Most people know “tom yum” as Thailand’s famous hot and sour soup, but this soupless tom yum noodles is completely different. Chewy rice noodles are tossed in a sauce that’s equal parts sweet-salty-spicy and sour, and topped with peanuts, fried garlic, and many other tasty toppings. It is so little-known, but it’s one of my […]

The post Soupless Tom Yum Noodles: Best Kept Secret of Thai Food appeared first on Hot Thai Kitchen.

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I’ll get you something totally new to enjoy your boba pearls – steamed milk pudding with boba pearls. It’s a lovely dessert for boba lovers.

There is something deeply comforting for me about a bowl of steamed milk pudding. I love the melt-in-the-mouth texture. Today’s version is dressed up with boba pearls. You can taste the smooth, sweet egg-and-milk pudding with chewy boba pearls made from tapioca starch. This experience is totally different from a milk boba tea. It tastes like our steamed egg pudding but with a sweet vibe.

Cook tips

• Slow fire for brown sugar– When caramelizing, always use the lowest heat setting to avoid burning it.
• Let the milk cool completely before adding eggs. After adding the milk, make sure it has fully cooled down before mixing in the egg mixture. Also, adding a little squeeze of lemon juice while beating the eggs helps to remove the raw egg smell.
• Always strain the mixture – so you can get an incredibly silky, smooth pudding texture.

Step by Step

To cook the boba pearls

• Bring a large pot of water (Recommend 10 times in volume) to a rolling boil.
• Add the tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Stir the tapioca pearls gently to prevent them from sticking together. Cook for 20 minutes or 5 minutes for quick boba pearls on medium heat.
• Turn off the fire and cover the lid; set aside for another 20 or 5 minutes, as required by the package.
• Then remove the excess water, add the remaining sugar and a very small pinch of salt. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved.

To make the Pudding

• Add 30g of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of water. Heat over a low fire until the sugar melts.
• Then add 1 cup of milk. Mix well. Set aside to cool down completely.
• Beat the egg with a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Slowly pour the egg mixture into the milk while stirring continuously.
• Strain twice through a sieve to remove any pulp and get a smoother texture. Pour into a bowl, then cover with a lid, aluminum foil, or a plate, just like me. Once the water boils, steam for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit (covered) for another 5 minutes.

Assemble

Top with cooked boba pearls and serve warm.

Steamed Milk Pudding with Boba Pearls

Melt in mouth steamed milk pudding with boba pearls

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Ingredients

Boba pearls

• 1 cup tapioca pearls boba
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar for boba
• 1/8 tsp. salt for boba
• Large pot of water

Pudding

• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• lemon juice

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Instructions

To cook the boba pearls

• Bring a large pot of water (Recommend 10 times in volume) to a rolling boil.
• Add the tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Stir the tapioca pearls gently to prevent them from sticking together. Cook for 20 minutes or 5 minutes for quick boba pearls on medium heat.
• Turn off the fire and cover the lid; set aside for another 20 or 5 minutes, as required by the package.
• Then remove the excess water, add the remaining sugar and a very small pinch of salt. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.

To make the Pudding

• Add of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of water. Heat over a low fire until the sugar melts.
• Then add 1 cup of milk. Mix well. Set aside to cool down completely.
• Prepare a slight bow, crack two eggs with a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Slowly pour the egg mixture into the milk while stirring continuously.
• Strain twice through a sieve to remove any pulp and get a smoother texture. Pour into a bowl, then cover with a lid or aluminum foil or use a small plate like me. Once the water boils, steam for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit (covered) for another 5 minutes.

Video

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Loe allikast edasi

[gtranslate]

A quick and common home-cooking recipe from Yunnan: pork or beef, chilies, and tomato stir-fry. It is another rice killer or rice-accompanying dish. The name Hóng Sān Duò literally translates as “red three chop”, Duò meaning to chop or mince. And the three ingredients are pork, chilies, and tomato. It has a lovely, well-balanced flavor of chili freshness, sweet-and-sour from tomatoes, and aromatics from well-seared minced pork.

I first met this on my trip in Yunnan in a small local restaurant. I love food in that region because there are so many ingredients to choose from and so many interesting combinations. The mint beef and mint deep-fried ribs also really appeal to me.

This is a super-easy recipe because it calls for very common, basic ingredients. I made a larger batch that can serve around 4. We only eat half of them since there are only two of us, and then save the remaining for the noodle soup topping the next day. It is so good in noodle soup too.

The Role of the Tomato — and Why It Matters

The tomato is doing the work of an entire sauce in most other dishes in this humble dish. Tomato cubes release natural sugars and acids, working as a natural flavor enhancer for minced pork. It also provides a basic sweet-and-sour tone for the dish. If you prefer a hotter version, add some chopped Thai chili pepper.

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized tomatoes- peeled and finely chopped
• 4 long green chili peppers- finely chopped
• 100g pork butt or other parts with some fat- you can either use pork butt or pork belly
• 3 garlic cloves- minced
• 1/8 tsp. salt (for pork) + 1/8 tsp. salt (for stir fry)
• 1 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 4 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil

Step-by-Step Ingredients

Let’s hand-chop all the ingredients first. I recommend you chop all of them by yourself. Firstly, chop the pork into a coarse mince. Then chop the chilis, peel the tomato, and cut it into small dice too. I highly recommend peeling the tomato first for a clean texture.

Add a small pinch of salt and a dash of pepper to the chopped pork. Mix well and marinate for around 10 minutes.

Prepare a wok, add oil, and fry the pork until crispy on the edges and golden brown. Add garlic and fry until aromatic.

Add some extra oil, add tomato and chili peppers. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, until they are super soft and juicy.

Add a small pinch of salt and sugar, then light soy sauce. Mix well.

You can try matching it with steamed rice, rice noodle soup, regular noodle soup, or even steamed buns or bread.

Pork and Tomato Stir Fry – Hong San Duo

A Yunnan local rice killer dish- Hong San Duo

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Servings: 4

Calories: 151kcal

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized tomatoes- peeled and finely chopped
• 4 long green chili peppers- finely chopped
• 200 g pork butt or other parts with some fat- you can either use pork butt or pork belly
• 3 garlic cloves- minced
• 1/8 tsp. salt (for pork) + 1/8 tsp. salt (for stir fry)
• 1 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 4 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil

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Instructions

• Let’s hand-chop all the ingredients first. I recommend you chop all of them by yourself. Firstly, chop the pork into a coarse mince. Then chop the chilis, peel the tomato, and cut it into small dice too. I highly recommend peeling the tomato first for a clean texture.
• Add a small pinch of salt, a dash of pepper to the chopped pork. Mix well and marinate for around 10 minutes.
• Prepare a wok, add oil, and fry the pork until crispy on the edges and golden brown. Add garlic and fry until aromatic.
• Add tomato, chili peppers, light soy sauce, salt and sugar. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, until they are super soft and juicy and all the flavors are well combined.
• You can try to match it with steamed rice, rice noodle soup, regular noodle soup, or even with steamed buns or bread.

Video

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Nutrition

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 524IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Loe allikast edasi

[gtranslate]

Mustard greens are also referred to as leaf mustard or Chinese leaf mustard. I am quite familiar with this green vegetable from childhood. My grandma loves to make pickled mustard greens or use them to make our unique preserved vegetables.

Sichuan cuisine is famous for its pickled vegetables and dried vegetables. The most common usage in Chinese cuisine is pickled mustard greens. Pickled mustard greens are a staple of Sichuan cuisine. There are many popular Sichuan dishes that use pickled mustard greens, such as shredded mustard green noodles (suancai rou si) and Suancai Yu.

In addition, other varieties are cultivated in China. Some with a larger stem, which is used to make dried vegetables (zaicai si) or pickled Zha Cai, while others might have a smaller lobus apicalis like potherb mustard. Mustard group vegetables are considered among the healthiest green vegetables in China due to their ability to relieve constipation, reduce toxicity, and have anti-infection effects.

I bought a large batch of mustard greens to make pickled mustard greens as a further preparation for my Suancai Yu (Boiled fish with Suancai, a sister recipe to the Shui Zu Yu recipe). I get some leafovers, so I make this quick stir-fry dish.

Stir-fried mustard greens are really simple but taste super fresh. Besides, I do like the pure green color, looking so appealing and inviting. In addition, mustard greens can be used in a soup recipe, for example, mustard green tofu soup.

Blanching or Not?

If you get fresh, high-quality mustard greens without prickly hairs, you can skip blanching and fry them directly.

In contrast, if you feel the leaves have prickly hairs. Blanching them in hot boiling water for 1 minute can help to remove the hairs.

Oil and Aromatics

I recommend lard as the top choice for this stir-fry. If you want a vegan version, coconut oil can be a great substitute.

You will also need roughly chopped garlic and several dried chili peppers. Fresh Thai pepper can be a great substitute, too.

Mustard Green Stir Fry Recipe

Healthy leave mustard stir fry recipe with garlic and chili peppers.

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Course: stir fry

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Mustard

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 90kcal

Author: Elaine

Ingredients

• 1 head large mustard green , remove the heads and cut into sections
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 3 dry chili pepper cut into sections or replace with 1 fresh Thai chili pepper
• 2 tbsp. oil recommend lard
• ⅛ tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil

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Instructions

• Clean and wash the mustard greens carefully, drain and then cut into small pieces.
• Heat up cooking oil in wok, add garlic and chili pepper, fry until aromatic over slow fire.
• Turn up the fire, add mustard green in. Quickly fry for around 1 minute. Add salt and light soy sauce. Mix well.
• Sprinkle with sesame oil. Transfer out and serving with steamed rice or other staple food your like.

Video

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Notes

If you feel the leaves have prickly hairs, add them to a large pot of boiling water with several drops of cooking oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blanch the mustard greens around the tough part for 10 seconds, then leave for 2 ~3 seconds. Transfer out and drain before stir-frying.
This recipe was first published in 2014 and updated in 2026.  
 

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 984mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2300IU | Vitamin C: 60.1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Loe allikast edasi

[gtranslate]

As the Chinese New Year approaches, here are my top menu recommendations. Some are traditional spring festival foods, while others are my favorites. We cover everything from basic fortune foods to main dishes, including hot pot, chicken, and fish.

1. Fa Gao – Chinese Fortune Cake

Fa gao is a steamed sponge cake whose name literally means “fortune cake.” We love it for its symbolic meaning. This fluffy dessert symbolizes growth and rising fortune for the coming year. As it steams, the cake rises and often splits open at the top, which is considered especially auspicious—the wider the split, the better your luck will be. The word “fa” (发) means both “to rise” and “to prosper,” and is used to hope for business success and family prosperity.

2. Sesame Balls – Two Versions

Sticky rice is a very popular ingredient for the Chinese New Year. These golden, crispy glutinous rice balls, coated in sesame seeds, symbolize reunion and completeness due to their perfect round shape. We also love the golden color as it symbolizes wealth and prosperity. As they fry, the balls expand and become hollow inside, which represents a home filled with gold and good fortune.

Another popular Chinese fried sesame ball is the laughing balls Kai Kou Xiao – Smiling Cookies. These fried cookies crack open as they cook, creating a “smiling” appearance that gives them their name. During Chinese New Year, it represents happiness, laughter, and open-hearted joy for the coming year.

3. Whole Fish – nián nián yǒu yú

Serving a whole fish during Chinese New Year is essential because “fish” (鱼, yú) sounds like “surplus” (余, yú), representing the wish for abundance and savings in the coming year. The phrase “年年有余” (nián nián yǒu yú) means “may you have surplus every year.” We usually serve the fish whole, with the head and tail. You can prepare it as red-braised fish in a savory-sweet soy-based sauce, or as whole steamed fish.

4. Tangyuan- Chinese Sticky Rice Dumplings

We eat Tangyuan on the first day of the new year as well as the Lantern Festival. Their round shape symbolizes family reunions and togetherness. They might be filled with black sesame, peanut, or red bean paste and usually served as a sweet soup. But you can also pan-fry or even deep-fry them.

5. Nian Gao – New Year Cake

Nian gao is perhaps the most symbolically important New Year food. It is also made with sticky rice. The name sounds like “higher year,” suggesting a wish to reach greater heights in the new year. White sugar nian gao has a subtle sweetness and chewy texture, often sliced and pan-fried until golden. Brown sugar nian gao has a richer, caramel-like flavor and deeper color, sometimes steamed with red dates.

6. Spring Rolls

Spring roll is one of the most popular and classic foods for the Chinese New Year. In most cases, they are deep-fried with various types of fillings. As with other deep-fried foods, the golden hue signifies good wishes.

You can also try making your own spring roll wrapper at home with only a brush and a pan.

7. Red- Baised Pork Belly

During the New Year, families prepare red-braised pork because its rich red color symbolizes good fortune and celebration. There are two popular versions: the Shanghai-style features larger chunks braised until meltingly tender with a slightly sweet glaze, while the Hunan-style (Chairman Mao’s favorite) includes dried chilies and is spicier with a more savory profile.

8. Dumplings- Steamed/ Pan-fried/ Boiled

Dumplings are absolutely central to Chinese New Year celebrations, especially in northern China. It is usually a family gathering to make dumplings on New Year’s Eve. Some families hide a clean coin in one dumpling. It is considered a lucky coin. Dumpings can be steamed, boiled, or pan-fried. The most popular version in my family is Potstickers (煎饺), pan-fried dumplings with a crispy bottom.

9. Sachima and Tanghulu

This group is the children’s favorite. Sachima is a beloved snack made from strands of fried batter bound with maltose syrup, creating a sweet, crispy, chewy treat. This popular confection is popular during the Chinese New Year because its golden color represents wealth and its sweet taste symbolizes a sweet life ahead.

Tanghulu -these skewered hawthorn berries, coated in a crispy sugar syrup, are a classic winter street food that appears during Chinese New Year festivities. The bright red color of the hawthorn berries is supremely auspicious, representing good luck, joy, and celebration.

10. Hot Pot

Hot pot is the ultimate communal dining experience and a New Year favorite for Sichuan-Chongqing families. Gathering around a bubbling pot of spicy broth, cooking, and sharing ingredients together perfectly embodies the spirit of reunion during the Chinese New Year. We don’t eat only spicy hot pot. In contrast, we now enjoy hot pot with a variety of broth and soup bases.

11. Sesame Candy and Peanut Candy

Both sesame candy and peanut candy are traditional sweets made from mixed seeds bound with maltose or sugar syrup, creating crunchy, nutty bars or brittle.

During Chinese New Year, it is one of the favorite snacks and energy bars. Chinese families often buy them at the market, but it’s also a great option to make them at home.

12. White Cut Chicken / Chili Chicken

We will never miss a chicken on our New Year’s table. And these are our two most popular versions. White cut chicken is a Cantonese specialty featuring perfectly poached chicken served at room temperature with ginger-scallion oil. The simple preparation allows the chicken’s natural flavor to shine through, and serving it whole (with head and feet) signifies a good beginning and end to the year.

This Sichuan-Chongqing chili chicken features crispy fried chicken pieces buried in a mountain of dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns. For people from the Sichuan-Chongqing region, the Chinese New Year wouldn’t be complete without the bold, numbing-spicy flavors of la zi ji.

Afterthoughts

Each of these foods on our Chinese New Year menu carries deep cultural meaning. By making and serving this food, we want to transform the Chinese New Year meal into a symbolic feast of hopes, dreams, and wishes for prosperity, reunion, and happiness in the year ahead. So happy new year and wish you all the luck in the year of the horse.

Loe allikast edasi