Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)
the next time you go to a pho restaurant, look for this hidden gem on the menu. it’s probably past #20 of all the potential meat combos you can get in your pho. compared to pho, bo kho has a deeper umami taste, due to the tomatoes and fish sauce in the broth. it’s almost like the vietnamese version of beef bourguignon, but this time served on rice noodles! you can either cook this low and slow, sans agression (thanks ludo lefebvre for the best way to describe gentle cooking), or the process can be expedited with a pressure cooker or instant pot.
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Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Mochi Waffles
if you love mochi, you probably love the ‘qq’ texture of it that is oh-so satisfying. this ‘qq’ texture can be described as soft, springy, and bouncy, a desirable quality in many asian desserts. this waffle recipe achieves the perfect harmony of crispy and chewy with a 1:1 ratio of white rice flour to glutinous rice flour. do not fret as glutinous rice flour is made from ground up sticky rice and is 100% gluten free, contrary to what the name suggests. recommended pairings: coconut ice cream, pandan kaya, and grilled peaches!
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Chicken and Squash Panang Curry (w/ Vegan Substitutes)
your mind will be blown the first time you make fresh curry paste. pounding each ingredient in the mortar and pestle and smelling the wafting perfumes that are released is absolutely intoxicating. even if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, the satisfaction of making fresh curry paste from your food processor, blender, whatever it may be, is well worth the effort. your curry will turn out more fragrant, flavourful, and luscious, plus, you can freeze portions of it for a quick weeknight meal! this does require some ingredient hunting, but most of it can be found at your local asian market. if you’re okay with store bought paste, skip to part 2 of the recipe for instructions. serve with steamed white rice, or try our coconut rice for some extra richness.
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Mama Lo's Watercress Dumplings for Dump The Hate
join me in fighting against anti-asian racism and violence with my #dumpthehate campaign!
these gluten-free crystal dumplings are stuffed with my mom’s classic filling of pork and watercress and can be made vegan with the use of meatless ground round (beyond or Impossible ‘meat’ work great).
the gluten-free dough may take a bit of practice to master, but once you get a feel for it, these will be your favourite dumplings! they’re delicate and chewy, and crisp up beautifully when fried. when assembling, err on the side of drier dough and only add water as needed. feel free to use pre-made wrappers if you do not have a gluten intolerance.
these dumplings can be eaten steamed or fried and are best served with a vinegary-soy dipping sauce!
Makes about 48 dumplings
Ingredients (Wrapper)
~ 1 1/2 cups water, as needed
1 1/4 cup tapioca starch
3/4 cup rice flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsps. neutral cooking oiI, like canola or grapeseed
large ziplock bag
Ingredients (Mama Lo’s Watercress Filling)
4 garlic cloves, minced or grated
2-inches ginger, minced or grated
~1 lbs. ground meat (classic is pork) or meatless ground round
2 eggs, beaten (omit if making vegan)
2 tbsps. tamari
1 tbsp. gluten-free oyster sauce (or another 1/2 tbsp. tamari + 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 large handful watercress or spinach, thick stems removed, chopped
a handful of scallion greens or cilantro, chopped
few cracks of white or black pepper
2-3 tbsps. neutral cooking oil, like canola or grapeseed
Ingredients (Dipping Sauce)
combo of any of the following -
tamari
black vinegar or rice vinegar
chili crisp or sambal oelek
sesame oil
cilantro and/or scallion greens
Instructions
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together tapioca starch, rice flour, glutinous rice flour, salt and oil until evenly combined.
Stabilize your bowl with a damp rag and slowly pour in a steady stream of boiled water as you mix with a wooden spoon. Use water as needed. Once the consistency of the dough reaches a somewhat dry shaggy ball, stop adding water and switch to kneading with your hands. You’re looking for most of the dough to form into clumps, with some drier crumbs along the edges of the bowl. Incorporate these dry crumbs as you knead. Dust your hands with rice flour as needed. The dough should be goldilocks, not too dry and not too sticky similar to the consistency of play dough. It is much easier to add water than to fix a wet dough!
Knead dough in the bowl or on the counter for 2 solid minutes, pushing with your knuckles and pulling back with your fingers. Form into a smooth ball, wrap in plastic wrap and rest on the counter for 30 minutes with the bowl flipped upside down as a cover.
Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Dust counter with rice flour. With a bench scraper, divide the dough into 48 even pieces (approximately 13-15 grams each) and form into rough spheres. Cover cut dough with a large bowl to prevent it from drying out as you make the wrappers. Cut two 6x6” squares from a large ziplock bag. Using a tortilla press, smush each sphere between the 2 squares of plastic to form circular wrappers. If you don’t have a tortilla press, use a rolling pin to roll out each sphere between the sheets of plastic until wrappers are 3-3.5” in diameter. If the dough is a bit sticky, dust with additional flour. Wrappers should be pliable and sturdy, not easily breakable.
Form dumplings. Add about 2 tsps. of filling per dumpling and fold in half. Press firmly but delicately along the edges to seal. Feel free to research dumpling folding methods if you want to get fancy with the folds :)
Steam dumplings in batches in a parchment-lined steamer basket for 6 minutes per round, making sure the dumplings have plenty of space between them so they don’t stick. Serve immediately out of the steamer basket or transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet drizzled with oil if refrigerating and reheating later. Cover sheet with plastic wrap. Reheat dumplings by steaming for 2-3 minutes. You may also freeze cooked dumplings on a parchment-lined baking sheet before transferring them into a ziplock bag. Just steam for a couple of minutes longer from frozen.
For crispy dumplings, fry in a bit of oil on medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Serve with your favourite mixture of dipping sauce!
Chinese New Year Cake (Leen Goh/Nian Gao)
it’s soft, it’s delightfully chewy, and it’s perfectly sweet.
leen goh or nian gao is my favourite once-a-year snack that brings me back to eating it directly out of the pan with my sisters growing up. it’s especially delicious sliced and dipped in whisked eggs before frying to crispy, golden perfection (similar to french toast)! this cake is not to be eaten in large triangular prisms but in domino-sized rectangles, a few pieces at a time.
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Sous-Vide Hainanese Chicken Rice
this is my homage to hainanese chicken rice. a ubiquitous dish found throughout parts of east and southeast asia, and a dish that hits close to home.
what I love about hainanese chicken rice is that it’s an incredibly simple dish. skin-on, bone-in chicken is poached in a ginger scallion broth until just cooked through. the broth is then used to cook rice, ‘cause that sh*t ain’t going to waste! the results are tender, succulent meat with glistening skin, paired with punchy dipping sauces and schmaltzy rice. it takes experience to master, but when done right, hainanese chicken rice can be utter perfection.
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Sambal Maple Quinoa Bowl with Peanut Dressing
an all around feel-good grain bowl with glazey carrots, charred broc, jammy onions and savoury shroomies. a lot of the time, peanut sauce is too thick for my liking so this sauce is thinner than most without sacrificing on flavour. feel free to sub the peanut butter with any other nut butter (or even tahini!) if there’s an allergy involved.
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Photo by Jess Kal Photography
