Happy New Year 2009

To all readers and fellow bloggers, my best wishes for New Year 2009. Some might wonder again of my dissapearing act (yes AGAIN). So what's been happening? With Ann we went to Scotland a week before Christmas for sight seeing then back to Cambridge and then head south to London after Christmas till New Year. Am still recuperating from running about :-)

So excited to be back food blogging again. I made pai tee (top hats) for my guests during my Christmas gathering. I wanted to introduce this lovely nyonya delicacy to my friends who had not known what pai tee was. How lovely these mouthful delights to wow your guests. It was a sellout.....how pleased I were.

As pointed out earlier in my blog, Ann brought me a pai tee mold all the way from Malaysia, else am not able to make this lovely nyonya snacks from Malaysia. Thanks Ann.

Pai Tee ( Top Hats)

Ingredients ( roughly make 40 pieces )

For pai tee casing

• 50 gm rice flour
• 20 gm corn flour
• 20gm plain flour
• 1/2 small egg
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 100ml water
• 1 pai tee mold
  

Filling

• 1 cup turnip julienned
• ½ cup carrot, julienned
• 2 dry shitake mushroom soaked and thinly sliced(optional)
• 1/2 tsp white pepper or to taste
• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 shallot sliced
• Coriander/parsley for garnishing
• Chilli sauce to serve
• some cooked prawns , diced for garnishing
• Vegetable oil to deep fry pai tee casing

1. Mix all ingredients for pai tee casing into a bowl until all flour is nicely mixed. Leave for about an hour
2. Heat oil in a wok with the mold in the oil. Put on medium to low fire.
3. Once hot, dip the mold about 3/4 into the batter mix and slowly transfer into the heated oil for frying, Jiggle the mold and use a fork to gently remove the case from the mold. Fry till golden brown and drained on oil paper. Repeat for more cases. Tips: If it's a new mold ensure that you dip the mold in oil overnight before using it.
4. For the filling, add some oil into a wok. Stir fry the shallots until light brown. Add in french beans , mushroom and carrots and season with soya sauce, pepper, oyster sauce. Add in turnip and cook until dry.Leave to cool.To serve, fill the cases with the filling, and serve with chili sauce.

This is my first attempt on Pai Tee....turned out lovely isn't it?