Malaysian Sweet and Sour Eggs

Servings: about 3
Time: about 30 minutes

* 4-5 eggs, cooked well done
* 1 onion, cut into rings and then cut into half
* 1/2 red chili, sliced thinly
* 1/2 stalk scallion, sliced diagonally
* 1/8 tsp salt
* 3 1/2 tbsp sugar (extra to taste)
* 3 tbsp cooking oil
* tamarind pulp, the size of a small ping pong ball
* 1 cup water

Note: We couldn't find any tamarind pulp, so we used nectar of tamarind instead and did NOT add the sugar to the recipe. It worked out just fine that way.


1. Fry the eggs well done and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, add one cup of water to the tamarind pulp and soak for 10 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind pulp to extract the juice. Use only the juice and discard the pulp.

3. Heat up your wok and add in the cooking oil. Sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes until they turn slighly brown or aromatic.

4. Add in the eggs and do a quick stir.

5. Lower the heat, add the tamarind juice and bring it to boil.

6. Add in sugar, salt, scallion & chili. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve hot.

Tofu and Beansprout Fritters

This dish is called Bakwan Tahu in Indonesia.

* 1 chopped onion
* 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 tsp ground corriander
* 1 lb firm tofu
* 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp chili powder or freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 cup beansprouts
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* about 1 cup peanut oil

1. Heat 2 or 3 tbsp of the oil in a wok or frying pan. Fry onion & garlic, stirring the whole time, for 3 minutes or until just turning light brown.

2. Put the onion & garlic (without the oil) into a glass bowl & leave to get cold. Keep the in the pan. When they are cold, put the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, into the bowl & mash with a wooden spoon, mixing everything together.

3. Put the rest of the oil into the frying pan that contains the little bit of oil left for frying the onion. Heat.

4. When the oil is hot, drop a spoonful of the tofu mixture into it, then 3 or 4 more. Fry until golden brown. Take out the fritters with a slotted spoon & drain them on an absorbant paper towel. Finish frying the rest of the mixture in this manner.

Korean Vegetarian Dumplings

servings: makes 50 dumplings

* 2 10-oz packages firm tofu
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 leek, chopped
* 2 green onions, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tsp sesame oil
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 50 dumpling wrappers
* vegetable oil for frying

1. Press the excess water from the tofu. Crumble the tofu and place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add remaining ingredients (except the wrappers and vegetable oil) & combine until mixed.

3. Pour some cold water in a small bowl for dipping.

4. To make the dumplings, place a wrapper in the palm of your hand. Spoon enough filling into the middle to leave about 1/2 inch of empty wrapper. Dip your finger in the cold water & wet 1/2 the edges of the wrapper, then fold in half & press to seal it. Repeat with all of the wrappers.

5. Pour enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a pan & heat over medium heat. Place several dumplings in the pan, but don't let them touch. Fry until golden brown & crispy on one side, them flip them and cook all sides until golden & crispy all over. Cook all dumplings, adding more oil as needed.

Quick Kimchi

A Korean recipe!

*2 Nappa cabbages
*1 medium Asian radish
*1/4 cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
* water
*4 green onions, sliced into pieces about 1 inch long
*5 garlic cloves, minced
*2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
* 2 tablespoons chili powder

1. Wash the leaves of the cabbage & cut them into about 2-inch lengths. Peel the radish & halve it lengthwise down the center, cut lengthwise again, & then slice into 1/2-inch thin squares.

2. Dissolve salt in 1 cup water. Place the vegetables in a large bowl and pour the salt water over them. Let soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.

3. The next day, drain the vegetables & retain the salty water. Add the green onions, garlic, ginger, & chili powder. Mix the vegetable by hand (you might want to use gloves so the chili doesn't stain your hands). Pack into a 1-gallon jar (or an appropriate amount of smaller jars). Pour the salted water over the mixture. Leave about an inch of space on top of the jar.

4. Let sit about 2 or 3 days, depending on how fermented you like your kimchi. Refrigerate after opening.

Pseudo Thai Stir Fry

Servings: 4
Time: about 30 minutes

* 1/4 to 1/2 cup canola oil
* about 4 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice, for example: snow peas, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, bell pepper
* 1 can coconut milk
* fresh basil, coarsely chopped, no stems
* 1/4 tsp red or green Thai curry paste (we prefer green for this recipe)
* a few dashes of soy sauce
* cooked rice (about 4 cups)

1. Stir fry veggies in oil until partially cooked but still crisp.
2. Add coconut milk & basil.
3. Add curry paste & soy sauce.
4. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Mixture should be soupy.
5. Serve over rice.

*Note: This is one of Elliot's favorite recipes to make!

Cantonese-Style Fried Rice

Servings: 3-5
Prep time: about 20 min

*2 or 3 eggs
*2 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp dry sherry
*2 tbsp onion, minced
*5 tbsp cooking oil
*4 cups cooked rice
*1 tsp Chinese brown gravy syrup or 1/2 tsp Kitchen Boquet or Gravy Master
*1 cup bean sprouts or the shredded thick part of lettuce as a substitute

1. Beat eggs with salt & sherry.
2. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Stir in onion then egg mixture. Scramble and break into pieces until quite dry.
3. Add rice, gravy & bean sprouts. Stir constantly until the ingredients are well blended & thoroughly heated (about 8 to 10 minutes).

Note: 1/2 cup of diced or shredded meat or fake meat can be added with rice, if you want.

Note: Never use soy sauce because it makes the rice too soft.

Note: Fried rice is the way Chinese use leftover rice, so its fine to use day-old rice for this recipe.

Curry Pumpkin Soup

~special thanks to Jen for this recipe!~

*1/2 stick butter
*1.5 large white onions
*2 tbsp lime juice
* plus or minus 1/4 cup masaman or panang curry paste
*kosher salt & pepper
*bay leaves (Jen says: "we didn’t use these")
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/2 cup white wine
*1 can coconut milk
*2 cups milk
*2 small cans (or 1 large can) pumpkin puree
*1/2 cup black rum
*3 cups vegetable stock
*optional: parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, etc (to taste)

1. Sauté onions in butter.
2. Add curry paste, lime juice, bay leaf, optional ingredients & brown sugar. Stir 1 minute.
3. Add white wine, coconut milk & milk.
4. Simmer on medium heat about 20 minutes to reduce.
5. Meanwhile, combine pumpkin, stock & rum in a medium saucepan until warm & uniform in texture. Add to other ingredients.
6. Reduce for 20-30 more minutes by simmering.

(Jen says: "Recipe says to add honey or sugar, salt & herbs, garlic if needed to taste- but I have not tried those.")

Easy Egg Drop Soup

Prep Time: 15 min!
Servings: 4-6

* 2 cans (about 30 oz) broth (chicken broth is traditionally used, but I substituted vegetable broth)
* 3 eggs
* 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (regular soy sauce is too salty for this recipe!)
* 1/2 cup chopped green onion

1. Bring broth to a boil. Meanwhile, whip the eggs.
2. Once the broth is boiling, take the pot off the heat & add the soy sauce.
3. Stir in the eggs. As you stir, the eggs will separate into stringy pieces.
4. Add the green onion & stir.
5. Serve hot.