Simple Recipe - Veg Kut Teh (VKT) , Vegetarian Herbal Soup (Halal)

Factory pre packed BKT herbs & spices
or you can also use.........

This one is from a Chinese Medicine shop
You can use either one but the freshly packed
herbs from Chinese
Medicine shop has stronger herbal taste.


Delicious and healthy Veg Kut Teh

Veg Kut Teh is the vegetarian version of Bak Kut Teh. You can either use factory pre packed Bak Kut Teh herbs (A1 Brand in picture above) or get the local Chinese Medicine Shop to pack the herbs for you. Bak Kut Teh is a favourite herbal soup in Malaysia.

Ingredients
1) Pre packed Bak Kut Teh spices, 1 packet (A1 brand comes with 2 sachets, Use 1 satchet for 5 bowls of water)
2) Bean Curd Strips, 5 pcs, soaked in water to soften
3) Fried Fluffy Bean Curd (Toufu Pok), 10 pcs
4) Oysters Mushroom, 10 pcs
5) Carrots, 1 large, cut into cubes
6) Young Corns, 10 pcs, cut half
7) Garlic, 1 bulb (cook with skin intact)
8) Vegetarian Oyster sauce, 2 table spoons
9) Light Soya Sauce, 7 table spoons
10) Thick Soya Sauce, ½ teaspoon
11) Vegetable oil, 2 table spoon
12) 5 bowls of water
13) Salt to taste
14) *Lycium berries (Kei chi), around 1 table spoon (optional, added for extra flavour)
15) *Tong Kwai, 2 pcs (optional, for extra flavour)
*Note, I add this two herbs if I am using Factory pre packed BKT spices.

Note: You can add in mock vegetarian meat and vegetables in to the Veg Kut Teh.

Put 5 bowls of water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add in the pre packed spices, Kei chi (optional), Tong Kwai(optional) carrot and garlic. Boil for around 20 minutes. Then add in light soya sauce, thick soya sauce, vegetable oil and vegetarian oyster sauce. Put in the bean curd strips, corns and toufu pok. Add salt to taste.

VKT is best eaten with steamed rice and Chinese crullers (You Char Kwai). For extra kick, use bird eye chili in soya sauce as dipping sauce for the VKT.

Simple Recipe – Vegan Sambal Petai Tau Kan (Chili Petai Wet Bean Curd Blocks) - Halal

Wet bean curd blocks- Tau Kan


Petai- Still in pods


The petai beans


Yummy vegan sambal petai Tau Kan

You can buy Tau Kan (wet bean curd blocks) from vegetarian specialty stores. If you cannot find Tau Kan, you can actually use dry bean curd strips (soak in water) for this recipe. I let my imagination ran wild a bit and came out with this recipe which the non-vegan version normally uses prawn. I use Tau Kan because of its springy texture which is a bid similar to prawns. Your can also replace the pungent petai (Scientific name : Parkia speciosa; aka twisted cluster bean or stink bean), with cucumber if you don’t like petai.

Ingredients
Tau kan(Wet bean curd blocks) – 4 pcs, cut into strips
Tamarind – 1 table spoon, add water, and use only the juice.
Sugar – 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Turmeric (kunyit) powder – ½ teaspoon
Petai (optional, you can also use cucumber)
Chili paste – 1 table spoon
Vegetable oil – 3 table spoons

Blend
Shallots 5 pcs
Lemongrass (serai) 2 stalks

Heat up oil in wok and put in the blended ingredients, turmeric and chili paste. Sautéed until fragrant. Add tamarind juice, sugar and salt to taste. Stir the mixture for a short while. Then add in the Tau Kan. Cook for 1 minute and then add in the petai and serve.

Related Post on Tau Kan Recipe :
1) http://veganformation.blogspot.com/2009/06/vegetarian-sambal-goreng-fried-chilli.html
2) http://veganformation.blogspot.com/2008/11/simple-recipe-vegetarian-tomato-sauce.html

Simple Recipe – Vegan Soya Sauce Potato - Halal

Simple and delicious

I think you must have heard before that potatoes with eyes (sprouts) are poisonous as it contains Solanine (very toxic even in small quantities). Anyway, you just have to remove these sprouts. Better throw away the potato if it has turned bad, green underneath the skin and has too many sprouts. Although some research has shown that you have to eat at least a whole bag of potatoes to actually be poisoned but it is better to practice some caution. Better be safe than sorry!
There are many ways to cook potatoes. One of my favorite is soya sauce potato.

Ingredients
2 potatoes, skinned and cut into slices
3 shallots, skinned and cut into slices
2 table spoons of light soya sauce
½ teaspoon of dark soya sauce
Salt to taste

Deep fry the potatoes in hot oil until it turn brown. Take out the potatoes and put aside.
Leave around 2 table spoon of oil in the wok. Put in the shallots and sautéed until crispy. Add in the potatoes, light soya sauce, dark soya sauce and salt to taste.