By FeiEats (Lisa)
With Chinese New Year just around the corner, you might be planning what to cook. Here is a compilation of some of the best recipes we have posted over the years which is perfect for ushering in the New Year!
1. Ayam Buah Keluak
Ayam Buah Keluak has been a staple CNY dish for the paternal side of my family. The hubs (Dr Leslie) grew accustomed to the unique earthy flavour of the nut after knowing me and have in recent years, starting making this dish in our household too! Every family has their own way of eating the nuts. I grew up having the nuts in its original form and this is the way we make it at home every CNY!
Learn how to make this recipe here.
2. Tau Yew Bak (Braised Pork Belly)
This next dish is something that will always get the kids salivating when it appears on the table. The fatty parts of the meat just melts and covers the palate with its unctuous flavour, and the sauce is to die for. It is a very quick, simple and delicious dish to make and uses ingredients that are easily accessible in the pantry. So, if you are having a last-minute panic session because you totally forgot that you are in charge of arranging the big family reunion dinner this CNY, this recipe is definitely the one to go for!
Learn how to make this recipe here.
3. Kueh Salat
CNY reunion dinner is never complete without dessert! This recipe is one of the top-performing recipes on this site, and has received numerous good reviews! Why is this kueh salat round when it’s traditionally served in rectangular wedges? Dr Leslie’s theory is – make it round and the humble kueh is suddenly elevated to “cake” status. It is a dessert that is sure to impress your mother-in-law and get you a shoo-in for some of those brownies points when you meet her this CNY.
Learn how to make this recipe here.
4. Sio Bak (Roast Pork)
Whenever the hubs make sio bak, it is snapped up before I can even blink! (I exaggerate of course but you know what I mean) This recipe looks deceptively difficult, but it is actually quite easy with just a bit of planning. You can always go to Crystal Jade and spend $16.80 for just 9 pieces of sio bak (probably even more if you have a big family) or make it at home and have all the Sio Bak you ever want! Save money and impress your friends and family with this super crispy and crunchy Sio Bak this CNY!
Learn how to make this recipe here.
5. Char Siu
Who doesn’t like a sweet, savoury and smokey Char Siu? This recipe must have been the cause of the extra kilograms I’ve gained over the 9 years the hubs been developing it. As you know, we, his family are his guinea pigs! He really gets into his kitchen experiments and was even considering buying an Apollo charcoal oven just to make char Siu! What ?? No way! We already have too many of his “toys” in the kitchen. Well, he finally made the perfect char siu that he is now, very proud of. (without the Apollo) So, why not try out this recipe this CNY and see what all the “hoo-hah” is all about?
Learn how to make this recipe here.
6. Seafood White Beehoon
Bee hoon is a staple that’s cheap and something that you can easily use to feed lots of people. This recipe is fairly simple and is perfect for large groups. Add some seafood and you can replicate the famous You Huak White Bee Hoon for your family and friends this CNY.
Learn how to make this recipe here.
7. Tea Smoked Chicken
Tea smoked Chicken is something I first ate at the Eastern House of Seafood and when the hubs started making it at home, it was met with an uproarious response of happiness from me because I just love smoked food! Why not give this dish a try for something a little different this CNY.
Learn how to make this recipe here.
8. Teochew Braised Duck
Teochew Braised Duck is a traditional CNY dish for my in-laws. My father in-law would talk about making this dish and go about the Asian Grocers in Sydney to secure his bird close to CNY. But the recipe shared by the hubs here is one developed based on the research by his friend Allan. Its succulent meat bursts with just the right amount of flavour when you bite into it.
Learn how to make this recipe here.
9. Lionhead
This soupy and delicious dish is the ultimate comfort food and the big balls of minced pork never fails to impress! Just pop everything into a pot and let it simmer away while you prepare your other dishes!
Learn how to make this recipe here.
10. Jin Du Pai Gu
This dish is something we would order when eating at a Chinese Restaurant. The excuse? The kids. But in reality, it’s something we enjoy eating ourselves!
Learn how to make it here. Or you can try making it with chicken breast meat and you’ll be surprised how tender it is! Click here for the recipe.
11. Black Pepper Crabs
If I had a choice of what to eat for my birthday, I would usually say Black Pepper crabs! And preferably the black pepper crustacean from the famous Eng Seng Black Pepper crabs! The hubs modeled this recipe after Eng Seng where he made several trips there to see how they actually cook it!
Learn how to make it here.
12. Chilli Crabs
If pepper crabs do not pander to your taste buds, why not make Chilli Crabs instead? This recipe is closer to the original recipe that first appeared in the 50’s at Palm Beach Restaurant before it was transformed into the modern version that we are all more familiar with. This dish will certainly impress and bring joy to everyone around the CNY table.
Learn how to make it here.
13. XO Har Loke Prawns
It seems many of our readers are in love with prawns! If you like a charred, smokey, tangy flavoured prawn dish, then this recipe is something you must try!
Learn how to make it here.
14. Cereal Prawns
Cereal prawns is something the kids love to eat, though I do catch them just eating the cereal sometimes! These cereal prawns are not your ordinary cereal prawns though. They have cheese inside and you can easily scoop out the flesh without peeling. Unlike the commercial version, this is a much easier way of making this dish without the need to deep fry! If you have small children, they are sure to devour these yummy goodies!
Learn how to make it here.
15. Soy Sauce BBQ Prawns
Next on the list is prawns again, but of a different flavour! This is one of my favourite things to eat at Roland Restaurant! These are barbequed soy sauce prawns, perfect if you want to switch things up this CNY with a BBQ instead of the usual steamboat. Don’t feel like bringing out the barbeque? You can easily pan fry the prawns in a saucepan too! And don’t forget to give the prawn shells a good licking before discarding them!
Learn how to make it here.
16. Abalone + Wings
I am not a big fan of abalone, but what should one do with the cans of abalone in the hampers? The hubs developed this recipe for Tefal years ago and it’s a dish that would make an appearance every other New Year as the token Abalone dish. It’s fairly simple to make, and has something for everyone! Chicken Wings for the kids, abalone for the adults and broccoli for the vegetable lovers.
Learn how to make it here.
17. Ngoh Hiang (Penang Lor Bak)
My first memory of eating Ngoh Hiang is with my late dad, sitting on a wooden bench, watching a wayang show while eating the fried rolls bought from a makeshift stall that probably “tour”ed with the wayang troupe around Singapore. The hubs got this recipe from Head Chef Alvin of Penang Place and changed it up using minced chicken instead. For the Lor Bak purist, you can always replace the chicken with pork and enjoy this simple yet delicious dish with friends and family.
Learn how to make it here.
18. Oh Nee
No decent Teochew family would not end the meal without oh nee. This recipe is not your usual yam paste drenched in coconut milk version but the traditional fragrant, savoury and sweet Yam dessert. Surely “there is always room for dessert”!
Learn how to make it here.
Conclusion:
Since we can’t travel overseas and visits are limited to 2 different households a day, why not get busy in the kitchen and not just on the mahjong table this CNY? Hope my picks have inspired you to try making one or two dishes. Have a very blessed Chinese 牛(niu) Year and Happy Cooking!
