Authentic Penang Cuisines in Calgary

Freshly Fried Penang Lobak

My wife and I woke up early in Calgary on a cool rainy Sunday with several cooking projects in mind. We were in Calgary for the weekend and had earlier mentioned to the host (with whom we were putting up the night at) that we were going to cook up something unique and special for them. We had also prepared the ingredients, components and sauces the night before. We have planned to start early enough so by the time we were done with the cooking, eating and cleaning up, it was time to leave for home.

Wrapping the Pulut Panggang

Our first Penang cuisine was the famous Penang Lobak which we have cooked many times before for potluck occasions in Vancouver. We have prepared about two pounds of pork (cut in strips), one pound of ground pork, a small taro root tuber (cut to 1cm cubes) and a carrot (cut to 1cm cubes) to be mixed together with five spices (five spoons), corn starch (two spoons), salt (for taste) and chicken stock (half spoon). And all this mixed to be used as stuffings for the Lobak. We have also bought some soy bean curd sheets for the wrapping of the meat stuffings.

Famous Penang Char Keow Teow

Once the Lobak were ready for frying, we move on with preparing the next cuisine. While my son and I was frying the Penang Lobak outside in the balcony on a camping stove, my wife was teaching the friends in the kitchen on how to prepare and wrap the Pulut Panggang. The glutinous rice stuffed with spicy coconut flakes and dried shrimp paste, wrapped in banana leaf. The spicy coconut flakes and dried shrimp were prepared separately. While the glutinous rice would have to be cooked by steaming in a wok using coconut milk (180ml).

Petaling Street Tai Lok Mean

Once the coconut flakes and the glutinous rice were cooked, the wrapping starts. First, lay a piece of banana leaf, about eight inch by eight inch square, with the shinny part facing up. Put the glutinous rice (one and a half inch wide, five inch long) along one of the edges of the banana leaf. On top of the glutinous rice apply a coat of the spicy coconut flakes with dried shrimps. Then, roll the banana leaf with the glutinous in the leaf and seal both ends with a bamboo tooth pick.

Rempah Flavoured Baked Chicken Wings

Once the banana leaf pulut panggang were properly wrapped. Toast or grill them in a flat frying pan. No cooking oil is needed in the toasting process. The pulut panggang is ready once the banana leaf turns brown. Both side has to be toasted or grilled until the leaf turns brown. The other two cuisines that we cooked were the Penang Char Keow Teow and Petaling Street Tai Lok Mean. And the daughter of the host brought her special Rempah Flavoured Baked Chicken Wings which was an excellent addition to the four Malaysian cuisines we had prepared.

Petaling Street Tai Lok Mean and What Tan Hor

Petaling Street Tai Lok Mean

We invited some friends over to our place over the weekend and feted on home cooked Petaling Street Tai Lok Mean (Hokkein Char) and What Tan Hor (Cantonese Char). Just so happened on the same weekend, we had friends visiting from Calgary and Kelowna. So, we decided to introduce the visitors to some of our friends living without our city.

For the Tai Lok Mean, I use the thick Shanghai noodle. First blench the Shanghai noodle (500g) in hot water, to clean and slightly cook it. Alternatively, can also add some rice stick (vermicelli). Drain the hot water several times and add fresh hot water from the tap. There is no need for boiled water. Do not leave the Shanghai noodle soaked in the water, drain all the water when you are satisfied that the noodles are cleaned.

Petaling Street Tai Lok Mean

In a wok, must be a large enough wok (size 32cm is perfect), drop in about four spoons of cooking oil (can replace with lard), add one spoons of chopped garlic, chicken strips (200g), squid (200g) and shrimps (200g). Simmer until cooked, should take approximately two to three minutes on high heat. Add yu choy, I like vegetables, so I put in quite a bit of the greens. Cover the wok with a lid if needed and do not over cook the yu choy. Throw in some sliced fish cake (120g cake). Then, put the Shanghai noodle into the wok on top of everything in the wok. And do not stir yet, add about seven spoons of dark soy sauce, I prefer the Malaysian type dark soy sauce (dark caramel), a spoon of chicken essence and a pinch of salt. And then, start stirring and mixing until evenly colored. Leave the noodle to simmer once in a while in between stirring. This noodle cuisine is best, most tastiest and flavourful when served hot. So, quickly transfer to a serving plater.

Cantonese Noodle Cuisine

And the second Cantonese noodle cuisine I cooked up for the friends was the What Tan Hor. This time I added some rice stick too. So is now the yin yong cuisine. instead of what tan hor. For this cuisine, I have to prepare the noodles separately from the gravy. The rice stick were deep fried in a pot of cooking oil, then drained off the cooking oil. The hor fun (500g) was stir fried in the wok with two spoons of cooking oil and a spoon of dark soy sauce.

Once the noodles are ready they are put aside in the serving platers. Remember to place the rice sticks at the bottom and the hor fun on top of it.

What Tan Hor

Next, would be the gravy that goes over the noodles. In a hot wok, add in four spoons of cooking oil or lard, two spoons of chopped garlic, chicken strips (200g), squid (200g) and shrimps (200g). Stir and simmer until cooked. Then, add water (you decide to the amount). I like to have lots of gravy, so I put in about one litre. Once the water is in the wok, add two spoons of chicken essence, salt for taste and some vegetable (yu choy or cabbage). Wait until boil, add corn starch, stir well and turn off the heat. The corn starch is to slightly thicken the broth. Quickly pour in the beaten eggs (three eggs) into the broth to further thicken and flavour it.

Pour the gravy, when it is still hot onto the noodles in the serving platers. Like the Tai Lok Mean cuisine, this Cantonese cuisine is best served when it is still hot and warm. Enjoy.