Cooking for the coming Chinese New Year 2021
The reunion dinner will still be specialespecial for the older folks as each reunion dinner continues a chain of tradition that stretches back as far as they can remember.
Eating out will not be a practical option for larger familiesEach family have their own festive dishes that everyone grew up withMy mum like to use white fermented bean curd Fu Yi and wongbok instead of cabbage for thisI can hardly think of a Wong Reunion dinner without this dishThis is one early recipe which I have posted on my blog In the earlier daysriver prawns were wildly caught and it is sweeter compared to farmed onesNTUC do sell them too during this period along within some wet marketsMy mum like to use white fermented bean curd Fu Yi and wongbok instead of cabbage for thisIf there is still leftovers after thisadd to your Chai BuayYou can see why my Mum always make this for reunionThis is an all-day dish and you can easily cook new batches by adding fresh ingredients to the leftoversIf there is still leftovers after thisadd to your Chai BuayYou can see why my Mum always make this for reunion.
Treasure Dish or Pencai
a la minit and serve it warmWhile it is easier to just order this in from restaurantsit is not difficult to prepare this at home if you are an experienced cookYou will have better control over the freshness and assemble itand serve it warmThen just before dinnerassemble and pour in the warmed sauce.
Jiu Hur Eng Chye Braised turnip with dried cuttle fish
This is another favourite reunion dishIt pairs very well with fresh iceberg lettuce and sambal belachanIt also keep very well for the next few days when fridgedI will be blogging the recipe soon.
Deep fried Hakka Pork Char yoke
This was another perennial favourite and is probably the only dish that reveals our secondary Hakka rootsIt keeps well for nibbles in the next few days.
Chai Buay lead photo This was another perennial favourite and is probably the only dish that reveals our secondary Hakka rootsCheck the recipeCantonese waxed meat is easy to preparewhether steamed or pan friedCurries are also family favourites for the 1st and 2nd day of CNYCheck my recipe here
Sowhat are you cooking for this coming Chinese New YearAdded to thatcrossed-causeway family reunion is also not possible and that may change your plans.No CNY is complete in our family without Chai Buay or Choi KeokIt may be hard to find fresh ones given the difficulties of this seasonAn alternative is to used the salted mustard greens Ham Choy.
