Bowl of comfort – Mother’s Day dinner

Spoil your mom with her favourite or the woman in your life this Mother’s Day with a delicious bowl of comfort, mouth watering meal in a flash, and bursting with Asian Flavours.

Google: “Pan Mee is a popular Malaysian-Chinese recipe with hand-torn noodles in a rich and flavorful anchovy broth. The toppings include ground pork, leafy green vegetables, mushrooms and crispy anchovies. The dish can be served dry or with soup, with dry chili crisp as a condiment for extra kick and flavours. Pan Mee is one of the most popular Malaysian recipes. It’s a Hakka noodle dish, especially in central and southern part of Malaysia where most Hakka people or ke jia ren reside. Hakka Pan Mee is made with a simple flour-based dough, with anchovy broth, and topped with crispy fried anchovies, ground pork, shiitake mushrooms, and some vegetables. Pan Mee is also known as Mee Hoon Kuih, which is commonly prepared at home.”

Google: “A pork ball is a Chinese meatball made from finely minced pork, starch, and sometimes cuttlefish to impart a “chewy” texture and added flavour. Pork balls are a common part of the cuisines of Taiwan, China, and other parts of Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia in Bali and Thailand.”

Google: “Fish cakes are made from ground fish and flour or starch that is formed into small loafs and then steamed or fried. Fish cakes are used in a variety of Japanese dishes such as soups and stews, appetizers and boxed lunches. Fish Cakes (Odeng) can be healthy food if it’s made with high-quality fish meat with not too many fillers and deep fried in clean oil.”

I managed to get the instant packets pan mee, pork balls, fish cakes to go with my readymade chicken soup, carrot and wombak. I have written down chicken soup recipe for you; do in advance. This dish is my mother’s favourite as it reminds her of her mother in law whom always serve her this bowl of comfort when she feels tired. Here’s my Hakka comfort food in a bowl; nothing showy or dazzling about this bowl, but it is tasty, delicious, colourful and very satisfying. Let’s make it for Mother’s Day!!!!

Ingredients

Chicken soup

8 chicken drumsticks
6 red dates
6 whole garlic cloves, remove skins, lightly crush
2 chicken cubes
100 g goji berries
2 Tbs black pepper, crush lightly and put in a pouch
salt
black pepper
8c-10c water

Pan mee, pork balls, fish cakes and vegetables

1 packet instant pan mee (Bought)
1 small carrot, sliced
1 wombak leaf, sliced
4 pork balls
4 fish cakes
fried shallots

Method

To do in advance

Place drumsticks in a big metal basin and blanch in hot boiling water for 5 minutes. In a big deep pot, add garlic, blanched drumsticks, chicken cubes, and 8 cups water first. Bring it to boil on medium high heat, with lid on for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes boiling, lower the heat medium heat, simmer until drumsticks are cooked about 10-15 minutes. Remove drumsticks when they are cooked to a big metal basin. Let it cool completely. Now add red dates, goji berries, pouch crush black pepper. Continue to cook until red dates, goji berries softened about 10-15 minutes.

To make pan mee

Bring the readymade chicken soup to simmer and warmed up about 5 minutes. Once chicken soup is hot add in pan mee and its condiments that comes with it, cook for 3 minutes. Next add in carrots and wombak, pork balls and fish cakes, cook for 4-5 minutes.

Pick up the pan mee with a tong, followed by pork balls, fish cakes onto a warmed up bowl. Then ladle the soup with carrots, and wombak into the noodles bowl. Garnish with fried shallots. Enjoy with a glass of white sweet Moscato!!!

Notes: Add another 2 c water plus 4 Tsp chicken powder; if you want to store in jars or in ziplock bags. The chicken meat too can be stored in an airtight container. The leftovers chicken soup can be stored in the sterile jars and place in fridge for 5-7 days. In freezer, pour the chicken stock into triple ziplock bags, label the name and date made for 8 days-2 weeks, might be able to stretch the days to nearly 3 weeks. I do wrap them triple cling wraps to prevent spillage.  

https://helenscchin.com/2024/05/03/pan-mee-pork-balls-fish-cakes-and-vegetables-noodles-soup

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