I’m not crazy about salads outside, but I do enjoy those that I prepare at home. Many “well-dressed” salads are actually not very healthy. The greens are rich in fibre, of course, but if you’re like me, salads without a rich dressing can cause stomach upset. And according to TCM theory, eating too much raw stuff will tax the spleen and encourage the formation of phlegm. It’s healthy, but eat in moderation.

I’ve got my Italian leaves butter lettuce and cherry tomatoes washed and sliced up here.

I like my salads sweet and sour. Some extra virgin olive oil would be nice, but that’s optional for me. I just need some Worcestershire sauce and honey.

Finally, something to add a bit of crisp to the dish – fried bamboo grubs from Thailand. The Thai words say “rot duan” which means express train in Thailand. It’s something like a slang but the proper term is non mai pai which translates as worm of bamboo. It’s crispy and quite tasty, besides being rich in protein. Deep fried, however, it is actually richer in fat. Moderation.

I believe that good fried rice must always be firm and never soggy. That’s why you should never add raw egg to the rice. In this video, I show how the egg should be fried before the rice. Also, the bulk of the flavouring or seasoning for the rice must come from a solid (like salted fish or dried shrimp) and not a sauce which also makes the rice soggy.

If you’re sick of soggy fried rice, try this method.

Ubiquitous to tim sum outlets the world over, lo mai gai (lor mai kai). I’m quite surprised that not many people prepare this at home when it’s actually so easy to do.

stewed mushrooms

First and foremost, stew your mushrooms in oyster sauce, sesame oil and ginger slices. If you use fresh mushrooms, you’d just need to stew for 5-10 minutes. With dried mushrooms, you may want to do it for at least 20 mins to 30 mins.

marinating chicken

While the mushroom was stewing, the chicken should have been marinating in soy sauce, sesame oil, Chinese cooking wine and cornstarch. Make sure you mix the cornstarch into the chicken. I left it unmixed so you can see it. Dump the chicken into the mushroom stew. Give it a quick fry. You only need to half cook the chicken.

Your glutinous rice should have been soaking for 20 mins. Cook it in a pot and add a few tablespoons of soya sauce and a few dashes of white pepper. Stir well at low heat until you get a gooey mixture.

ready for steaming

Place the “stuffing” at the bottom of the bowl. Then, my little secret to add extra fragrance to the dish – a few teaspoons of Chinese cooking wine are added to the “stuffing” before the rice is placed over it. Pack it tight. Steam it for 30 mins. Lift up when the bowl is cool, then invert the bowl over a plate and tap out the contents.

lor mai gai

And here it is – homemade lor mai gai. Do try this on your own. The kids will love it.