Ki Ka Ku - Pink steamed buns

Growing up, I would spend a lot of time at my god-mum's house.  If by chance my god-grandma was up from Muar, I would be a happy girl as she would make these delicious steamed buns. Slightly different from the standard fluffy buns, these were sweet, chewy as well as the fluffiness you would expect from steamed buns.
  
The Hakka called it Xi Ban and the Hokkiens call it the Ki Ka Ku. Don't ask me why I only know it as my god grandma's specialty.  You can find these in the local stall selling kuih in wet markets. 

BBQ Pork Steamed Bun

BBQ pork buns almost seem like the quintessential item to have at yum cha.  It is an item that almost everyone recognize, both in looks and taste. They're a perfect little bun, filled with tasty BBQ pork and encased in fluffy soft dough. So there is no surprise when I say that my two boys are completely obsessed with them, and they are a must have item when we go out for yum cha at the local Chinese restaurant. Lucas can easily demolish two or three steamers of these bun without a blink of an eye.  

The only downside with having these buns in local restaurants (as is the peril with most items at a Chinese restaurant) is that you don't know what goes into them, especially with their liberal use of MSG to add flavour. Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly a food nazi and preventing them from having treats here and there, but let's face it, if there are definitely alternatives to the their favourite foods that don't have any chemical nasties, then why wouldn't you try provide that option for them right?

Steamed Chicken Bao (Chicken Buns)

Chicken Bao.  Fluffy, white bun encasing juicy, tender chicken pieces... just the thought of it is enough to make me salivate.  I could easily eat more than my fair share of these buns if I didn't exercise any self control!

My favourite steamed chicken bao would have to be from Tai Tong in Penang, Malaysia. One bite into the soft bun and the juice would gush out, dribbling down my chin as I struggle to make sure I try not waste any of the tasty filling. Nothing like the authentic tasty Penang chicken bao to get the juices flowing (get it? lol)

Recently a friend asked if I could share the steamed chicken bao recipe as she wanted to make for her son. So here is the recipe I have concocted, my dear friend. I'm glad to share it with you and I hope your boy enjoy this recipe too!

Chai Kuih aka Steamed Vegetable Dumpling

Okay, let me start of by saying that these dumplings are the sort of dumplings I could inhale on a regular basis.  I am head over heels in love with these bite-sized morsels just bursting with delicious, garlicky juices.  As much as I could wax lyrical as to how ah-mazing these delicate little dumplings are, I urge you to give these a whirl at some point, and then come back to me and profess your love for them as I have from that very first bite!

Chai kuih translates to vegatable dumpling. These little dumplings are similar to the type you get when you go to your local Chinese restaurant for yumcha.  The difference between the standard dumplings you have at yum cha, and these wee beauties, is that the skin needs to be quite thin. There are two types of chai kuih - the original bangkuang or yam beans (sometimes referred to as sengkuang or jicama) and the ku chai (chives). 

Roti Canai / Susu

 

Holy smokes, Batman. Have I ever told you about my love for roti? Oh my goodness, it is SO hard to find it as authentic as the ones back in Malaysia.. .SO hard - I should know, I spend forever finding the places that do genuine made-from-scratch roti NOT from the freezer aisle.  Why do I have an infinite love for these soft and buttery on the inside, crispy and flaky on the outside goodness? Because it's such a great vehicle for so many variety of toppings and accompaniments. AND THEY ALL TASTE GREAT!  If you've never tasted freshly rolled, tossed, folded and grilled roti, you don't know what you are missing. I'm just drooling at all my favourite combinations mmm.... 

Pancakes

Goodness gracious, it's kicking into strawberry season here in sunny Queensland.  Spring has certainly arrived with a bang, and with the 30 degrees I experienced up here in North Queensland, it certainly seems like summer is truly around the corner.

Strawberries are now selling for punnets upon punnets at ridiculous prices ($5 for 4 250g punnets anyone?) and being such a versatile fruit, I just want to eat it with EVERYTHING. Which brings me to a very classic dish that every recipe collector should have filed away - pancakes.