Chap Chye (Mixed Vegetables Stew)- How to DIY

Happy Saturday! I am so happy that weekend is finally here. It has been a busy week for the F&B scene. We welcome the opening of Tim Ho Wan on Wednesday and yesterday, Savour 2013 officially opened. I have not try the Tim Ho Wan outlet in Singapore. I shall wait for it to settle down for a while before I join in the queue! I had the dimsum in the original Mongkok outlet a few years back and really love it. I hope Tim Ho Wan Singapore is as good as the one in Hong Kong!

I am not a Peranakan so I won’t dare to name this is Nonya Chap chye. But as a Hainanese, surprisingly we eat chap chye during CNY and my aunt cook it really well. So when I was given the task to prepare lunch for the family, I wanted something quick and healthy, so I thought of Chap Chye!

I didn’t really like fermented beans all along. But the aunt has been telling me that the essence of this dish is the bean paste. So I just bought the cheapest bottle found in supermarket. After I reached home, then I ponder, why didn’t I get the most fine one. So I had to ground the bean paste. And adding the fermented bean paste really brings out the umami flavour in the chap chye. If you have more time, you can simmer for a longer time to bring out the sweetness of the vegetables more.

Enjoy cooking!

Ingredients: (for 4-6 pax)
1 head round cabbage (wong bok), cut into large pieces
6 dried black fungus, soaked for 15 mins
2 long sticks of dried beancurd, soaked for 15 mins and cut pieces
8 shitakke mushrooms, soaked for 15 mins and cut into halves
15g dried lily bulbs, soaked for 15 mins
2 tbsp dried shrimps, soaked for 15 mins
1 bundle glass noodles, soaked till soft
1 tbsp of fermented beans
2 tbsp oyster sauce
250ml chicken stock or water
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp of oil

Method:
1. Ground the fermented beans using mortar and pestle. Alternatively, you can buy the fine/grounded fermented bean paste.
2. Heat oil in wok, add in garlic and fry till fragrant.
3. Add in dried shrimps and fry till fragrant.
4. Add in all the other ingredients (except glass noodles), mix well and bring to boil.
5. Cover wok and let it simmer for 15mins.
6. Add in glass noodles and let it absorb the sauce. Serve.