Soup - Shrimp Tom Yum Soup

Thai style ‘Tom Yum’ is a hot and sour soup that Penang people like very much. There are several brands of Tom Yum paste, but some are not to my taste. I found‘Por Kwan’brand of Tom Yum paste at a store here; the taste is not bad. Mmm.. my mouth starts to water and I feel my throat start to tingle thinking about the tartness. Let’s cook some shrimp Tom Yum soup!

Ingredients – Makes 2 servings

• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbsp Tom Yum paste
• 4-6 shrimps
• 4 leaves cabbage, cut
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 3-4 stalks mint leaves
• A pinch of salt or to taste
• A pinch of sugar or to taste

Method

1. Add water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add cabbage, carrots and Tom Yum paste to the boiling water, and cook about 10-15 mins.
2. Add shrimps, salt and sugar, stir well. Let it come to a boil again and cook until the shrimp is done, then turn off the heat.
3. Pour the soup into a bowl, garnish with mint leaves. Serve while the soup is still warm.

泰国的Tom Yum味料汤酸酸辣辣的，很受槟城人的欢迎。Tom Yum酱有很不少的牌子，有些味道不合口味，我在这儿买到‘Por Kwan’牌的Tom Yum酱，味道不错。嗯..想到它，喉咙感觉酸酸流口水，就来煮Tom Yum虾汤吧！

材料 - 做2人份量

• 2杯 水
• 3汤匙 Tom Yum酱
• 4-6只 虾
• 4瓣 包心菜，切段
• 1条 红萝卜，切片
• 3-4根 薄荷叶
• 少许或试味 盐
• 少许或试味 糖

做法

1. 加水在锅并放在热炉煮沸，加入包心菜、红萝卜和Tom Yum酱，煮约10-15分钟。
2. 加入虾、盐和糖，稍搅拌。再煮沸及虾熟后即可关掉炉火。
3. 将Tom Yum汤盛于碗，加上薄荷叶。稍热食用。

Noodles - Curry Mee

Curry Mee (Noodle) is one of the hawker foods that are popular in Penang…

Curry Mee (INA brand) is a Malaysia product. When I was in Penang, I ate a couple of brands of instant curry mee, but I never found one that tasted like ‘curry mee’. I never saw the INA brand in Penang. I cooked it with the original sauces from the noodle package, and I added some seafood and vegetables. The taste is closer and good; this is the best among the brands of instant curry mee I’ve eaten. However, I can’t find this brand at the stores in our area that sell curry mee!

Ingredients – Makes 2 servings

• 1 pack ‘INA’ Curry Mee (noodles) with 2 servings
• 2 ½-3 cups water
• 4 shrimps
• 6 soybean cakes (deep fried), slice to half
• 4 fish balls (optional)
• Some cabbage or green beans, cut
• Some mint leaves

Method

1. Add paste/seasoning from package, cabbage or green beans, shrimps, soybean cakes and fish balls to boiling water. After the mixture comes back to a boil, add the instant noodles. After cooked, turn off the heat.
2. Pour the cooked noodles in a bowl, garnish with mint leaves and fried onion (optional). Serve while it is still warm.

咖哩麵是其中一種深受 Penang 人喜爱的食物…
INA 牌子的咖哩麵是马來西亞产品。我在 Penang 時吃過其它牌子的咖哩快熟麵，但没吃过像‘咖哩麵’的，也未曾看過 INA 的牌子。除了加海鲜菜类，我原用这包麵的醬配料煮出一碗咖哩麵。味道还好，有點接近，是我吃过咖哩快熟麵最好吃的牌子。不過在我们的地区却找不到有店卖这牌子的咖哩麵！

材料 - 做2人份量

• 1包是两人份量的‘INA’快熟咖哩麵
• 2½-3杯 水
• 4只 虾
• 6个 小豆泡，切半
• 4粒 鱼丸（可有可无）
• 少许 包心菜或长青豆，切段
• 少许 薄荷叶

做法

1. 加调味料（附在包装内）、包心菜或长青豆、虾和鱼丸在煮沸的水，水再煮沸后，加入面煮熟。再煮沸后即可关掉炉火。
2. 将咖哩面盛于碗，加上薄荷叶及撒上油炸葱（可有可无）。稍热食用。

Dessert - Sweet Red Bean Soup

Here, a Taiwanese friend said the taste of the red bean soup I cooked was so nice. Yes, homemade red bean soup from a Chinese-Malaysian is a little bit different; we add dried tangerine peel while cooking the soup. It is one of popular homemade desserts.

Ingredients – Makes 5-6 servings

• 1 cup or 200 gm dried red beans
• 8 cups water
• 1 whole piece of dried tangerine peel or fresh orange peel
• 3 pandan (screwpine) leaves, washed and tied in a knot
• ¾ cup brown sugar or to taste

Method

1. Soak the dried red beans for several hours or overnight.
2. Drain the red beans and put them in a pot. Add the fresh water, dried tangerine peel and pandan leaves, and bring to a boil. Turn to low-medium heat and simmer for about 1 ½ hours or until the red beans are softened. Add brown sugar and stir well, when it boils again, turn off the heat.
3. Remove pandan leaves and dried tangerine peel before serving.

我这里的朋友（台湾人）吃了我煮的红豆汤说味道很好，是的，马来西亚华人自家煮的红豆汤是有点不同，我们煮红豆汤时加了乾柑橘皮。这是家庭式最受欢迎的其中一甜品。

材料 - 可做5-6人份量

• 1杯或200克 小红豆／赤豆
• 8杯 水
• 1粒 乾柑橘皮或鲜橙皮
• 3叶 班兰叶，折捆打结
• ¾ 杯 黑糖或试味

做法

1. 红豆浸水几小时或过夜。
2. 倒掉浸红豆的水，将红豆放入锅，加入净水、乾柑橘皮及班兰叶煮沸。改调中下火煮约1 ½ 小时或至已红豆熟软。加入黑糖，搅拌均匀，再煮沸后即可熄火。
3. 食用前先弃掉班兰叶及乾柑橘皮。