I have tried a number of pumpkin dishes this season, from sweet to savoury. It has come to my conclusion that apart from a spiced pumpkin soup or seasoned roasted pumpkin wedges for snacks, nothing beats good old simple savoury dishes. I find this super easy and fast Savoury Sweet Pumpkin Fry to be the best for me. All season I have made pumpkin cheesecakes, muffins and pies, even a pumpkin loaf. Seriously, I do not know what the hype is all about with the sweet dishes. Maybe I am getting too old or maybe I am just 100% Malaysian at heart with spicy tastebuds. 

CRAVING

Many years ago, one of my relatives served this simple savoury dish with chapati. The memory of it came to me last month and ever since then it became an obsession and craving. I just had to have it, so I asked Yazreena for her mum’s recipe. It is now my favourite pumpkin dish and it’s the simplest of them all. I really like ‘Labu masak cili’ (translated as ‘pumpkin cooked with chilli’). Making this dish is simple and fast. After having it for dinner and leftovers for breakfast, I still want more. I simply can’t get enough of it just yet!

INGREDIENTS

Sweet Pumpkin or Butternut Squash, Shallots, Garlic, Chillies and scallions for garnish. The recipe calls for a little ground dried prawns for flavour too. It’s a Malaysian thing and it does give an amazing flavour, though I know it is an acquired taste for many people. You may wish to omit the dried prawns, but I feel it then loses it’s authentic flavour.

BIRD’S EYE CHILLIES VS REGULAR RED CHILLIES

Although I prefer savoury dishes, I am unable to handle the cili padi part of it (birds eye chillies). The level of spicy is really a personal thing, so I just tweaked the chilli part in the recipe, to suit my taste. Instead of bird’s eye chillies, I added a little chilli powder, smoked paprika, and 2 deseeded red chillies for it’s flavour. Deeeelicious! Another minor unintentional tweak was that I added in 1 roasted sweet potato as well. I had this extra sweet potato from the day before which I had roasted for snacks but never got round to eating! It added an extra sweetness to the savoury dish and I have to admit, it was really good. My husband loved it so much that he had a second helping but with Rice instead of Chapati.

HOW TO PREPARE

First peel and cut pumpkin into cubes and set aside. You may season and oil it to roast beforehand if you wish. I did this the first time round so I did not have to boil it after adding to the other ingredients. The second attemp was the way of the original recipe and I find that both ways turned out the same. Slice Shallots and garlic. Wash and pound the dried prawns. Chop/slice chillies and scallions. I deseeded the chillies. Season as to your personal taste. I added a little hot chillie powder and smoked paprika. (Scroll down for the detailed recipe and print version)

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pan/pot and fry the shallots till limp but not browned. Add the rest of ingredients and fry till the aroma comes out. Add the pumpkin cubes and 1-11/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover to simmer till pumpkin is cooked and soft. Add more water a little by little if it dries up before pumpkin is cooked. Cook it till all water dries up unless you wish for a little gravy if serving it with Rice. Add in a bunch of chopped scallions the last 2 minutes of cooking and reserve some for garnish. Best served with Chapati.

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Savoury Sweet Pumpkin Fry

This Savoury dish is super easy to make. It is best cooked with sweet pumpkin or butternut squash. It can be served with rice or roti, but goes superbly well with chapati!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Asian, Malaysian

Keyword Butternut Squash, Malaysian, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Fry, Savoury, Savoury Sweet, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil I used rapeseed oil
• 500 grams sweet pumpkin or butternut squash I used 1 very small butternut squash and 1 sweet potato
• 1-1.5 cup water
• 8 shallots sliced
• 3-6 cloves garlic I used 6
• 1-2 tablespoons Dried prawns optional – wash and pound/grind
• 2 Bird's Eye Chillies or Red Chillies. I used 2 deseeded red chillies. Add/change to suit your taste.
• 1 bunch scallions chopped
• 2 teaspoons hot chili powder optional and use to suit personal taste
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika powder optional and use to suit personal taste
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Heat oil in pan/wok/pot
• Fry shallots till limp but not brown.
• Add in garlic, dried prawns, chillies, chilli powder and smoked paprika. Fry till browned.
• Add in the pumpkin cubes and water. Lower heat to low and cover. Let it cook on low heat till pumpkin is cooked, checking and stirring occasionally. Add more water a little by little if it dries up before pumpkin is cooked.
• Add a bunch of chopped scallions during the last few minutes of cooking and reserve some for garnish. Cook pumpkin is soft. Most of the water will evaporate, making this a dry fry.
• Season with salt to taste. Garnish and Serve hot.
• Best served with Chapati.

Notes

1. Add or lessen chillies to suit your taste.
2. Dried prawns may be ommited due to allergies or for a vegan dish, but then it will lose it’s authentic flavour. 
3. Most of the water will evaporate, making this a dry fry.

If you have tried this recipe, do let me know how it turned out! Tag @sweetsharings on instagram and mention #sweetsharings in a hashtag.

The post Savoury Sweet Pumpkin Fry (Labu Masak Cili) appeared first on Sweet Sharings.

‘Char Siu’ means a Chinese dish of roast pork that requires an overnight marinate for good flavour. However, this is made with chicken, a healthier version and only needs a minimum of 30 minutes marinate time. Char Siu Chicken is an asian style of BBQ Chicken and is a perfect protein dish to pair with noodles or rice.

COOK’S NOTES :

INGREDIENTS NEEDED :

Chicken, Garlic, Chinese 5 Spice, Hoisin Sauce, Sesame Oil, Soya Sauce, Tomato Ketchup (OR fermented red beancurd OR Natural Food Colouring), Dark Soya Sauce, Honey.

MARINADE

I marinate the chicken thigh fillets for at least 30 minutes if pressed for time. If you have the time, then marinating it longer would yield best results.

Grilling over the stove top in a cast iron grill pan gives me more control in turning over the chicken pieces. You can roast it in the oven or even air fry it…whatever you prefer.

I normally serve this Char Siu Chicken with Wonton Noodles or Rice, paired with green vegetables. If you like noodles, then I am sure you will like my :

20-min Dry Wonton Noodles

and Quick Pickled Green Chillies

Tomorrow I will make Vegan Char Siu Chicken and post the link as soon as I am able to blog it!

PAIR WITH Noodles or Rice with Green Vegetables.

Notice the Char Siu with Rice looks more charred and fully cooked than the one with the noodles. I made 2 versions : on stovetop during first attempt which was not so charred, served with noodles. The reason for this is because I used much less honey and did not increase the grilling time. (Honey and sugar gives the old school charred look).

The second attempt was done in my Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer. This of course meant that the grilling was all done automatically for me and it still took only 10 minutes! No effort needed and turned out superb!

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Grilled Char Siu Chicken

A healthier version of Char Siu made with chicken. Mouth watering, succulant Grilled Char Siu Chicken; once you try this easy and irresistable, sweet and savoury chicken, you will want more. This is an asian style of BBQ Chicken and is a perfect protein dish to pair with noodles or rice.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Vietnamese

Keyword Asian, BBQ chicken, Char Siu Chicken, Chicken Thighs, Grilled chicken, Malaysian, Singaporean, Vietnamese

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Marinate 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories

Equipment

• cast iron stove-top grill pan

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 500 gm Skinless Boneless chicken thighs 4-5 pieces.
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Char Siu Marinade Sauce

• 2 tbsp Light Soya Sauce
• 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
• 2 tbsp honey – preferably amber color I only used 2 tsp. as I’m pre diabetic
• 1 tbsp Tomato Sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
• 1 tsp Dark Soya Sauce
• ½ tsp white pepper optional
• 1 tsp natural food coloring OR 2 pieces Chinese fermented red beancurd for the colour, optional. (I opted out)

Garnishing – optional

• coriander leaves
• white sesame seeds

Instructions

Marinate chicken

• Place chicken and garlic in a bowl and rub in.
• Combine all Marinade ingredients in another bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside 2-3 tbsp for glazing the chicken.
• Add chicken to the bowl and coat well with the marinade sauce. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. Before Grilling, make sure the chicken is back to room temperature.

Grilling

• Lightly oil a cast-iron stovetop grill pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10-20 minutes, turning several times.
• To test for doneness, pierce the flesh with the tip of a knife: The chicken is cooked when clear juices flow out.
• During the last 2 minutes of cooking, baste with the reserved marinade to give it a nice glaze and enhance the flavour. 

Serving

• Slice the char siu chicken thighs and serve immediately. Optional garnish of coriander leaves and/or white sesame seeds.

Notes

1. You can use white meat/chicken tenderloins but remember cooking time is reduced to half the time.
2. The same marinade may be used for Vegan Char Siu using Seitan, mushrooms or Tofu. Cooking time is half the time.
3. You can Roast in the oven, Grill on stovetop or outdoor grill, or use an electric Griller. Even air frying is possible with this recipe.
4. Recipe of 20-min wonton noodles : https://www.sweetsharings.com/recipe/20-min-dry-wonton-noodles
5. Recipe of Quick Pickled Green Chillies : https://sweetsharings.com/recipe/quick-pickled-green-chillies

SERVING SUGGESTION :

The post Grilled Char Siu Chicken appeared first on Sweet Sharings.

It’s gloomy outside of my window as I type this. The days are getting shorter and it gets dark so early. I could use a pick-me-up on this, and there are a few ways to do so. Today I choose what’s top on my list of pick-me-ups! If you already know me, you would have already guessed it right by saying food! I am kind of craving for a childhood favourite street food – Dry Wonton Noodles. Today I am going to serve my 20-min dry wonton noodles with char siew chicken as I have run out of wontons. It’s still a complete and balanced meal though!

WHAT IS WONTON NOODLES?

Wonton noodles are made from Wheat and Egg, like a kind of thin stringy pasta. They are sold fresh or in dried form and in ball like coils. I usually buy the fresh type. The simple preparation is to blanch the noodles and then toss the noodles in a garlic sesame soy sauce. Then I serve it with a protein, usually wontons or chicken or both, leafy greens and my pickled green chillies.

COOK’S TIPS :

Just like all fresh pasta, fresh Chinese egg noodles should be kept in their original sealed package in the refrigerator until ready to cook, and once opened, will last only a couple of days. Unopened, they should be good for about a week, but remember to check the expiration date!

VERSATILE DISH

Today’s dry wonton noodles will be without the wontons. All I had in the fridge was a pack of chicken thigh fillets and some Bak Choy and Choi Sum. I usually prepare the wontons a day ahead, making them fresh. However, I did not have the time to buy the ingredients, let alone prepare the prawn and chicken filling. The fresh wonton noodles I have are expiring in 2 days, so Wonton Noodles it is then for dinner. Besides, I need my quick noodle fix too!

BLANCHING

Wonton noodles come in a tight woven ball or coil, so I loosen the noodles with a pair of chopsticks as I blanch it, bobbing the basket in and out of the boiling water. I do this for about 30-40 seconds. Any longer and the noodles become soggy.

I usually blanch my noodles in a special noodle strainer/blanching basket. What I do, is to put the noodles in the strainer basket and bob it in and out of the pot of boiling water. You can just put the whole batch of noodles in the boiling water too, then scoop it out and drain – this is how I blanch the vegetables though.

SERVINGS

My personal preference is to blanch individual servings of noodles and place into serving bowls separately instead of blanching all servings at one go. This way I am able to stick to 1 serving and not go overboard with my sugar levels (I am pre diabetic). Any dish in noodle or pasta form is tops on my husband’s favourite list, so he always goes for a second serving.

SAUCE

PICKLED GREEN CHILLIES

Wonton noodles bring back childhood memories in Malaysia. I love my Wonton Noodles served with pickled green chillies. This dish is never complete without the pickled chillies! I usually have a jar in the fridge so it is always readily available. However, I tend to run out of it at times, so making it on the same day as your noodles is fine, it just needs 2 hours soaking in the vinegar solution. However, making the pickles a day ahead would give you best results. You can get a jar of pickled chillies from the Asian store but I prefer making my own. Home-made pickles are the best with fresh ingredients minus the preservatives. This pickle can last up to 1.5 months if kept in the refrigerator.

CHAR SIU CHICKEN

‘Char Siu’ actually means a Chinese dish of roast pork marinated in a sweet and savoury sauce. My recipe however, is the healthier version of chicken marinated in the same sauce. Grilled Char Siu Chicken is an asian style of BBQ Chicken and it goes superbly well with Dry Wonton Noodles and even Jasmine Rice.

VEGAN CHAR SIU CHICKEN (recipe coming soon)

You may like to try :

Grilled Char Siu Chicken

Pickled Green Chillies

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20-min Dry Wonton Noodles

Wonton Noodles is a popular noodle dish in Southeast Asia and can be served dry or with soup. This noodle recipe is very easy and quick to make and takes only 20 minutes to prepare. If you have all the desired accompaniments (wontons and/or a protein accompaniment, vegetables and/or pickled chillies) already available and prepared earlier, then preparing the noodles itself will only take a jiffy to be ready.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese, Malaysian, Vegetarian

Keyword Dried Wonton Noodles, Malaysian, Noodles, Southeast Asian, vegetarian, Wonton Noodles

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories

Ingredients

• 400 grams fresh or dry wonton noodles (egg noodles) I used fresh
• ½ bunch choy sum washed and cut into 2-inch lengths OR 2 bak choi cut into halves. I used both Bak Choi and Choy sum
• pinch of salt optional
• 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
• Ground white pepper to taste
• Spring Onions/Scallions optional garnish
• 500 grams Protein Accompaniment – store bought or home made vegetarian or chicken char Siu and /or wontons. Char Siu is sliced into bite-sized pieces
• Pickles chillies OR few Fresh long green chillies sliced and added to soya sauce in a sauce dish optional

TOSSING OIL – for each individual serving of noodles

• 2 teaspoons thick dark soy sauce OR thick Sweet Soya Sauce (Kecap Manis)
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce OR Hoisin Sauce bean paste with Chinese 5 spices
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2-3 teaspoons Garlic Oil OR shallot flavoured oil store bought OR home-made

HOME MADE GARLIC OIL

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

• Prepare the pickled chillies from 2 hours to a day in advance
• Have your Protein accompaniment Ready and set aside (Wontons/Char Siu Chicken/vegetarian Char Siu). See my blog links to Chicken and Vegetarian/vegan char siu recipes

PREPARE GARLIC OIL

• Heat the oil in a pan and fry the minced garlic over low-medium heat until it starts to turn lightly golden in color and crisp. Transfer immediately to a heat proof bowl and set aside.

PREPARE VEGETABLES

• Wash and rinse vegetables. Cut each head of bak choi into halves. Set them aside. For choy sum, cut into 2-inch lengths.
  
• Bring a medium or large pot of water to the boil. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and a pinch of salt (optional). Blanch the vegetables. Remove, drain and set aside. Do not discard the water. It will be used to blanch the noodles as well.
• Prepare 4 serving plates with cutlery – chopsticks and Chinese soup spoon or just a fork.

PREPARE NOODLES

• In each shallow serving bowl, place 1 serve of the tossing sauce.
• With the same boiling water used for blanching the vegetables, bring it to a boil. Using a pair of chopsticks, add individual servings of noodles into water to cook, stirring continually, for about 25-30 seconds (100 g or adjust quantity depending on each person).
  
• Use a large sieve to drain the noodles and run it under cold running tap water for 5 seconds, then dip the noodles in the boiling water again just to warm it up.
  
• Lift up noodles using noodle sieve basket. Do not discard water.
• Transfer the noodles into the serving bowl and toss them in the tossing sauce.
• Add a dash of white pepper (optional)
• Place individual servings of vegetables, char siu chicken and/or wontons in each plate of noodles.
• Garnish noodles with spring onions/scallions – optional
• Serve immediately wth pickled green chillies and a bowl of wonton soup OR clear chicken/vegetable broth with a little white pepper and scallions as flavour and garnish.
  

Notes

1. If you like it spicy, but wish to opt out of the pickled green chillies, then mix the noodles with some Sriracha chilli sauce, chilli paste or any favourite plain sambal of your choice.
2. You can prepare and mix the tossing sauce enough for 4 servings in a bowl and divide servings into 4 plates. 
3.  Recipe of Grilled Char Siu Chicken : https://www.sweetsharings.com/recipe/grilled-char-siu-chicken
4. Recipe of Quick Pickled Green Chillies : https://sweetsharings.com/recipe/quick-pickled-green-chillies

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