Christine Miller, a cookery teacher at the Angela Day Kitchen, shares her favourite Chinese New Year recipes.
Today (February 19) marks the start of the Chinese New Year, which calls for 15 days of festivities – and food is an important feature of the celebrations, symbolising prosperity, good luck, health and long life for everyone at the table.
Every food, either by its appearance or its pronunciation, represents age-old Chinese beliefs.
Noodles denote long life and it is bad luck to cut them. Spring rolls signify wealth because they are shaped like gold bars.
Foods also have meaning because of what they sound like. For example, the word orange and tangerine sounds like the word for luck and wealth so these are freely passed around at New Year.
The word for fish, Yu, sounds like the words for wish and abundance so often a new year’s meal will end with a whole fish being served – a wish for abundance in the coming year.
Something sweet is always served as this indicates a rich sweet life, and a round shape signifies a family reunion.
Tofu would never be served at this time because its colour represents death.
Another New Year tradition is to hand out red envelopes or packets containing crisp new notes, always of an even number.
It is believed that fireworks at New Year drive away evil spirits and will bring good luck.
People will also typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolise a new beginning and having enough things to use and wear in the new year.
According to Chinese astrology, each year (starting from Chinese New Year) is associated with an animal sign, occurring in a 12-year cycle. For example 2015 is the Year of the Sheep… or Goat, depending on who you ask.
Even if you are not celebrating the Lunar New Year, you can enjoy these sumptuous dishes.
All the ingredients for the recipes are available from Chinese supermarkets in Cyrildene and The Chinese supermarket in the China Mall in Rivonia.
CANTONESE SPRING ROLLS
Makes 16-18
FILLING
6 dried Chinese mushrooms
250g pork fillet, finely shredded
15ml soya sauce
5ml sesame oil
5ml cornflour
10 medium prawns, cleaned and roughly chopped
15ml Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry
5ml cornflour
30ml oil
5ml chopped garlic
5ml chopped ginger
half a red pepper, finely diced
4 Chinese garlic chives, chopped
half a carrot, finely shredded
250ml finely shredded Chinese cabbage
30ml oyster sauce
15ml Chinese cooking wine
30ml soya sauce
5ml sugar
5ml sesame oil
spring roll wrappers
60ml flour mixed with water to form a paste
oil for deep frying
Soak the mushrooms in boiling water for about 20 minutes until soft. Remove the stems and slice finely.
Combine the pork, soya sauce, sesame oil and cornflour and marinate for 15 minutes.
Combine the prawns, cooking wine and cornflour and marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat the oil and fry the garlic and pork until nearly cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add a little more oilif necessary and fry the ginger and prawns until nearly done. Remove and set aside.
Fry the mushrooms, red pepper, chives, carrots and cabbage until soft.
Combine the oyster sauce, wine, soya sauce, sugar and sesameoil and add to the vegetables.
Return the pork and prawns to the pan and mix well.
Remove and cool the filling completely.
Place a wrapper on the counter so that it forms a diamond shape. Place a spoonful of filling near the base.
Bring the point over to enclose the filling,roll over once. Tuck in the sides and roll up completely. Use the flour paste to seal the end.
Heat the oil and deep-fry the spring rolls until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and serve hot.
Note: Spring roll wrappers are available frozen from supermarkets. Christine prefers the smaller size as it allows you to have more filling in proportion to pastry. If you can’t find small ones, then trim large ones to about a 12cm square.
STIR-FRIED PRAWNS WITH BLACK BEANS
Serves 4
1kg whole medium prawns, deveined
cornflour for coating
oil for deep frying
45ml peanut oil
5cm piece of ginger, cut into thin strips
15ml chopped garlic
45ml black bean paste
3 red chillies, seeded and chopped
10ml sugar
60ml chicken stock
30ml cornflour
15ml Chinese cooking wine
chopped coriander for garnishing
chopped spring onion for garnishing
Toss the prawns in cornflour to coat and deep-fry them until golden and cooked.
Drain on paper towel.
Heat the peanut oil in a wok and fry the ginger and garlic.
Add the black bean paste and chillies and fry until fragrant.
Add the prawns and toss to coat with the sauce. Add the sugar and stock and the cornflour mixed with the cooking wine.
Serve immediately, garnished with coriander and spring onions.
STEAMED FISH WITH GINGER
Serves 4
1kg whole fish, cleaned and scaled
salt
vegetable oil
julienne slices of fresh ginger
4-6 spring onions, cut into thin strips
90ml Chinese cooking wine
45ml soya sauce
5ml sugar
1 red chilli, seeded and cut into thin strips
45ml oil
coriander for serving
Score the fish twice on each side. Rub with salt and vegetable oil.
Place a few slices of ginger and spring onion on a plate large enough to hold the fish in a wok to steam.
Place the fish on top, then place more slices of ginger and spring onion on top of the fish.
Pour 45ml of the cooking wine over the fish. Place in a steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes until cooked and the flesh flakes easily when pierced with a fork.
Lift the fish from the plate and discard the ginger and spring onion. Place on a serving platter. Cover the top of the fish with more slices of ginger, spring onion and chilli strips.
Combine the rest of the wine, soya sauce and sugar, and mix. Pour this over the fish.
Heat the oil in a small pot and, when sizzling, pour it over the fish. Serve fish immediately, sprinkled with coriander.
PEANUT AND GINGER DUMPLINGS
Makes 18-20
SYRUP
4x250ml water
a 8cm piece of whole ginger, lightly pounded with a rolling pin
250ml granulated sugar
DOUGH
250g glutinous rice flour
180-250ml water
FILLING
100g finely ground peanuts
60ml castor sugar
60-80ml smoothpeanut butter
SYRUP: Place the water and ginger in a pot and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes.
Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to infuse for about an hour. Remove the gingerand serve with the dumplings.
DOUGH: Put the rice flour in a bowl and add enough water to make a thick paste that does not stick to your hands.
FILLING: Combine the peanuts and castor sugar and add enough peanut butter to form a thick paste. Roll the paste into about 18 balls.
Break off a piece of dough and flatten it to form a disc. Place a ball of peanut filling in the middle of the disc and fold over the edges to enclose the filling.
Roll the ball in your hands to smooth the dough and place on a tray lined with baking paper until ready to cook.
Fill a pot with water and bring to a simmer. Drop the dumplings into the water and, when they rise to the surface, they are done. This will take about 10 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon. Placethe dumplings in the ginger syrup and serve immediately.
LONGEVITY NOODLES
380g thin fresh Chinese noodles
10ml sesame oil
400g chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced
15ml shredded ginger
20ml Chinese cooking wine
5ml cornflour
20ml soya sauce
salt and white pepper
45ml peanut oil
2ml chilli flakes
750ml shredded cabbage
500ml fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
125ml finely sliced spring onion
60ml chopped coriander
Cook the noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until just soft. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Drain well and return to the pot. Add the sesame oil and toss to coat. Set aside.
Combine the chicken, ginger, 5ml of the cooking wine, cornflour, 15ml of the soya sauce and seasoning. Then set aside.
Heat 20ml of the peanut oil in a wok and fry the chilli flakes for a few seconds.
Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry until chicken is lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
Add 15ml oil to the wok and fry the cabbage, and mushrooms. Add to the chicken mixture.
Add 10ml of oil tothe wok and add the noodles.
Add the remaining cooking wine and soya sauce and toss to combine.
Return the chicken vegetable mixture to the wok and toss well to combine. Adjust seasoning and serve sprinkled with spring onions and coriander.
BLACK BEAN AND CABBAGE DUMPLINGS
Makes about 30
20ml vegetable oil
4x250ml finely shredded Chinese cabbage
10ml crushed garlic
400g pork mince
50ml black bean paste
1 egg white
45ml chopped chives
salt and white pepper
Gyoza dumpling wrappers
DIPPING SAUCE
45ml Chinese black vinegar
a few drops of chilli oil
a few slices of finely shredded ginger
1 red chilli, finely sliced
15ml chopped coriander
Heat the oil and fry the cabbage and garlic for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove and cool.
Combine with the mince, bean paste, egg white and chives and season well.
Place a wrapper on the counter and place a spoonful of filling in the middle. Dampen the edge of the wrapper with water. Fold the wrapper over to form a half-moon.
Place the dumplings in a steamer basket and steam for 8-10 minutes until cooked. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
DIPPING SAUCE: Combine ingredients and mix well.
Note: Gyoza wrappers are available frozen from Chinese supermarkets.
Angela Day, The Star