Little Garden

Have you seen this the blue pea flower that is also known as Bunga Telang or Clitoria flower which is usually found in the blue colouring of the Nyonya Kueh such as Pulut Tai Tai and Pulut Inti which is shown in the photo below. These flowers are used as natural food dye and the blue colour looks really lovely in foods.

As you can see from the photo, Pulut Tai Tai is the steam Glutinous Rice (colour with the blue peas flower) and serves with Nyonya Kaya. While Pulut Inti is serves with cooked shredded coconut with gula malak(coconut sugar). They actually soak the dried flowers in water to get the blue colour then soak the glutinous rice with it and steam together with coconut milk to get that blue marble effect.

Recently, one of my mum's neighbour just bought a pot of this local grown Passion fruit Plant at around S$36.00 which young passion fruits attached to it. Passion fruit is a small egg-shaped tropical fruit, which contains several seeds and has wrinkled purple brown rind on maturing. The seeds and the pulp inside, both are edible, making it easier to consume the fruit. Although nowadays we can easily get Passion fruits from local supermarket or fruit stalls, but it is still an interesting sight to look at the real fruit attached on the plant itself.

I have also used this fruit in some of my dishes as shown below, so do take a look if you want to know more about them :-

1. Banana & Passion Fruit Chiffon Cake
2. Homemade Banana & Passion Fruit Jam
3. PassionMisu
4. Salmon With Passionfruit Sauce

Rose Petal Tea

Rose Petal Tea is made of dried natural rose petal an it is often regarded as a health supplement by many. It has a nice fragrance and consumed regularly; will help in blood circulation and digestion. Furthermore, it also reduces fats, whitening of the skin and helps to relive discomforts that arise from menstruation. Most important, it helps you to maintain a youthful image.


Preparation:
1. Add about 3 -5 dried rose bud in a cup of warm water and sweeten with some honey.

2. Or you can add rose bud in a cup of hot tea. ( i usually prefer to add in to my cup of milk tea)

Basic Chinese Herbs - Part II

Just like taking herbal medicine, medicinal diet needs to be handled with the same care. Improper dosage or use would result in undersirable or side effects. All those wanting to include herbal medicine in their diet for better healthy should learn the functions and nature of food items and herbs thus use them wisely in relation to your own body needs.



Bei Qi(北耆)
It strengthens the heat, promotes urination, lowers blood pressure and boosts the immune system. Eg: Dang Gui Chicken Soup

Dang Gui(当归)
It benefits and balances the blood, regulates menses, treats pain and soothes the intestines. Eg: Dang Gui, Huai Shan & Black Chicken Soup

Dang Shen(当参)
It supplements energy and benefits spirits, grows saliva ad stops thirst. It also strengthens body and stomach, improves fatigue and tiredness, dry mouth and tongue. Eg: Dang Gui Chicken Soup

Hai Zhu( 海竹)
It is the root and stem of Yu Zhu which helps reduce sediments and also softens the blood vessel. Serve this soup frequently is good to the Heart and Lungs.

Huai Shan(淮山)
Huai Shan, Shanyao or Chinese Burdock, a totally different root known as Dioscoreae. When dried, it takes on a white chalky appearance, and is most often used in Chinese Herbal tonic soups. Burdock is believed to be antibiotic and antipyretic. It also lowers blood sugar and there are claims that it is anticarcinogenic. Eg: Chicken, Huai Shan & Cordyceps Soup

Ren Sheng(小人参)
Ginseng is great supplements to energy and spirit, calms heat and mind. It also increases immunity and gives higher ability to fight against illness. Eg: Ginseng Chicken Soup With Glutinous Rice


Tian Ma(天麻)
ItÂ’s shops pain and calms the spirits and itÂ’s also good for treating pain in the waist, head and joints. Eg: Fish Soup With Tian Ma

This portion of the herbs used are more for blood circulation and calming spirits.

Black Beans(黑豆)
It is sweet in taste and neutral in nature. They benefit the Spleen and Kidneys while neutralizing poision. Black beans also invigorate the Blood, promote urination and detoxify the poison. They are useful for influenza, fever and debititation of the body. Eg: Lotus, Black Bean & Peanut Soup

Black Fungus(黑木耳)
Also known as cloud ear, tree ear, wood fungus, mouse ear, and jelly mushroom. It grows rapidly on a variety of woods including mango and kapok and is very similar to another fungus called Jew's ear. Black fungus has a reputation in Chinese herbal medicine for increasing the fluidity of the blood and improving circulation. It is given to patients who suffer from atherosclerosis.

Dried Lily Bulbs(干百合)
It naturally sweet, slightly cold and aid heart to lung and blood vessels. It also moistens lungs and stop coughing, clears heart and calms spirit.

Fox Nuts(茨实)
It supplement the internal organs, strengthen Qi, nourish and strengthen the body. They also benefit the kidneys, promote the replenishment of Jin, tonify the Spleen and stop diarrhoea. They are effective in healing indigestion, diarrhoea, poor bladder control and leucorrhoea. Eg: Chicken & Fresh Coconut Soup

White Fungus(雪耳)
It tastes slightly sweet and of neutral nature. It benefits the spleen, strengthens the stomach and expel Dryness. It calms the spirit, treats insomnia and is good for the body type that resists beneficial food. Eg: White Fungus & Wooden Ear Soup

Wooden Ear(黑木耳)
This contain much protein, carotene, vitamins A & B. It also improves blood circulation, benefits the spleen, moisturizes the lungs.

Basic Chinese Herbs - Part I

In Chinese Culinary Culture, soup has been viewed as the soul and indispensable part of a prefect meal. Certain soup also have healing qualities such as: Pickled Cucumber Soup With Coriander and Century Egg heals sore throat. In my soup recipe blog I usually Long-stewed the soup with different combination of Chinese herbs which I found them very useful. So in this two pages, I would roughly display some of the common herbs and their usage for stewing soup.



Dried Cordyceps Stem(冬虫草茎)
Taste slightly sweet and of neutral nature, it nourishes the Ying, strengthens the lungs and kidney, benefits Qi and expels sputum. Eg: Chicken, Huai Shan & Cordyceps Soup

Dried Lotus Seeds(干蓮子)
It strengthen the Heart, Liver, Spleen and Kidneys and also energize the Qi and promote blood cell formation.

Dried Figs(无花果)
It is rich in vitamins A & C, proteins and fibers. It strengthens the Spleen, lubricates intestines and helps with dry cough and sore throat. There are two types of figs, fresh and dried. Dried figs are usually used to make soup. Eg: Stew Papaya & Peanuts Soup


Dried Sea Conch(响螺片)
Tastes sweet and of cold nature. It clears the livers, nourishes the lungs and benefits the organs. Those who suffer from weak Qi energy and anaemia will benefit a lot from Sea Conch Soup. Eg: Chicken Soup With Conch & Huai Shan & Conch & Sea Cucumber Soup


Dried Tangerine Peels(陈皮)
It is used in congee or soup which can help to expel and prevent Coldness, promote circulation of Qi, expel sputum and aids digestion.


Honey/Candied Dates(蜜枣)
It's sweet and usually used to enhance the favour of the soup.


Sha Shen(沙参)
It's naturally sweet and slightly cold which aids lungs to stomach and blood vessels. It also moistness lungs, stops coughing, grows saliva and stops thirst, slow down fever and coughing and also increase appetite.

Sweet & Bitter Almonds(南北杏)
Sweet almond tastes sweet and is of neutral nature. It does not carry any toxic element, and heals coughing. Bitter almond tastes bitter and is of warm nature. It carries slight trace of toxic but heals coughing and expels sputum. Mixing the two together will make a soup that clears the Heat, moistness internal Dryness and avoid coughing. Eg: Herbal Watercress Soup & Zhi Ke Tang - 止咳汤




Red Dates(红枣)
It is a blood tonic, that can be widely used with other ingredients to nourish the body. I used it in almost every herbal soup.

Gou Qizi(枸杞子)
It strengthens body and bones, supplements kidneys and energy, nurses liver and clarifies eyes. It also cultivates energy and aids yang bodies moistness lungs and stops coughing. Other than use it as a soup ingredient, it can be used as a condiment in frying dishes or used to make tea. Choose Qizi which are full and with bright colour.