200 g Minced beef
1/4 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon Ground white pepper
1 liter Water or stock
2 Tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 Onion, peeled and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon Chicken seasoning powder

Garnishing
2 sprigs Polygonum leaves, finely chopped

Marinate beef with salt and pepper to taste. Bring water or stock to the boil. Add tomatoes, minced beef and onion. Bring to the boil again and season soup to taste with salt and chicken seasoning powder. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls and sprinkle with pepper and polyganum leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.

2 tablespoons Nuoc cham sauce
5 cups Water
1/2 teaspoon Salt
3 Spring onions (scallions)
500 g Fresh lotus root
500 g Lean pork ribs

Cut pork ribs into short lengths. Peel lotus root thinly and cut into slices Slice spring onions (scallions), using both green and white parts Put these ingredients into a saucepan with salt and water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 1 - 2 hours until well cooked and liquid reduced to 4 cups. Add nuoc cham sauce to taste. Serve hot with white rice.

450 g Shrimps, peeled and deveined. Tapioca flour or cornstarch for dusting
3 tablespoons Oil
1 1/2 liters Chicken or fish stock, or water
4 tablespoons Tamarind juice
2 Large stalks celery, thinly sliced or julienned
400 g Ripe pineapple, peeled and cubed (from 1/4 whole pineapple)
1 Large tomato, cut into eighths
8 pieces Ladies’ fingers (okra), sliced
2 Red or green chilies, thinly sliced or to taste
225 g Bean sprouts, rinsed
2 tablespoons Fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Shallots, peeled and minced
Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and Thai basil leaves for ganish

In a large bowl, dust the shrimps in the cornstarch. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and stir-fry the shrimps until pink, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat the chicken stock and tamarind juice over medium heat. Add the celery, pineapple, tomato, ladies’ fingers and chilies, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the bean sprouts, and stir in the fish sauce, sugar and salt. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and stir-fry the shallots until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the shrimps to the soup, stirring to combine well. Remove from the heat and serve, garnishing each bowl with shallots and the fresh coriander leaves and Thai basil.

1 Catfish, sea bass or red snapper, about 1 kg, filleted
25 g Dried squid, soaked in water for 30 minutes
15 ml Vegetable oil
2 Spring onions (scallions), sliced
2 Shallots, sliced
4 cm Fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
2-3 stalks Lemon grass, cut into strips and crushed
30 ml Tamarind paste
3-Feb Thai chilies, seeded and sliced
15 ml Sugar
30-45 ml Nuoc Mam
225 g Fresh pineapple, peeled and diced
3 Tomatoes, skinned, seeded and roughly chopped
50 g Canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1 small bunch Fresh coriander, stalks removed, leaves finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper
115 g Bean sprouts
1 bunch Dill, fronds roughly chopped, for garnishing
1 Lime, cut into quarters, to serve

Marinade :
30 ml Nuoc Mam
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

Cut the fish into bite-size pieces. Reserve the head, tail and bones for the stock. In a bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients and add the fish pieces. Toss until well coated, cover and set aside. Drain and rinse the soaked dried squid. Heat the oil in a deep pan and stir in the spring onions, shallots, ginger, lemon grass and dried squid. Add the reserved fish head, tail and bones, and saute them gently for a minute or two. Pour in 1.2 liters of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the stock into another deep pan and bring the clear broth to the boil. Stir in the tamarind paste, chilies, sugar and nuoc mam and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the pineapple, tomatoes and bamboo shoots and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Finally stir in the fish pieces and the chopped fresh coriander, and cook until the fish turns opaque. Season to taste and ladle the soup into hot bowls. Garnish with bean sprouts and dill. Serve with the lime quarters to squeeze over. Hot and Sour :Depending on your mood, or your palate, you can adjust the balance of hot and sour by adding more chili or tamarind to taste. Enjoyed as a meal in itself, the soup is usually served with plain steamed rice but in Saigon it is served with chunks of fresh baguette, which are perfect for soaking up the spicy, fruity, tangy broth.

800 ml Vegetarian soup stock, or plain water
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Chinese wolfberry (L. Lycium chinesis)
50 g Dried tiger lily buds (golden needles)
6 pieces Black wood ear fungus
8 pieces Dried bamboo pith, soaked in cool water
for 20 minutes

Bring the stock or water to boil with the salt. Add the wolfberry, and let water return to the boil. Add the flowers, wood ears and pith. Bring soup to a full boil, cover, lower hear and simmer for 3 minutes. Taste, adjust seasoning, then transfer to soup tureen and serve.

1 Small melon
800 ml Water
315 g Glass noodles
55 g Ginger, peeled
100 g Sugar
2 Limes or lemon
2 Ginger cookies

Peel melon, remove seeds, cut into small cubes and puree in a liquidizer or food processor. Keep cool. Slice ginger finely and boil half of it in water with half the sugar until dissolved. Reduce the heat, add noodles, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove, allow to cool, pour into bowl. Discard ginger and chili pepper. In a saucepan, boil together remaining sugar and ginger and lime or lemon juice. Simmer until thick. Take from stove, cool and discard ginger. Chill. In individual bowls, set in large ice-filled bowls, pour equal quantities of gingered melon puree. Top with noodles then the lime or lemon. Garnish each with a mint leaf. Serve each with two ginger cookies.

1 liter Water or stock
500 g Fresh water fish fillets, cleaned and cut into large chunks
2 Tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 Red chili, sliced
1 teaspoon Lime juice
1 tablespoon Fish sauce
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Chicken seasoning powder
For garnishing
3-Feb Spring onions (scallions), cut into 3 cm lengths
2 sprigs Chinese celery, cut into 3 cm lengths

Bring water or stock to the boil and add fish. Bring to the boil again and add tomatoes, chili, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chicken seasoning powder. Garnish with spring onions and Chinese celery. Serve hot with steamed rice or rice vermicelli.

1 pint Chicken broth
750 g Fresh water fish fillets
3 Tomatoes (medium size)
2 tablespoon Chopped fresh dill
Extra fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop tomatoes into wedges. Cut fish into large bite-sized chunks. Heat the broth and add the fish. reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. Skim the surface, and add tomatoes, dried dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a little longer until fish is cooked but no breaking up. Serve in a large bowl or individual bowls and garnish with fresh dill.

2 Chicken drumsticks, removed skin and fat, cut into pieces
8 Red dates, removed seeds
1/2 cup Ginger juice
1/2 cup DOM
3-4 tablespoons DOM (optional)

Put chicken drumsticks, red dates, ginger juice and DOM into a double-boiler.
Cover and cook on medium heat for about 2 hours. Remove and add the extra 3-4 tablespoon of DOM (optional) before serving.

100 g Butter
1 Onion, finely diced
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Leek, white part only, finely chopped
2 stalks Celery stalks, finely chopped
200 g Chicken breast, cut into 1 cm dice
3 tablespoons Plain (all purpose) flour
1 liter Chicken stock
124 ml Cream, plus 2 tablespoons to serve
2 teaspoons Finely chopped chives, to serve

Melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan over low heat, then add the onion, garlic, leek and celery. Sauté stirring frequently so the vegetables don’t brown, for 15 minutes (slowly sautéing the vegetables at this stage allows their flavors to develop). Add the chicken to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir to combine thoroughly over the heat. Cook for 5 minutes, then slowly add the chicken stock, a little at a time, stirring well so that lumps don’t form. Bring to simmering point, then cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before blending in batches until quite smooth. It is important to allow the soup to cool before putting it in the blender, as the pressure when the soup is hot may cause the blender lid to come loose and allow the soup to splatter. Pour the soup back into a clean saucepan, add the cream, then bring back to a simmer and season to taste. Pour into serving bowls, swirl about 2 teaspoons of the extra cream through the middle of each bowl of soup, then scatter with chopped chives.

15 ml Vegetable oil
2 Shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
15 ml Rice flour or cornflour
225 g Cooked crab meat, chopped into small pieces
450 g Preserved asparagus, finely chopped or fresh asparagus, trimmed and steamed
1/4 teaspoon Salt,
1/4 teaspoon or to taste
1 sprig Ground black pepper, or to taste
1 sprig Basil leaves for garnishing
Coriander leaves, for garnishing
For stock
1 Meaty chicken carcass
25 g Dried shrimp, soaked in water for 30 minutes, rinsed and drained
2 Onions , peeled and quartered
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
15 ml Nuoc cham
6 Black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon Sea salt, or to taste

To make the stock, put the chicken carcass into a deep pan. Add all the other stock ingredients, except the salt, and pour in 2 liters of water. Bring the water to the boil, and boil for a few minutes, skim off any foam, then reduce the heat and simmer gently with the lid on for stock. Skim off any fat, season with salt, then strain the stock and measure out roughly 1.5 liters. Heat the oil in a deep pan or wok. Stir in the shallots and garlic, until they begin to color. Remove from the heat, stir in the flour, and then pour in the stock. Put the pan back over the heat and bring the liquid to the boil, stirring constantly, until smooth. Add the crab meat and asparagus, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with fresh basil and coriander leaves. Serve with a splash of nuoc cham.

1 liter Vegetarian soup stock, or plain water
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 Medium carrot, peeled and diced into 1/2 cm cubes
1 cake Soft tofu (about 200 g), cut into 1/2 cm cubes
80 g Fresh or frozen green peas
1 handful Dried black moss fungus,
washed and soaked 10 minutes in cool water
3 teaspoons Cornflour, dissolved in 3 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons Sesame oil
2 Spring onions, chopped, for garnishing

Bring the stock or water to a full boil with the salt. Add the diced carrot and tofu, cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the green peas and fungus to the soup, cover and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Stir the cornflour mixture into the soup. The soup will thicken as it returns to the boil. Drizzle in the sesame oil, add the spring onions, stir and turn off heat. Ladle into individual bowls and serve. This soup goes well with a dash of ground black or Sichuan peppercorn. Another nice embellishment is to add a small handful of very fresh mung bean sprouts to each serving bowl before lading in the soup, this adds both fresh flavor and a pleasant crunch to the texture.

600 g Chicken wings or half a chicken
2 lb Chinese winter melon
5 Spring onions (scallions)
5 cups Water
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Nuoc cham sauce
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper to taste

Cut chicken wings or half chicken into joints. Peel melon, discard skin and spongy centre with seeds. Cut melon into bite sized cubes. Slice spring onions (scallions) Put chicken into saucepan with spring onions, water and salt. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour or until liquid is reduced and well flavored. Add sauce and pepper to taste. Serve immediately while it is still hot, with rice if desired. Tip : Peeled, sliced and seeded cucumber can be used as a replacement for winter melon.

3 Celery sticks, finely chopped
3 Spring onions, chopped into rings
275 g Cooked chicken, finely shredded
225 g Flour sticks or spaghetti noodles
850 ml Chicken stock
2 Light wood ear fungus

Place the celery and spring onion in a bowl and put on the table. Place the cooked shredded chicken in a separate bowl and put that on the table also. Follow the instructions on the flour sticks pack, or boil up the spaghetti until just soft. Drain and rinse with some boiling water. Place in four bowls. Boil up the chicken stock until simmering, then add the light wood ear fungus. Place in a bowl and put on the table. The guests should put a mixture of celery, spring onion, and shredded chicken onto the noodles then ladle the hot chicken broth into the bowls.

2 liters Chicken stock
175 g Finely shredded cooked chicken
100 g Broken thin noodles
45 g Chopped fresh parsley

Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat, add the shredded chicken and simmer until the meat is warmed through. Stir in the noodles and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Stir in the chopped parsley just before serving. Tips Noodles must be added close to serving time, otherwise they will soften too much on standing.

3.25 liters Chicken stock (reserve the chicken flesh)
1 Large potato, cut into 2 cm cubes
2 Carrots, sliced into rounds
1 Large leek, sliced
100 g Shelled peas
100 g Green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 cm lengths
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, optional
3 tablespoons Chopped parsley

Spoon away the layer of fat from the surface of the stock, then bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat, then add the potato, carrot and leek to the stock and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Add the peas and green beans, then simmer for another 15 minutes. Pull the skin off the chicken, then tear the flesh from the bones and cut it into bite-sized chunks. Add the chicken to the soup, along with the cayenne pepper, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes or until the chicken is warmed through. Stir in the parsley just before serving.

1.5 liters Chicken stock
2 Chicken thighs
450 g Pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
2 Spring onions (scallions), sliced
2 tablespoons Nuoc cham sauce
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 sprig Coriander (cilantro) leaves, for garnishing

Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the chicken thighs. Simmer for 15 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and set aside. Add the pumpkin cubes to the stock with the spring onions, nuoc cham sauce and pepper. While pumpkin is simmering, strip the meat from the chicken and return it to the pan. Pour out the soup into serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with white rice

6 oz Chicken meat
4 oz Ham (or Canadian bacon)
2 Eggs (or shredded snow peas)
2 Bamboo shoots (or turnip)
1 Black dried mushroom
2 Green onions
3 slices Ginger
2 teaspoons Salt
5 cups Chicken stock or water
1/2 tablespoon Chicken grease

Boil the chicken in 8 cups of boiling water with green onion, and ginger about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken, let cool. Save the soup for later use. Tear the cold chicken into shreds. Cut the ham into thin strips. Peel and boil whole bamboo shoots about 10 minutes, cut into thin strips. Soak mushroom in warm water and remove the stem. Using a frying pan make two thin pancakes, with the beaten eggs. Cut into thin strips. In a medium size bowl put the mushroom upside down in the center. Arrange the shredded chicken, ham, egg attractively in the bottom of bowl. Add bamboo strips in center. sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup soup stock. Steam for 20 minutes. Turn the steamed dish into a large soup bowl. Bring the soup stock to a boil and season to taste, adding salt and chicken grease. Pour it around the steamed bowl. Remove the steamed bowl and serve.

750 ml Chicken stock
2 Chicken breast fillets
3-4 Corn cobs
1 tablespoon Oil
4 Spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1 clove Garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Grated fresh ginger
310 g Creamed corn
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 teaspoon Sesame oil

Place the stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the chicken, cover and remove the pan from the heat. Allow the chicken to cool in the liquid. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon, then finely shred the meat using your fingers. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs to yield about 400 g (2 cups). Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan or work and add the spring onion, garlic and ginger. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the stock, corn kernels. creamed corn, rice wine and soy sauce. Stir until the soup comes to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken meat. Stir the cornflour, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl until smooth. Add a little of the hot stock, stir to blend, then pour this mixture into the soup. Bring to simmering point, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Taste and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the chopped reserved spring onion.

1 cup Pork, minced
1/2 cup Shrimps, minced
6 Green onions (scallions)
4 tablespoon Coriander, finely chopped
24 Cabbage leaves
6 1/4 cups Chicken or pork broth
2 1/2 tablespoon Nuoc Cham (fish sauce)

Blanch cabbage leaves in boiling water and cut away any tough sections from the base. Cut white ends from green onions (scallions) and finely chop four white heads. Slice two lengthwise for garnish. Slice green stalks into strips. Mix chopped green onions (scallions) and 2 tablespoons of the coriander with pork and shrimp. Season with pepper. Into each cabbage leaf, place 1 tablespoon of mixture. First fold the leaf base then outer edges over it, and roll up. Carefully tie up each roll and a length of green onion (scallion) then place the packages gently into boiling broth and cook for 6 minutes. Lift parcels into bowls, pour a cup of broth over each and garnish with remaining sliced green onions (scallions) and coriander. Dip rolls into fish sauce when eating.

3 liters Water
500 g Pork bones
4 Small bitter gourds, soaked in hot water to soften slightly
200 g Minced pork
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground white pepper
4 Spring onions (scallions), white bulbous ends finely chopped
and green parts blanched
12 g Rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes,
then cut into 2 cm lengths
3 Wood ear fungus, soaked to soften then thinly sliced
1 Red chili
Fish sauce, to serve
For garnishing
1 Spring onion (scallion), chopped
1 sprig Coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

Bring water to the boil and add pork bones and salt to taste. Simmer for 1 hour, skimming surface to remove any scum. Meanwhile, carefully cut a slit along the length of bitter gourds and remove seeds. Set aside. Combine minced pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, chopped white bulbous ends of spring onions, rice vermicelli and wood ear fungus. Stuff mixture into bitter gourds. Tie blanched lengths or spring onions around bitter gourds. Place bitter gourds into stock and leave to boil until softened. Season stock with 1 tablespoon fish sauce and more salt if necessary. Garnish with spring onion and coriander. Sprinkle with pepper and serve with fish sauce and chili on the side.

1 kg Beef shin bones
350 g Gravy beef
5 cm Fresh ginger, thinly sliced into 2 in length
1 teaspoon Salt
2.5 liters Water
6 Black peppercorns
1 Cinnamon sticks
4 Cloves
6 Coriander seeds
2 tablespoons Nuoc cham sauce
400 g Thick fresh rice noodles
150 g Rump Steak, thiny sliced
3 Spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
1 Medium onion, very thinly sliced

Place the bones, gravy beef, ginger, salt and water in a large pan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently, uncovered, for 3 1/2 hours.Skim off any scum that forms on the surface. Add the peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds and nuoc cham sauce. Cook for another 40 minutes. Remove the gravy beef and set it aside to cool. Drain the stock, reserving all the liquid and discarding the bones and spices. Return the liquid to the pan. When the gravy beef is cool enough to handle, cut it against the grain into very fine slices. Set aside. Close to serving time, plunge the noodles into a pan of boiling water and cook them for about 10 seconds only, otherwise they will soften and fall apart. Drain the noodles well and divide them among large individual soup bowls. Arrange the toppings on a platter in the centre of the table. Bring the beef stock to a rapid boil. Place some slices of the cooked meat as well as a few slices of the raw steak into each bowl of noodles. Ladle the boiling stock over the top, sprinkle over the spring onion (scallion) and onion slides and serve. Each diner chooses their own toppings and can also add sauces such as sweet chili sauce and hoisin sauce to their dish.

225 g Broad rice noodles (Banh Pho)
or flat egg noodles
1 Onion, peeled and chopped into rings
1 Juice from 1 lemon
4 tablespoons Fresh coriander, finely chopped
4 Lettuce leaves, washed and finely shredded
4 tablespoons Fresh meat finely chopped
1 Lemon or lime, cut into quarters
100 g Rump steak, thinly shredded
3 or 4 Fresh hot red or green chili peppers,
cut into rings (optional)
90 ml Nuoc Mam sauce
Beef stock or use a good quality bouillon cube

Soak the noodles for 30 minutes in warm water, until just soft. Drain and keep warm. Soak the onion rings in the lemon juice for 20 minutes. Arrange the coriander, mint, lettuce and lemon or lime wedges on different plates and place on the table. First add the noodles to the soup bowls, then follow with the lettuce and herbs then the onion and chilies if desired. Add the meat, placing it in a single layer over the whole. Pour the boiling stock over the paper-thin meat, turning it from raw to rare and releasing the scents and flavours of the coriander, mint and chili. Add the Nuoc Mam sauce, a squeeze of the lemon or lime and slurp away.

4 cups (1 3/4 pints) Chicken broth
25 ml Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese fish sauce)
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
6 Shallots (chopped)
2 cloves Garlic (chopped)
250 g Crabmeat
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
425 g White asparagus spears (cut into 2 1/2 cm sections with canning liquid reserved)
15 g Coriander (cilantro) leaves, shredded
1 Green onion (scallion), thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Mix together :
2 tablespoon Cornstarch or arrowroot
2 tablespoon Cold water

If white asparagus is unavailable, use frozen or fresh asparagus (in this case, add the fresh asparagus to the broth from the very beginning and cook until tender, before adding the remaining ingredients). Combine the broth, 1 tablespoon/15 ml of the fish sauce, the sugar, and salt in the 3 quarter/5 1/4 pint soup pot or Dutch oven. bring to a boil. reduce the heat and simmer. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the shallots and garlic and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the crabmeat, the remaining 2 teaspoon/10 ml fish sauce, and black pepper to taste. Stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. Set aside. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir gently until the soup thickens and is clear. While the soup is actively boiling, add the egg and stir gently.Continue to stir for about 1 minute. Add the crabmeat mixture and asparagus with its canning liquid; cook gently until heated through. Transfer the soup to a heated tureen. Sprinkle with the coriander, green onion (scallion), and freshly ground black pepper.

3 Eggs
10 ml Nuoc Mam sauce (optional)
15 ml Vegetable oil
1-2 teaspoons Dried shrimps, soaked in warm water
until soft and drained or 10 shelled shrimps
1 teaspoon Fresh mint, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Fresh coriander, finely chopped

Beat the eggs with Nuoc Mam sauce until light and fluffy. In an omelet pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the egg and Nuoc Mam sauce mixture. Before it sets, stir in the shrimps, mint and coriander. Continue cooking until set. To finish off the top and obtain a successful rise, finish off under a preheated high grill. Ease around with a wooden spatula and fold the omelet.

5 Eggs
100 g Minced pork
3 Wood ear fungus, soaked to soften and thinly sliced
25 g Glass noodles, soaked to soften, drained and cut into 1 cm lengths
1 teaspoon Spring onion (scallion), white and green portion only, finely chopped
2-3 springs Coriander (cilandro) leaves, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Ground white pepper

Reserve 2 egg yolks and beat remaining eggs. Mix all remaining ingredients into beaten eggs. Pour mixture into a large heatproof (flameproof) bowl and steam covered over medium heat for about 25 minutes. Beat reserved egg yolks and pour over steamed egg mixture. Steam for 5 minutes. Garnish as desired and serve hot with steamed rice. To test if the dish is cooked, simply insert a bamboo skewer into the thickest part. If the skewer come out clean, the dish is cooked.

6 Eggs
1/2 cup Canned crab meat or shrimp
2 oz Chinese ham or barbecued pork, shredded
3 Dry black mushroom, soak and shredded
1 cup Bean sprouts or shredded bamboo shoots
1/3 cup Green onion, shredded
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Soup stock
8 tablespoons Oil

Beat eggs until foamy, add 1 teaspoon salt and soup stock (or cold water), mix again. Heat 6 tablespoons oil in frying pan, stir fry crab or shrimp, ham or pork, mushrooms, bean sprouts or bamboo shoots and green onion. Add soy sauce and salt. Stir fry about 1/2 minute over high heat. Splash 2 tablespoons oil down side of pan and add in the egg mixture. Fry on both sides until golden, remove to plate and serve.

A : Soya bean milk
500 ml Eggs, lightly beaten
2 Chicken stock granules (dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water)
2 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Salt
1/4
B : Oil
2 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped
1 clove Minced meat
100 g Oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Soya sauce
1 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Sesame oil
1/4 Corn flour (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
1/2 teaspoon
Garnishing : Spring onions (scallions), finely shredded
1 sprig Red chilies, finely sliced

Mix all the ingredients in item A. Pour into a deep bowl and steam on low heat till cooked. Heat up oil in wok. Sauté chopped garlic till fragrant. Add all the ingredients from item B. Stir well and thicken with corn flout. Taste and dish onto steamed egg bean curd. Sprinkle spring onions (scallions) and red chilies on top as garnishing. Serve hot with white rice.

3 tablespoons Oil
125 g Crab meat, picked clean
2 tablespoons Chopped shallots
4 Large eggs, beaten lightly
1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Fish sauce
1 Spring onion (scallion) chopped
1 sprig Fresh coriander (cilantro), coarsely chopped

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the crabmeat and shallots and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Beat the eggs with the black pepper, fish sauce, and spring onion. Add the cooked crab meat mixture and stir to combine. Add the remaining oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook until the edges turn light brown. Flip the omelet over to cook the other side, and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more, or until the edges turn light brown. Using a spatula, carefully remove the omelet to a serving dish, garnish with fresh coriander, and serve immediately.

5 Large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 Small Shallot, finally chopped
1 Small red chili, finely sliced
150 g Crab meat
50 g Small shrimps (chopped)
3 Vietnamese fish sauce
1/4 Salt
1.4 Pepper
1 sprig Coriander leaves, for garnishing

Beat the eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok and fry the shallot and chili for 1 minute. Add the crab meat and shrimps to the wok and continue to stir and fry for 1 more minute. Splash in a little fish sauce and mix it in. Move the crab and shrimp mixture to one side of the wok. Heat the remaining oil in the wok. Pour in the eggs, swirl them around and make the thinnest omelet. When the bottom is set but the top is still creamy, add the crab mixture to one side of the omelet, folding the other side over it. Serve immediately. Garnished with coriander sprigs, with the dipping sauce.

8 Eggs
1 stalk Scallion, chopped
5 Shalotts, sliced and fried till crispy
1 teaspoon Chopped garlic
3 tablespoons Oil, for cooking
Seasoning :
2 tablespoons Soy sauce
2 tablespoons Water
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Sesame oil

Heat oil in a pan. Grease the sides of the pan with this oil.
Break 1 egg into the centre of the pan. Cook till the egg white is set and a little brown on the sides. Flip over carefully to form a half moon. Do not allow the egg yolk to set. Dish up carefully onto a serving plate. Repeat with all the other eggs and add more oil when necessary. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in pan and sauté garlic till fragrant. Add soy sauce and water and bring to boil. Stir in pepper and sesame oil. Pour sauce evenly over the plate of eggs.Garnish with chopped scallion and crispy shallots and serve.

2 Mushrooms
3-En Green pepper
1 Chili
10 g Gingko nuts
4 Century eggs
Seasoning A
100 g
Seasoning B
1/3 tablespoon
1/4 tablespoon
1 tablespoon

Soak and remove the stems of the mushrooms. Together with the green pepper and chili, cut into pieces. Rinse the gingko nuts. Shell the century eggs and cut into quarters. Coat with Seasoning A. Heat 2 cups of oil in a pan and deep fry the century eggs until crispy and golden brown.Remove and drain.Leave 2 tablespoons oil in the pan and stir fry the gingko nuts, mushrooms, green pepper, chili and Seasoning B until cooked.Add the century eggs and stir well. Serve.

150 g freah chives, cleaned and cut into 1/2 cm length
4 Eggs, beaten
2/3 teaspoon Salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/3 teaspoon Sugar
4 tablespoons Oil

Put chives, eggs, salt, pepper and sugar into a big mixing bowl and mix well. Heat up 2 tablespoons oil in the wok. Pour in half of the mixture, spread into an omelet. Fry on medium heat till 2/4 cooked. Turn over to fry the other side of the omelet till cooked and golden brown. Remove from wok and serve on serving plate. Repeat the same process on the remaining half of the mixture. Dish and serve hot.

1 piece Bean curd, cut into 6 pieces 1cm thick
90 ml Vegetable oil
10 Straw mushrooms or firm button mushrooms
8 Quail eggs, hard-boiled and shelled
1 Spring onion, cut into 2.5cm lengths
2 pieces Canned bamboo shoots, cut into 2.5cm cubes
20 ml Bottled sate sauce
1 teaspoon Cornflour
15 ml Nuoc Mam sauce
2 teaspoons Sugar
100 ml Water

Fry the bean curd in 60ml hot oil until brown, taking care not to let it stick. Set aside and discard the oil. Put the remaining oil into a small casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid. Heat over a medium heat. Add the straw mushrooms, quails’ eggs, spring onion, bean curd, bamboo shoots and sate sauce. Mix the cornflour, Nuoc Mam sauce and sugar to form a smoth paste. Mix into the water. Stir this into the casserole pot and cover. Cook for 4 minutes.

300 g Young roasted rice
750 ml Thick coconut milk
250 g Sugar
3-4 sheets Banana leaves
1 tablespoon Melted butter

Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in 1 cup of the coconut cream for about 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir and mash lightly. In a casserole, combine remaining coconut cream and sugar. Bring to the boil then simmer until thick. Add the roasted rice and stir fry until thick.Wilt banana leaves by passing over an open flame for several seconds. Line a square heatproof dish with banana leaves.Brush leaves with melted butter. Press cooked rice mixture into the dish. Let stand several minutes before serving.

Skin :Ingredients A
375 ml Water
1 tablespoon Agar-agar powder
80 g Sugar
2 pcs Pandanus leaves, knotted
B :
1/2 cup Thick coconut milk (use 1/2 cocnut)
1/8 teaspoon Salt
A few drops Orange colouring
Filling
250 g Red bean paste

Skin : Put ingredients A into a small pot, stir and bring to boil till agar-agar powder has dissolved. Remove pandanus leaves. Add B, stir and cook till almost boiling. Remove from fire and strain. Filling : Roll red bean paste in between 2 sheets of plastic till 3mm thick. Cut into 3cm x 2cm pieces. Prepare 12 angku moulds, pour in agar-agar mixture till half full. Leave to half-set before putting in filling and top up agar-agar mixture till full. Leave aside to set. Use a small knife to loosen one side of the angku before removing it from the mould. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

8 Egg yolks
300 ml Sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon Lemon zest
300 g Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar

Combine the egg yolks and condensed milk in a double boiler. Add lemon zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until very thick and mixture coats the back of a spoon when lifted, about 30 minutes. Chill for 1 hour for easier handling.Grease hands and shape egg mixture into small balls, placing each ball into a greased pan. In the saucepan, melt sugar and cream of tartar over low heat. Do not stir, otherwise sugar will crystallize. When the sugar becomes a brown syrup, stir then dip each ball into the syrup with a pair of tongs, swirling to coat evenly. Keep the syrup over low heat so it does not harden. Alternatively, if you do not wish to coat the ball in syrup, dust them lightly with sugar. Put each coated ball into a greased pan and set aside to cool. Wrap individually in cellophane, if desired, before serving.

6 Ripe cooking bananas
1 Jackfruit
12 Spring roll wrappers
75 g Dark brown sugar or palm sugar
60 ml Water
250 ml Cooking oil
1 cup Toasted sesame seeds

Slice each banana in half lengthwise. Skin and cut the jackfruit into 12 strips, equal in length to the sliced bananas. Steam the spring roll wrappers for about 1 minute or until soft. In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar with the water. To prepare the rolls, brush the edges of each wrapper with the sugar mixture. Place one banana and one jackfruit strip on each wrapper. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then roll each wrapper and press the edges together to seal. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. Fry each roll over low heat until golden brown. Remove from pan and roll in toasted sesame seeds. Place on a paper towel to drain and serve warm.

250 g Glutinous rice, soaked in water for 5-6 hours
3 tablespoons Palm sugar, chopped
1/4 Green food coloring (optional)
225 ml Coconut milk
375 ml Water
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil, for brushing
60 g Desiccated cocnut
375 g Strawberries, hulled
60 g Golden caster sugar, or to taste

Drain the rice and put it into a heavy-based saucepan with the palm sugar, food coloring, if using, coconut milk and water.Bring slowly to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed. The rice will firm up as it cools. Lightly oil 4 ramekins or moulds, press the rice into them and leave to cool. Meanwhile, dry fry the desiccated coconut until it is golden, and set aside to cool. Process the strawberries and caster sugar in a food processor or blender.Turn out the rice on to individual dessert plates, carefully pour the strawberry coulis around the edge. Sprinkle the tops with the toasted coconut.

450 g Uncooked glutinous rice
500 ml Water
1 Coconut
2 teaspoons Baking powder
250 ml Oil
15-20 Bamboo skewers
Coconut sauce
500 ml Thick coconut milk
300 g Dark brown sugar or shaved palm sugar

Soak the uncooked glutinous rice in water for 6 hours or overnight to soften.Drain the rice and reserve the liquid.
Grind the rice finely in a food processor or blender, adding just enough of the reserved liquid so the mixture turns, then set aside. The ground rice should have the consistency of a dough. Scrape off the brown outer skin of the coconut meat using a knife or peeler, then grate the white coconut meat. Mix the grated coconut meat with the reserved ground rice.Blend in the baking powder, then shape into balls using your hand or scoop with a spoon. Heat the oil in a wok until hot and deep fry the balls in batches until golden brown, adding more oil necessary. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.To prepare the Coconut Sauce, heat the thick coconut milk in a saucepan, stirring constantly. After about 15 minutes, blend in the brown sugar or shaved palm sugar. Cook until the sugar melts and mixture becomes thick and smooth. Remove for the heat.

400 g Glutinous rice
750 ml Thick coconut milk
250 ml Thin coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Dark brown sugar or shaved palm sugar
1 Ripe mango

Combine the glutinous rice, thick and thin coconut milk and salt in a large casserole. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and rice is completely cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove rice from casserole and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle palm sugar on top and serve with thick, hot chocolate if desired. Peel and slice the mango and serve with the pudding. Tips :-Thick coconut milk is obtained by grating the flesh of 1 coconut into a bowl (this yields about 3 cups of grated coconut flesh) Add 1 cup water, knead thoroughly a few times, then squeeze the mixture firmly in your fist or strain in a muslin cloth or cheese cloth.Thin coconut milk is obtained by pressing the coconut a second time - adding 1 cup of water to the same grated coconut flesh and squeezing it again. If using canned or packet coconut cream, you should add 1 cup of water to 1 cup of canned or packet coconut cream to obtain thick coconut milk and 2 cups of water to 1 cup of canned or packet coconut cream to obtain thin coconut milk. These mixing ratios are only general guides however. Different brands of packaged coconut cream vary in thickness, so follow the package instructions.

1 small Pumpkin, about 500 g
5 Eggs
90 g Shaved palm sugar or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
250 ml Thick coconut milk

Carefully cut out a 4 to 5 cm section around the stem of the pumpkin and lift it out to form the “lid”. Scoop out the seeds.Lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Add the palm sugar, salt and coconut milk and stir until the mixture is well blended.Pour the mixture into the pumpkin. Replace the “lid” and cook the whole pumpkin in a steamer over high heat for 20 to 30 minutes until the custard is set. Cool and slice to serve.

5 cups Water
220 g Sugar
Filling ingredients
30 g Black sesame seeds
30 g Pork fat (finely chopped)
2 1/2 tablespoons Castor sugar
Skin ingredients
150 g Glutinous rice
120 ml Water

To prepare filling : Dry fry sesame seeds in a clean pan over low heat till fragrant, about 30 seconds. Grind sesame seeds to a fine powder. Mix together the ground sesame seeds, pork fat and sugar till smooth. Chill well in refrigerator till solid, about 30 minutes. Cut into 20 pieces.
To prepare skin : Mix together the ingredients. Knead into a small dough, then divide into 20 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball. Flatten each and put 1 piece of filling in the centre. Gather up the edges and seal. Roll into smooth ball again. Bring water to the boil. Stir in sugar till dissolved. Add sesame rice balls and cook 5 minutes till they rise to the surface. Dish up syrup and balls into individual bowls. Serve hot.

1 tablespoon Lime juice
1 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Ground white pepper

Combine ingredients and mix well. Use a a dipping sauce.

200 g Uncooked glutinous rice
1 1/4 liters Thin coconut milk
190 g Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 x 425 g Can whole kernel corn, drained
or kernels from 2 fresh cobs of corn,
steamed or boiled for 7 minutes
2 cups Coconut cream, to serve

Combine the glutinous rice and coconut milk in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then add sugar, salt and corn. Simmer over very low heat until rice is tender and mixture has a porridge-like texture, about 15 minutes. Pour into individual bowls and serve each bowl with 60 ml coconut cream.

5 cups Water
220 g Sugar
Filling ingredients
30 g Red beans
1 Pandanus leaf, tie into a knot
2 1/2 spoons Castor sugar
1 tablespoon Oil
150 ml Water
Skin ingredients
150 g Glutinous rice
120 ml Water

To prepare filling :
Boil red beans and 1 pandanus leaf in water for 30 minutes.
Drain and blend into a fine paste. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok and cook bean paste with sugar till thick. Cool and use as filling. Cut into 20 pieces. To prepare skin : Mix together the ingredients. Knead into a small dough, then divide into 20 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball. Flatten each and put 1 piece of filling in the centre. Gather up the edges and seal. Roll into smooth ball again. Bring water to the boil. Stir in sugar till dissolved. Add red bean balls and cook 5 minutes till they rise to the surface. Dish up syrup and balls into individual bowls. Serve hot.

50 g Solid vegetable shortening
60 g Butter
250 ml Water
125 g Sifted flour
5 Eggs
250 ml Oil
60 g Powdered sugar for dusting

Put shortening, butter and water in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil. When water is briskly boiling, stir in the flour.Continue stirring until mixture is smooth and separates from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Set the mixture aside for a few minutes at room temperature. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the batter and fry in hot oil until golden brown.Repeat with remaining batter, adding extra oil if necessary. Drain cooked doughnuts on paper towels then dust lightly with sugar before serving.

3 Purple yams (about 500 g)
500 ml Water
1 tablespoon Melted butter
125 g Rice flour
400 g Sugar
300 ml Evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Baking powder

Peel the yams then boil in water until tender. about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool then grate the yams. Brush a 9 x 5 x 3 in loaf pan with butter. Combine the grated yam, rice flour, sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and baking powder. Stir to mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and steam for 40 minutes or until firm. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for several minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

5 cups Water
220 g Sugar
Filling ingredients
30 g Peanuts
30 g Castor sugar
Skin ingredients
150 g Glutinous rice
120 ml Water

To prepare filling : Roast the peanuts Coarsely ground with sugar Cut into 20 pieces. To prepare skin : Mix together the ingredients. Knead into a small dough, then divide into 20 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball. Flatten each and put 1 piece of filling in the centre. Gather up the edges and seal. Roll into smooth ball again. Bring water to the boil. Stir in sugar till dissolved. Add peanut rice balls and cook 5 minutes till they rise to the surface. Dish up syrup and balls into individual bowls. Serve hot.

375 g Sugar
2 tablespoons Water
1 tablespoon Butter, plus additional for brushing
400 g Unsalted roasted peanuts

In a small, heavy saucepan, heat sugar without stirring.
Let sugar melt to a brown liquid.
Continue to heat until the sugar thickens.
Stir in the water and simmer until liquid thickens and forms a string when it is lifted with a spoon.
Add butter and stir until the butter melts.
Pour in peanuts and stir to blend well. Brush a 23 cm square pan with butter and pour in he peanut mixture.
Set the mixture aside until it hardens, about 10 minutes.
Break into pieces and serve in bowls or wrap in colored cellophane.

190 g Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar
1 teaspoon Lemon zest to serve (optional)
Whipped cream to serve (optional)
Custard mixture
250 g Sugar
5 Egg yolks
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla essence

Combine 3/4 cup of sugar and cream of tartar in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat, without stirring, until sugar melts completely and forms a thin brown syrup, 15-20 minutes.When sugar has completely melted, divide equally between small muffin cups or flan molds. Spoon just enough sugar mixture to cover the bottoms of each container. Let stand until sugar hardens, about 1 minute. To make the custard mixture, whish the sugar, egg yolks and eggs. Strain into a bowl. Add the lemon zest and vanilla essence and blend well. Set aside. Divide the custard mixture equally between the muffin cups or flan molds, pouring the custard mixture over the hardened sugar mixture. Place the muffin cups or flan molds in a steamer above a pan of boiling water. Cover with a tight fitting lid and steam over low heat for 10 minutes, or until firm, making sure the water does not enter the bolds. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Run a knife gently around the edges of the molds to loosen the flans. Invert onto a serving platter. Serve with lemon zest and whipped cream, if desired.

6 Mangoes, peeled and sliced

Ingredients A :
600 g Glutinous rice, washed and soaked overnight. drained
200 ml Coconut milk from 1/2 coconut
120 g Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Coconut cream (mixed)
1 Coconut, squeezed 250ml thick
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Corn flour

Put all the ingredients A into a steaming tray and steam over high heat till cooked and dry. Fluff up with a fork or a pair of chopsticks. Coconut cream : Put the mixed ingredients into a small pot and bring to boil over low heat, stirring all the time. Pour into a sauce boat. Press glutinous rice into a jelly mould and knock out. Put into a dessert bowl or plate. Arrange mango slices on top, sprinkle coconut cream all over and serve as dessert.

4 large Ripe mangoes
250 g Sugar

Cut the mangoes lengthwise and scrape out the mango flesh with a spoon. Slice and mash the mango very finely then measure out 400 g of fruit. Reserve the mango juice. Combine the mango flesh, sugar and reserved mango juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and has the consistency of spreadable jam. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool, then transfer to a clean container with cover. Mango jam may be stored in a refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve as a spread for bread or crackers.

4 Ripe mangoes
225 g Sugar
15 ml Lemon juice
1 tablespoon Gelatine, dissolved in 45ml water
350 ml Double cream, whipped until stiff
Garnish
A few Extra mango slices
A few sprigs Fresh mint

Peel and cut the mangoes, discarding the stones. Place in a bowl and add the sugar, lemon juice and dissolved gelatine. Mix thoroughly, making sure that the sugar is dissolved. Fold the whipped cream into the mango mixture. Spoon into a tray and put into the freezer until half-dozen. Put in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return to freezer and freeze until solid. Serve in scoops garnished with freshly sliced mango and sprigs of fresh mint.

250 g Unsalted, roasted macadamia nuts
3 Large mangoes
255 g Butter
250 g Superfine (caster) sugar
5 ml Vanilla extract
4 Large eggs
250 g All-purpose flour
7.5 g Baking powder
50 g Toasted macadamia nuts, chopped
500 ml Heavy (double) cream
5 g Nutmeg
1 Mango, sliced for serving

Preheat the oven to 350oF/180oC. Butter a 9 in nonstick cake pan.
Crush the toasted macadamia nuts in a food processor and set aside. Peel the mangoes and dice the flesh, saving as much juice as possible, then reserve some nice pieces of mango (about 1/3 cup) and process the remaining mango flesh with all the reserved juice. You should have about 1 cup mango puree. Beat the softened butter and vanilla extract with half the sugar and beat until thick and pale. While beating, add the remaining sugar, and beat until all the sugar has been added.Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.In a separate bowl, mix the crushed nuts, flour, and baking powder together. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the flour mixture, stirring well to combine. Add the mango puree and mix gently. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle the chopped macadamia nuts and reserved diced mango over the batter and swirl through. Bake at 340oF/170oC for an hour, then remove the cake pan, from the oven and cool in the pan. When cool, remove the cake from the tin. Dredge with powdered sugar. To prepare the cream, sprinkle the nutmeg over, whip the cream and nutmeg together, until the cream is thick and fragrant. Serve alongside the cake with some mango slices.

450 g Fresh lychees or 100 g can lychees
1 Egg white

Peel the lychees and stone them. Liquidize the flesh, adding some sugared water, if necessary. Pour into a container and freeze until nearly set. Whip up the egg white. Mix this into the nearly set lychee mixture. Put back into the freezer until solid.

1 Medium jar Chinese stem ginger, drained
100 g Lychees
15 ml Ginger wine

Insert a piece of the drained stem ginger into each lychee.
Mix the liquid from the stem ginger and the lychee syrup. Add in the ginger wine. Pour over the stuffed lychees.
Serve cool

100 g Lychees in heavy syrup
15 g Root ginger, peeled and grated
150 ml Water
Garnish
1 sprig Fresh mint leaves
Lychees
Sponge ginger biscuits (optional)

Put the lychees in a blender or food processor together with the ginger and water. Process to a fine puree. Pour the mixture into a 23cm square baking tin and put into the freezer for 3 hours. Break the iced mixture into chunks and process again until slushy. Return to the baking tin and freeze once more until solid. Allow the mixture to soften lightly (about 5 minutes) and scoop into 4 champagne glasses or rice bowls.
Garnish with mint leaves, lychees and a biscuit, if desired.

300 g Lotus seeds, soaked overnight to soften
500 ml Water
300 g Rock sugar
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla powder
Agar-Agar
30 g Agar-agar powder
500 ml Water

Drain lotus seeds. Remove and discard the bitter embryos in the centre of the seeds with a toothpick. Rinse lotus seeds.Bring water to the boil with rock sugar until sugar is completely melted. Add lotus seeds and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Stir in vanilla powder.Stir agar-agar powder into water then bring to the boil for 10 minutes. Pour into a container then leave to cool before chilling in the refrigerator. When agar-agar is completely set, cut into thin strips. Put agar-agar into lotus seed soup.Ladle into individual bowls and serve topped with shaved ice.

6 Fresh limes
125 g Golden caster sugar
750 ml Boiling water
1/4 Salt
5 Ice cubes
1 Mint sprig, to decorate

Halve the limes and squeeze the juice into a large jug.
Put the squeezed halves into a heatproof jug with the sugar and water. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Add the salt to the infusion and give it a stir. Strain the infusion into the jug with the lime juice. Add a few ice cubes, cover and refrigerate. To serve, place a few ice cubes in each glass. Top up with the limeade. Decorate the glasses with mint sprigs.

125 g Butter
100 g Sugar
3 Egg whites
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla essence
125 g Flour

Preheat oven to 180oC (350oF). Using mixer at medium speed, cream the butter and gradually add sugar. Continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add egg whites one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla essence. Sift flour and fold in, blending thoroughly to form a smooth mixture.Spoon mixture into a pastry bag with a small frosting tip. Pipe 10cm strips of the batter onto greased and floured baking trays, about 5 cm apart. Bake each batch in the preheated oven for about 7 minutes or until the cookies have lightly browned edges. Remove cookies immediately from the baking tray to prevent sticking. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside to cool. If not eating immediately, pack in airtight containers.

1 Firm papaya
1 Small pineapple
2 Small star fruit, sliced into stars
1 Can preserved lychees or 12 fresh lychees,
peeled and stoned (pitted)
2 Firm yellow or green bananas, peeled and
cut diagonally into slices
For the syrup
115 g Caster (superfine) sugar
2 Ginger, bruised

To make the syrup, put 225 ml water into a heavy pan with the sugar and bruised ginger. Bring the liquid to the boil, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool. Peel and halve the papaya, remove the seeds and slice the flesh crossways. Peel the pineapple and slice it into rounds. Remove the core and cut each round in half. Put all the fruit into a bowl. Pour the syrup, including the ginger, over the top and toss lightly to combine. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, overnight, to allow the flavors to mingle. Remove the ginger before serving.

100 g Sugar
65 g Cocoa powder
375 ml Fresh milk

Combine sugar and cocoa in a saucepan. Pour in the milk. Stir well to partly dissolve the cocoa and sugar. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to simmer. Continue simmering, stirring constantly until liquid becomes very thick, 5-10 minutes. Pour into a cup and serve hot with Vietnamese Churros.

1 kg Honey melon, removed skin and seeds
200 g Sago, soaked
1 1/2 coconut, squeezed thick coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 bowl Ice cubes

Boiled into syrup:
150 g Sugar
1/2 cup Water

Shape some honey melon into small balls with a scoop as garnishing. Liquidise the remaining honey melon. Chill in the refrigerator. Put sago into a pot of boiling water and cook till transparent. Pour into a sieve, rinse with running tape water and drain. Mix sago, honey melon juice, thick coconut milk, salt, syrup and ice cubes in a big mixing bowl. Taste. Dish into small bowls or sundae glasses, and garnish with honey melon balls. Serve cold as a dessert after meals.

Skin : Ingredients A
300 g Plain flour, sifted
150 g Shortening/lard
3 tablespoons Caster sugar
5-6 tablespoons Cold Water
B :
150 g Plain flour, sifted
120 g Shortening/lard
Glazing :
1 Egg + 1/8 teaspoon salt, beaten
Filling :
90 g Oil
4 Shallots, bruised
300 g Split green peas, cooked till soft, blended till smooth
150 g Sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Filling : Heat up oil, sauté shallots over low heat till aromatic and golden brown. Discard shallots. Add green peas paste, sugar, salt, stir to cook till the paste can leave the side of the wok.Remove, leave to cool and form into 40 small balls as filling. Skin : Mix all ingredients A and knead into a soft and pliable dough. Rest for half an hour and divide into 40 parts. B : Mix flour and shortening till just combined (do not over mixed) Divide into 40 parts. Wrap B with A to form into balls. Roll skin into a rectangular shape, roll up tightly like swiss rolls. Repeat another time the same way. Leave to rest for 15 minutes. Roll skin into thin rounds, wrap up 1 part of filling with each round to form into a small ball. Glaze with beaten egg and bake in a pre-heated oven at 190oC for about 20 minutes till golden brown.

500 g Split green beans, soaked overnight
2.1 liters Water
300 g Sugar
Shave ice
Coconut milk syrup
500 ml Water
100 ml Screwpine
4 tablespoons Sugar
6 tablespoons Coconut milk
1 tablespoon Tapioca flour, mixed with 125 ml water

Drain green beans and boil in 2 liters water until soft. Alternatively, steam green beans until soft. Blend (process) green beans well with sugar and 100 ml water to mix well into a paste.Set aside to cool. Prepare coconut milk syrup. In a small pot, bring to the boil water and screwpine leaves for 10 minutes. Remove and discard screwpine leaves. Lower heat to a simmer then stir in sugar and coconut milk. Gradually add in tapioca flour mixture and stir until thick. Serve green bean paste in a glass topped with shaved ice and coconut milk syrup.

Skin :
1 teaspoon Yeast
2 tablespoons Warm water
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
300 g Plain flour, sifted
1/2 bowl Mashed orange colour
50 g Castor sugar
1 tablespoon Butter
90 ml Water
Filling :
1 bowl Bean paste/lotus seed paste, formed into 20 small balls

Mix the yeast with warm water and sugar. Let it stand for 10 minutes till foamy. Skin : Mix and knead all ingredients to form into a smooth and pliable dough. Cover and leave aside to prove till double its size. Knead again and rest for 15 minutes. Divide into 20 portions and form into balls
Use 1 piece of skin to wrap up 1 portion of filling to get a mini dough (pao). Leave to prove 15-30 minutes. Pinch dough (pao) with a small steel/brass pincher to form some patterns on top. Steam over high heat for about 5 minutes. Remove and serve hot.

25 g Root ginger, crushed
225 g Sugar

Filling
50 g Dried yellow mung beans, soaked in warm water
for 30 minutes and drained
20 g Sugar
4 tablespoons Sesame seeds

Dough
225 g Glutinous rice flour or ordinary flour
175 ml Boiling water

Make the ginger syrup by swirling the ginger and sugar constantly in a small saucepan over low heat, until the sugar browns. When it starts to smoke, stir in the hot water (be careful : you could give yourself a nasty burn with the spluttering) and allow to boil for about 30 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside in a cool place. Discard the ginger when cooled. Make the filling by steaming the mung beans over high heat for 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor, add the sugar and process to a fine paste. Put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up. Toast the sesame seeds by dry frying in a wok for 2 minutes. Reserve the 2 tablespoons for garnishing, put the remainder in a blender and process to a paste. Combine with the mung bean paste and blend well. Roll 16 marble-sized balls of the mixture (1 teaspoon each). Set aside. Place the glutinous rice flour in a mixing bowl and quickly mix with the hot water to make a sticky dough. Cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Dust a work surface with flour and knead the dough for 3 minutes until soft and smooth. Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each in a rope about 25cm long and 25cm in diameter. Cut each into 10 equal portions and roll each one into a ball. Cover with a damp cloth. Flatten the dough balls, one at a time, into 6cm discs. Place a mung bean ball in the centre, gather the edges around and pinch to seal. Roll the dumplings between the palms to form perfect balls. Divide each of the remaining four dough balls into four, cover and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Boil the filled dumplings for 2 minutes over a moderate heat. Add the smaller dumplings and cook for a further 3 minutes or until they rise to the surface. Drain. Serve four large dumplings and four small ones to each person in individual dessert cups or rice bowls. Sprinkle with the reserved toasted sesame seeds.

125 g All-purpose flour
125 g Superfine (caster) sugar
2.5 g Baking soda
30 g Ground ginger
4-Jan Salt
5 g Ground cinnamon
60 g Butter
1 Small egg
15 ml Dark corn syrup or golden syrup

Pre-heat oven to 325oF/170oC, Sift flout, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Add ginger and cinnamon. Work butter in with hands until texture of bread crumbs Beat golden syrup and egg together and gradually add to flour mix to form dough. Form into small balls and place well apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake until crisply golden.

1 kg Fresh or canned jackfruit flesh,
sliced into short strips
500 ml Water
500 g Sugar

Wash the jackfruit strips well. Bring 250 ml of the water to the boil in a saucepan. Drop the jackfruit strips into boiling water and cook over medium heat for 1 minute or until soft. With a slotted spoon, remove jackfruits from liquid and place in a heatproof bowl. Reserve liquid. Add remaining 250 ml of water to the reserved liquid. Stir in sugar and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until sugar has completely dissolved and a slightly thick syrup has formed. Remove from the heat. Pour syrup over jackfruit strips. Set aside for 1 hour to cool before serving. Serve at room temperature. Alternatively, chill in a refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

1 Pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Mangoes, peeled and sliced
3 Bananas, peeled, halved lengthways and cut into 2.5 cm pieces
4 Lychees, peeled and pitted
2 Limes, quartered

Arrange the fruit on a platter with the lime quarters around the edge, to squeeze over the fruit according to taste.

250 g Dried longan
250 g Red dates
250 g Lotus seed
250 g Lily
Rock sugar to taste

Soak red dates in water until soft. Soak dried lily overnight until soft. Choose fresh lotus seeds and gingko fruit, remove membrance, wash clean and set aside. Put all the ingredients, rock sugar and water into a pot and cook for 45 minutes in low heat.

5 tablespoons Lard
60 ml Hot water
1/4 teaspoon Salt
350 g Flour, sifted
3 Eggs
250 ml Milk
330 g Sugar

Mix thoroughly the lard, water and salt in the mixing bowl. Add in sifted flour and mix well. Put aside for 30 minutes. Beat eggs thoroughly and add in milk and sugar. Briefly beat again. Set aside. With lightly-floured hands, roll the dough into 3mm thickness. Divide into 12 pieces and flatten till the diameter of each piece is 6cm. Lightly grease 12 round pie plates. Place on each plate a piece of dough and press dough against the sides and bottom of the plate. Pour in the beaten egg mixture. Bake in a moderate oven at 300oC/400oF/Mark 6 till custard is set, about 10-15 minutes. Separate the pies from the plates and let stand to cool.

A :
60 g Butter
60 g Shortening
100 g Icing sugar, sifted
1 Egg yolk

B : (sifted)
1