Tuesday 24 May 2011

[$20 Budget Meal] Bitter Gourd Soup, Stir-fried Leek with Firm Tofu And Stuffed Squid With Minced Pork

For some of you who look at this photo, does it look something familiar to you which brings back some of your Childhood memories? While sharing the photo of this dish with some of my facebook friends, some of them comments this is one of their favourite dish which they have not eaten for very long time.

From those comments it occurs to me that some how or rather these traditional dishes seems to be fading away due to generations. But I am consider lucky that my mum still knows a few traditional dishes on hand where she could pass down the recipes to me. So from what she has told me I managed to replicate my own Stuffed Squid with Pork Mince dish that we think is quite similar to what we used to have.

Due to the recent hot and humid weather it is always good to have a bowl of homemade soup to increase fluid intake as well as clear the heats from the body. The most common cooling soup among Asian family will be either, Watercress Soup, Winter Melon, Old Cucumber Soup, Bitter Gourd Soup and etc. Initially I always thought that bitter gourd soup will be "bitter" but after adding carrot, red dates and wolfberries this soup taste rather sweet with a just a bit of "dry bitter" taste which I find it very appetising especially on Hot day.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1/2 Medium Bitter Gourd (苦瓜), about 100g
300g Pork Ribs(排骨)
1 Medium Carrot (红萝卜), cut into chunks
6 Red Dates (红枣)
1 Tablespoon Wolfberries (枸杞子)

And to remove most of the bitter taste, you have to give the bitter gourd a good "Spa" rub with some salt before cooking so that you won't end up drink a pot of bitter soup.

Method:-
1. Wash and blanch pork ribs in boiling water, rinse and set aside.

2. Wash and cut the bitter gourd into half length wise, then remove the seeds and rub it thoroughly with 1/2 tablespoon of salt to reduce it's bitter taste.

3. Next rinse the bitter gourd, cut it into 1cm thick rings and set aside.

4. Bring 1.5 litres of water to boil add in all the ingredients(except wolfberries).

5. When the soup comes to boil again, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes on low heat, season with salt and serve.


Total cost for this dish is about S$4.20 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Bitter Gourd = S$1.00
~ Pork Ribs = S$3.00
~ Carrot = S$0.20


Firm Beancurd can be consider as a good choice for a stir-fried dish that requires longer cooking time such as stewed or braised. Here I have do a twist with one the the stir-fried beancurd dish(recipe) which I have shared a few months back.

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 3)
2 Pieces Firm Tofu
2 - 3 Stalks of Baby Leeks
1 Chili, sliced
1 Big Cluster of Fresh Black Fungus, cut into thick slices
3 Garlic Clove, skin removed and lightly pound
3/4 Tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
80ml of Hot Water

Method:-
1. Rinse and remove any soil that trapped in between the green leaves of the leek, pat dry and sliced the leek diagonally into sections and set aside. (refer to the photo above)

2. Heat up frying pan with 1/2 tablespoon of oil to pan-fry the beancurd till slightly golden brown on each side. Remove, cool and cut into bite-sized portions.

3. Using the same frying pan, saute garlic till fragrant before adding in leek, black fungus and chili slices. Continue to fry for another 1 minute until leek leaves are cooked, stir in oyster sauce and give it a quick stir.

4. Add in beancurd and hot water, mix well and simmer the mixture on low heat for about 3 - 4 minutes till the leek turn soft and beancurd absorb the flavour from the sauce.

5. Dish up and serve with steamed rice.

Total cost for this dish is about S$1.90 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Leeks = S$0.80
~ Firm Beancurd = S$0.60
~ Fresh Black Fungus and Chili = S$0.50


This is one of my favourite childhood dish which appears occasionally on our dinning table together with the "Orange Sauce" shown in the photo below. While sharing a photo of this dish in facebook I was surprised that there are still a lot of people whom love this "traditional" dish which are prepared either by their grandparents, relatives or parents. And I assume in most modern household this dish could be consider as something new or just one of their childhood dishes.

Ingredients:
1 Large Squid, about 250g
80g Pork Minced
1 Salted Egg Yolk, minced
2 Fresh Water Chestnut, minced
1 Teaspoon Chopped Spring Onion

Seasonings:
1 Teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon of Cooking Wine
1/2 Tablespoon Cornflour
Dash of Ground Pepper

Note:
~ You can omit salted egg yolk but increase the amount of light soy sauce to 1.5 teaspoon.
~ Usually we love to dip this steamed squid with this "Orange Sauce" which is our all time favourite.



Method:-
1. Clean the inside of the squid, remove the head, intestines and etc. Rinse and set aside.



3. Marinate the pork minced with the rest of the ingredients and seasonings for about 10 - 20 minutes.

4. Stuff the pork mince mixture into the squid until its full(use toothpick to pierce a few holes at the end of the squid to allow air to escape). Secure the opening of the squid with two toothpicks in a criss-cross manner.

5. Arrange the stuffed squid on steaming plate over some spring onion together with the head and steamed over medium high heat for about 10 minutes or when you are able to pierce through the squid using a fork.

6. Remove from heat, cut the cooked squid into thick rings and place in serving place and serving with either plum sauce or cut chili with dark soy sauce.


Total cost for this dish is about S$5.00 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Large Squid = S$3.00
~ Salted Egg = S$0.50
~ Pork Minced + Water Chestnuts + Spring Onion = S$1.50


With around S$11.10 mum and I managed to come out with these 2 dishes 1 soup that brings back a lot of our old time memories where she used to cook these for us when we are just about my boy's age. Time flies now it's my turn to practise with all these homecooked dishes so that one day I might be able to pass it down to whoever whom is keen in learning. Do you have any special homecooked dishes that you would like to share with us. If you have, do email me your blog link(s) to ellenaguan.hotmail.com or drop me a note to share with us on our facebook page(HERE) or comment box below.



CLOSING DATE For [May $20 Budget Meal] Event:
~ Wednesday, 25 May 2011, 2359 hours and all entries will be compiled and posted on 31st May 2011.

If you loves to whipped some quick and budget healthy dishes for your family. I would like to invite you to join us in our May Budget Meal event to share your homecook dishes with us(more detail HERE).

8 comments:

  1. Oh yes, the squid dish sure brings back childhood memories. My por por used to cook it all the time. I haven't had it in so long. Thanks for reminding me of this dish. I'll have to cook it one day to relive some childhood memories. By the way, great job on the photos! I love the all the colors, esp. the squid ones!

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  2. bossacafez24/5/11 4:48 pm

    ok thats it, im cooking the squid tonite! if theres anyone who could make homecooked dishes look fantastic its you! :)

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  3. Delicious home cook meal!  I loved your tofu and leeks dish and what a great idea to add the woodear.  Must try!  :)

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  4. I love it! and i miss how bittergourd cost $1!!! One bittergourd here costs AU$5 :( And thanks for those tips on stuffing the squid! It looks sooo good!! I'm going to share that with my grandmother ;) 

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  5. You are such a great cook Ellena!  I wish I can cook like you everyday...  Your family is so lucky.  Someday I want to read your biography.  =)

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  6. Thanks Angela :) This is one of my favourite and common childhood dish too :)

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  7. Thanks for your kind comment sis :) 

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  8. Yup! Those asian ingredients always cost much more than those local stuffs. When I was there, I was shocked with the salted egg and beansprouts prices tooo......

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Ellena (Cuisine Paradise)

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