Traditional Chinese New Year recipes

These traditional recipes can be used anytime of the year.

While rice symbolizes luck, shrimps are believed to bring happiness. Here are some tried and tested recipes
Even though the Chinese New Year has passed, who says these recipes can’t be used anytime of the year.  The origin of the Chinese New Year is as old as the country itself.  Legend has it that one of them was a terrible mythical monster called Nian who preyed on its villagers. Another story claimed that Nian was scared of the color red, so the villagers pasted red paper cutouts and scrolls on their doors. The day the monster was conquered, the Chinese recognized it as the ‘passing of the Nian’ which is synonymous with the celebrating of New Year.  The Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the New Year, and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the New Year is called the Lantern Festival.
The highlight of the tradition is a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. A dinner is arranged for them at the family banquet table. The communal feast called ‘surrounding the stove’ or weilu symbolizes family unity, and honors the past and present generations. The type of food presented at the table is supposed to bring good luck to the family. Traditionally, the rice symbolizes luck and wealth, while shrimps are believed to bring happiness.   Chef Tan Aik Lan , the Chinese specialty chef at Renaissance Mumbai, shares three traditional recipes.

Stir-fried prawns with pumpkin sauce
Ingredients: 400gms king prawns, 200gms pumpkin, 100gms chicken stock, 2tbsp butter, 6 chillies, curry leaves, 80ml evaporated milk, ½ tsp chicken powder, 1½ tsp sugar, salt to taste
Method:

• Trim the legs and head of the prawns, clean, dry and coat with a little cornflour and set aside.
• Slice pumpkin and steam till cooked. Add Chicken stock and blend into a creamy gravy. Set aside
• Heat up oil in a wok and fry prawns to medium - well done. Remove and drain
• Heat butter in a wok and sauté side ingredients. Pour in pumpkin gravy, add seasoning and cook well till gravy thickens
• Add prawns, pumpkin and cook until the gravy is fully absorbed and serve hot

Stir-fried chicken with three-cup Chinese wine sauce

Ingredients: 300gms diced chicken, 200gms green chilies, 20gms spring onion, 5gms  garlic,10 gms ginger, 1 tbs light soya sauce, 1tbs oyster sauce,1tbs black vinegar, 1tbs Chinese wine, 1tbs rice wine, 1 ½ tsp sugar, 1tsp potato starch, 1tbs rose wine

Method:

• Heat up oil in a wok and deep fry the chicken till golden brown
• To prepare the seasoning sauce, add light soya sauce, oyster sauce, black vinegar, Chinese wine, trice wine, sugar and rose wine (in the same order) and cook well
• Add 1tsp of potato starch to thicken
• Add the fried chicken pieces, add green chilies, garlic, ginger and spring onion (chopped in julienne) and cook for 2 minutes
• Serve hot

Chilled Mango Sago with Pomelo

Ingredients: 600 gms mango, 600ml water, 100ml cream, 100ml milk, 100gm sugar

Side ingredients: pomelo, sago

Method:

• Put mango pieces into a blender, add water and blend well till it forms a puree
• Boil the mango puree for 8 minutes and leave aside to chill in a refrigerator
• When the mango puree is chilled, add the pomelo and sago and mix well
• Serve chilled