I've been having cravings all week. It started with the noodles, then with a big wokfull of braised tofu and nian gao, spring rolls, and sponge cake. I couldn't stop myself anymore: I had to have more. Chinese food, that is.
Sometimes I think it's genetic. I have a built-in Chinese food craving. My body is designed to eat rice, dumplings, tofu. But even if it weren't genetic, I'd probably still crave it just as much. It's just so good.
But this weekend I've been craving something simpler - something classic. Plain ol' congee, a soupy rice porridge, with spring onion and pepper. Nothing more, nothing less. It's purely comforting and always reminds me of being a kid at the dim sum table. And it's easy.
I finished off the pack of dried rice cakes leftover from new years as well. Nian gao are basically slices of rice flour dough, which you can soak and then add to stirfrys and braised dishes. Here, they were braised with cabbage, chinese mushrooms, dried seaweed, sliced beancurd sheets (also dried and soaked before using), and spring onion. Fragrant five space permeates the air as the dish cooks and then fills your bowl with flavour when you dish it out.
Nian gao and beancurd sheets can both be found at the Chinese grocer or in China Town. Depending on your brand of rice cake, you might need to soak them longer, but it's very straightforward - they're done when they're tender and al dente, like pasta. Definitely worth a trip to Soho.
*****
Plain Congee
Makes enough for four.
1 cup short grain white rice
water
salt
spring onions, to serve
white or black pepper, to serve
1. Rinse your rice, and then bring it to a boil in a big saucepan with about 3 cups of water. 2. When the rice is tender, after about 15 minutes, pour in 1 cup more boiling water, and let simmer for 1 hour, checking periodically for water-level. 3. After about an hour and a half, season with salt to taste. Add more water if necessary - it should have the consistency of a thick soup. Serve with pepper and chopped spring onions.
Braised Nian Gao with Cabbage and Mushroom
Serves 3-4.
150 grams nian gao, soaked in hot water and drained
1/2 onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 cup savoy cabbage, shredded
1 cup dried Chinese mushroom, soaked and chopped, liquid reserved
1/2 cup dried wakame, soaked and chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
1 beancurd sheet, soaked and sliced
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp. five spice powder
1 tsp. chopped chili
1 tsp. cornstarch, dissolved in water
pepper
1. In a bowl, mix together your sauces, spice, and chili. In a large wok, heat a bit of oil. Fry your onions and carrots for one minute, then stir in your nian gao. Immediately pour over your sauce mixture and add in your reserved mushroom liquid, straining it. 2. Bring to a simmer, then add your cabbage, mushroom, and seaweed. Cook for 5 minutes, then add your spring onions and beancurd. Season to taste and stir in your cornstarch. Simmer for another 3 minutes, checking that your nian gao are tender. Serve immediately.
- Follow RecipesDream
- Follow @us
