Hi everyone,

Today, the Peranakans celebrate the Winter Solstice, also known as the Kueh Ee or Tung Chek celebration.  I am including two types of Kueh Ee recipes, one as a savory soup, and the other as a dessert.  I hope you get to make it today or sometime this week, in the midst of your crazy shopping spree LOL. Cheers, Alex.

[b]Kueh Ee Soup[/b]

100 grams Glutinous rice flour (Pulut Flour)
500 grams pork bones, with bits of meat attached
1 piece chicken drumstick, or 100 gm lean pork
2 Tablespoons Tianjin Preserved Vegetable (Tung Choy)
1 stalk Spring onions, chopped into ¼ cm (1/8 inch) pieces
1 stalk Coriander/Cilantro leaves, chopped fine
50 grams shallot, peeled, sliced into rings and fried brown
3 cloves garlic, peeled, minced fine and fried golden brown
White pepper
Red food coloring

In a pot, add pork bones and the chicken drumstick (or lean pork) to 5 cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil.  Lower flame down to a simmer.  Remove the drumstick after 30 min and let cool in a bowl of water.  Let stock continue simmering for 30 min more.  Turn off and let cool.  When drumstick is cool, remove meat from bone and cut into small cubes. 

In a large bowl, add water bit by bit into flour until a thick dough is formed – warning: it is easy to make it too runny, so be conservative with the water.  The consistency of the dough should be like thick clay and very stiff to the touch.   Work the dough for a few minutes until dough is even and smooth.

Divide dough into half, and add enough coloring to this half until it is red enough - test this by dropping a small amount of dough into boiling water (the color should be bright and rich).   Pinch small amounts of dough, and form them into small marble balls or large pea size. 

Bring a saucepan of water to boil.  Cook the dough in boiling water until fully cooked or when they start to float in the water.  Remove to cool in a bowl of cold water. 

Bring stock to boil again.  Add only a bit of salt until barely salty – the preserved vegetable will add more salt to the soup.  Add dough balls and bits of chopped meat to a serving bowl.  When the soup comes to a boil, immediately spoon the soup over the ingredients in bowl.

Garnish soup with fried garlic, fried shallot rings, spring onions, coriander, and a pinch of white pepper.

Serve immediately.

[b]Kueh Ee Dessert[/b]

Make the Kueh Ee rice balls per above recipe.  Pour sugar syrup on them.

Sugar Syrup Recipe:
2 cups water
2/3 cup rock sugar or castor sugar
1 pandan leaf, tied in a knot

Bring all ingredients to a boil.  When rock sugar has dissolved, turn flame off and let mixture cool.