ALL COOKING GAMES

We last ate this noodle in Clementi since 3 years ago. This is the first time we cooked since moving to Punggol 21. Somehow, udon is preferred.

These types of local yellow noodles, round or flat, are usually coated with oil; it is best to rinse them with running tap water just before cooking.

Use and purpose of alkaline water:

Alkaline water, also known as “gan sui” in Cantonese and “air abu” in Malay, is a clear solution of the salts sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, and sometimes sodium phosphate.

Because it is often called “lye” water, it is frequently confused with lye or caustic soda, which is sodium hydroxide, a much harsher chemical that has limited culinary applications in the West.

In the Asian kitchen, alkaline water has few and specific uses. The characteristic springiness of Hong Kong style “mee” noodle is due to “gan sui”, which is added to noodle dough to firm up its texture, and give it a yellow tint.

It does the same for glutinous rice in “kee chang” (yellow alkaline glutinous rice dumplings) and in their Malay cousin, “kuih lopes”.

Steamed rice-flour dough, for example, in Nyonya “kuih kosui” and “ang koo kuih” skin, can also be given a firmer consistency by carefully measured amounts of alkaline water.

Dried cuttlefish or squid are sometimes briefly soaked in “gan sui” for the opposite effect - it makes them more tender when rehydrated.
As Asians do not fancy the slightly sour, acidic flavour of slowly fermented bread dough so beloved in the West, dim sum chefs add alkaline water to buns “pau” dough to neutralise any yeasty, sour overtones.

Alkaline water is sometimes used as a rising agent in the same way that baking soda is. For instance, it is stirred into “ma lai kou” batter, where it reacts with acids in the brown sugar to produce bubbles that yield a light, fluffy steamed cake.

Tips extracted from Sunday Timeser just before cooking.

We last ate this noodle in Clementi since 3 years ago. This is the first time we cooked it since moving to Punggol 21. Somehow, udon is preferred.

These types of local yellow noodles, round or flat, are usually coated with oil; it is best to rinse them with running tap water just before cooking.

Use and purpose of alkaline water:

Alkaline water, also known as “gan sui” in Cantonese and “air abu” in Malay, is a clear solution of the salts sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate, and sometimes sodium phosphate.

Because it is often called “lye” water, it is frequently confused with lye or caustic soda, which is sodium hydroxide, a much harsher chemical that has limited culinary applications in the West.

In the Asian kitchen, alkaline water has few and specific uses. The characteristic springiness of Hong Kong style “mee” noodle is due to “gan sui”, which is added to noodle dough to firm up its texture, and give it a yellow tint.

It does the same for glutinous rice in “kee chang” (yellow alkaline glutinous rice dumplings) and in their Malay cousin, “kuih lopes”.

Steamed rice-flour dough, for example, in Nyonya “kuih kosui” and “ang koo kuih” skin, can also be given a firmer consistency by carefully measured amounts of alkaline water.

Dried cuttlefish or squid are sometimes briefly soaked in “gan sui” for the opposite effect - it makes them more tender when rehydrated.
As Asians do not fancy the slightly sour, acidic flavour of slowly fermented bread dough so beloved in the West, dim sum chefs add alkaline water to buns “pau” dough to neutralise any yeasty, sour overtones.

Alkaline water is sometimes used as a rising agent in the same way that baking soda is. For instance, it is stirred into “ma lai kou” batter, where it reacts with acids in the brown sugar to produce bubbles that yield a light, fluffy steamed cake.

Tips extracted from Sunday Times