)
(j) Chive (韭菜): long lasting or longivity (长长久久)
(k) Carrot (萝卜 or 菜头 in Hokkien/Teochew, both are Chinese dialect): good luck (好彩头)
(l) Coriander (芫荽): good relation with opposite sex resulting to marriage (好姻缘)
(m) Bean Sprout (银芽): to your heart's content, positive start into new year (迎合心意)
(n) Black Moss (发菜): prosperity (发财)
(o) Chinese Mushroom (冬菇): longivity, sizing opportunity
(p) Bamboo shoot (竹笋): well wishes in all doing (柷一切顺心)
(q) Dried Lily Bud/ Golden Needle (金针): wealth
(r) Snowpea (荷兰豆): unity




Serves 8 as part of a shared meal


Ingredients:
Oriental Mustard, wash & cut into bite size, ~200g size, 1 head
Leek, wash & cut into bite size, 3 stalks
Chinese Celery, wash & cut into bite size, 3 stalks
Cai Xin, wash & cut into bite size, 3 stalks
Gai Lan, wash & cut into bite size, 3 stalks
Cabbage, wash & cut into bite size, 6 leaves
Chinese Cabbage, wash & cut into bite size, 6 leaves
Streaky pork loin, wash, remove skin & pat dry, ~300g
Water, 1 cup
Cooking oil, 3 tbsp
Fish sauce, 3 tbsp or to taste
Sugar, ½ tsp or to taste



Method:
1. Cut pork into 10mm wide x 5mm thick strip.

2. Pour cooking oil in to wok and brown the pork strip.  Then add in the various vegetables and stir fry till they start to soften.

3. Pour in water and remaining seasonings.  Cover to simmer till vegetables are soften.

Yasai Kakiage (Deep Fried Vegetable Cluster)

Source: http://japanesefood.about.com/

Serves 4

Ingredients:
White onion, thinly sliced, ~260g
Carrot, thinly sliced, ~60g
Japanese Tempura Flour Batter, refer to its recipe
Cooking oil, for deep frying



Method:
1. Prepare Japanese Tempura Batter per recipe.

2. Heat oil to ~180 degC.  Add onion slices & carrot strips into tempura batter and mix together.  Take a scoop of the mixture with a large spoon and slip into the oil.  Shape the piece, using chopsticks or a cooking tong until firm.  Deep-fry until browned on both sides.

3. Drain off excess oil.


Serving:
1. Serve with Tempura Dipping Sauce.

Spicy Sambal Kangkong

Source: http://www.chinesefood-recipes.com



Ingredients:
Kangkong, cut into 3 inches length, washed and drained, ~500g
Cooking oil, for stir frying, 4 tbsp
Dried shrimp, soaked and pounded, 2 tsp
Sugar, 2 tsp
Salt, pinch 

Spicy paste:
Per Sambal Belachan recipe, prepared with 5 red fresh chilli



Method:
1. Heat 3 tbsp oil over high heat and stir fry prepared spicy paste and dried shrimp for 1 min till aromatic.  Add in kangkang and toss to ensure well cooked. 

2. Add in sugar, salt and balance 1 tbsp oil, and stir well before transfer to serving plate.

Luffa Gourd (丝瓜) With Zhu Sheng (竹笙)

Source: Good Food Fun Cook 餐餐宝, 餐餐好 Episode 2

Serves ~8 as part of a shared meal

Ingredients:
Ridged luffa gourd or Si Gua (丝瓜), ~8 units
Dictyophora indusiata (Vent. ex Pers.) Desv or Zhu Sheng (竹笙, can get from Chinese medicinal hall)
Garlic, keep as whole but remove skin, ~5 bulbs
Minced pork meat
Cooking oil, for use in deep frying



Method:
1. Soak dry Zhu Sheng in water for minimum 1 hr till it expands and softens.

2. Prepare luffa gourd or Si Gua.  Remove skin, cut into strips and remove seeds.

3. Prepare garlic.  Remove skin and deep fry in whole for 10 mins till golden brown.

4. Parboil prepared Si Gua in boiling water for <1 min, without any seasonings.  Set aside for later use.

5. Prepare minced meat.  Pour some hot water into minced meat, mix well to ensure all bits are separated and partially cooked.  Then transfer all into saucepan of boiling water to thoroughly cook them.  This is to prevent formation of big lumps of meat balls if raw meat is added straight into the boiling water.

6. To boiling water in a claypot, add parboiled luffa gourd, Zhu Sheng and fried garlic.  Simmer for 2 mins when aroma of the garlic can be detected.  Then add minced meat (at amount to own liking).  When soup boil, add egg white and cover for 5 secs. Turn off fire.

Serving: