Mama's Ma Lai Goh (Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake)

I have many fond memories of my Mama (grandmother in Chinese) and whenever I think of her it's always food that pops into my head. She would always have something that she baked, steamed or fried in her kitchen for all of us grandkids. Sweets no way but only delicious homemade treats were her thing. 

She never wrote down how she made them. All her secrets are kept to memory and with her magical touch she would be in the kitchen whipping up batches of her goodies ready to eat at her house or packaged to take home. 

Whenever I got the chance I would sit down and just watch her do her thing. Every measurement was by sight and I would ask her "how much?". She would always say "just watch me" and I did. Countless times I would watch and write down all the ingredients and how she made them. She would sometimes call me up just to come over on a certain day to watch her make something. I guess passing down the her recipes down a generation but I think she just liked spending time together this way.

There are many of those treats I call my favourites but one clearly stands out and that's her Ma Lai Goh or Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake. It's a traditional Cantonese steamed sponge cake, light and fluffy, not too sweet,  caramel flavoured with just a hint of lemon. 

Mama's Ma Lai Goh (Chinese Steamed Sponge Cake)

250 g brown sugar

250 g self-raising flour

3 eggs

200 ml of carnation milk or evaporated milk

80 ml of vegetable oil

juice of a lemon

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the oil and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and combine well. 

2. Fold in the sifted flour and alternate with the carnation milk.

3. Add the juice of a lemon and combine well. 

4. Prepare a greased round 23cm baking tin and pour the mixture into the tin. 

5. Steam the cake over high steam for about 25 - 30 mins or use a skewer to check if it is baked through. Remove from heat and let it stand for about 5 mins. Transfer to a rack and let it cool another 10 mins and then cut the cake diagonally into triangular shapes. Place the cake into a container for storage so that it doesn't dry up.

Steamed Tofu with Seasoned Mince Chicken

All my kids love soft tofu or silken tofu, so soft, smooth and just so easy to eat. Add a generous portion of seasoned mince chicken, spring onion and coriander and then drizzle it in a sesame seed oil. It's just so very simple, delicious, and quick to prepare tofu dish .... oh and did I mention healthy too.... just right for dinner tonight. 

Steamed Tofu with Seasoned Mince Chicken

2 pcs soft tofu

100 g mince chicken

2 tbsp spring onion, chopped

1 tbsp coriander, chopped

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

salt and pepper

1 tsp sesame seed oil

1tbsp oil

1. Using a steaming dish, place the tofu side by side and set aside. In a bowl season the mince chicken with oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Heat some oil in wok and add 1 tbsp spring onion and cook until aromatic. Add the seasoned chicken and cook the chicken until tender. Remove from the wok and spread over the tofu.

3. In a saucepan place a steaming tray and pour enough water for steaming and bring to a boil. Place the steaming dish with the tofu and chicken and steam for about 10mins on high. Remove and set aside. Place the extra coriander and spring onion over the tofu.

4. Heat the oil and sesame seed oil and pour the hot oil over the tofu. Serve while hot.

Teochew Style Steamed Fish

I was never really sure how to steam a fish when I started cooking on my own. After watching and helping my mum steam fish I could never remember how long to cook the fish so that it was just right. It is always the timing that determines how the fish is cooked... cooked too long and the flesh becomes rubbery and hard.... cooked too short and the flesh clings onto the bone..... cooked just right and the flesh just simply comes of the bone and melts in your mouth.

.... the secret is wait till the eyes pop out.... yes not a nice sight to see but when the fish is just right the eyes start to pop out and it's just like the fish is saying "I'm ready!"

Well, anyway for tonight's dinner I've made a pretty easy dish with fresh grouper and steamed it Teochew style... all salted mustard greens and a little salt and pepper, oh and throw in some soft tofu and tomato too! 

Teochew Style Steamed Fish

400 g whole fish (I used a grouper but you can use just about any fresh fish)

1 pc of fresh soft tofu, cut into roughly 2cm cubes

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 shitake mushroom (you can use more if you like)

1/3 cup salted mustard greens, soaked and shredded (approx)

1/2 cup water

Black pepper, freshly ground

salt

1 stalk spring onion, chopped finely

1 stalk coriander leaves, roughly chopped into 5 cm lengths

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp sesame seed oil

1. Clean the fish and make a cut from the bottom of the fish up to the mouth so that the fish can stand upright in a steaming dish. 

2. Using a metal steaming dish, arrange the fish so that it will stand upright. Arrange the tofu, tomatoes, salted mustard greens and shitake mushroom around the fish. Sprinkle the salt and pepper around the dish. Pour 1/2 cup of water on over all the ingredients.

3. Prepare a wok for steaming and place a steaming tray in the wok. Add enough water for steaming and bring the water to a boil. Arrange the steaming dish in the wok when the water is boiling. Cover the fish and steam for about 10mins or until the fish eyes start to pop out. This will mean the fish is ready and you don't want to over steam the fish or else the flesh will be rubbery and hard.

4. Remove the fish when cooked and set aside or carefully rearrange on a serving plate. Arrange the coriander over the fish.

5. In a saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and sesame seed oil. Heat until it starts to smoke. Turn off the heat and add the spring onions. Quickly pour over the garnishes and fish and serve while hot.