Instant Funori Jelly

It's quite a tedious process to make Funori dessert the traditional way but with the popularity of Funori as a good supplement for Collagen & being inexpensive, it had caught the attention of merchants to come up with different brands & ways to let people enjoy it. The most popular form is the jelly style which is often being served in those organic cafe. I would thought it difficult to home-made to the softness & smoothness of cafe standard (tasted like the ice jelly found at dessert stalls) but no longer a trouble after the invention of such rock sugar cube type of instant funori dessert.

(dissolving the cube in hot water)

This was bought outside the promotion stall set up for CNY goodies outside the Fortune Centre Vegetarian supply shop near the escalator. (However, I found out that there is another new vegetarian supply shop: "Tian Yuan Healthy Vegetarian Food Paradise" which just opened at #02-23 Fortune Centre & is retailing this product)

The product from Taiwan has 2 version. This brown version that I bought was pre-added with brown sugar, red-dates and dried longan, there's also the plain version which you could add lime or passion fruit syrup or any creation yourself.

Method:
Add 500ml (5 cups) of hot water to cube & stir til dissolved.
If you find it still too sweet, which I do, simply add more water till to your taste.
Cool it & put in fridge (non-chiller section), within hrs, you could enjoy one whole big bowl of Funori jelly with a family of 6 at the price of 1.5 cup at cafe. Really refreshing on a hot day!

Crystal had a good post on her blog on the after-product of the jelly. Pls click here:
http://crystalbyblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/funori-jelly-aka-algae-essence-jelly.html

For convenience, these instant products are great, however, to really feel the collagen presence, I would prefer the conventional way of processing it, as maybe psychologically, you know through the process that there is really rich collagen content in the funori you are having. :-)

Spicy Bean Curb

I first tasted spicy bean curb at SiChuan, China & fell in love with it. Hence, decided to recreate my own version here.

Ingredients:
- get a bowl of hot plain soft bean curb (without syrup) from any Soy Drink stall (try to get from one that is famous for its smoothness)

- Belachan chilli (with chilli oil )
- Vegetarian Dried shrimp (optional, can be obtained from same source as Belachan chilli)
- light soy sauce
- Sesame oil

Steps:
1) Simply mix a tablespoon of Belachan chilli (with chilli oil) with some light soy sauce (1 teaspoon or to taste) & 2 drops of sesame oil in a saucer.

2) Scoop desired quantity of bean curb.

3) Pour desired amount of mixed sauce on top of bean curb & softly mix evenly.

4) Add Vegetarian Dried shrimp on top (optional).

There it is, my own version of simplified Spicy bean curb. :-) May not look as nice and taste as good as the Original one but good enough for time being...

Let me know if you find any nice smooth bean curb stalls...

Cheers :-)

Almond Dessert

One small bowl/cup of almond dessert with fruit cocktail or longan outside costs about $2 or more.
With this instant product which you can find easily at supermarkets, you could prepare a serving for six at <$1.50 (almond dessert alone) & in minutes.

So simple that you just need to know how to boil water to prepare it.

1) Just pour the packet ingredients into boiling water (2 cups or 500g or if you do not like it to be too sweet, 2.5-3 cups to your liking), continue to boil & stir constantly until Dessert dissolve.

2) Pour into mould/big bowl & allow to cool. Dessert will set in 30min or 15min with refrigeration.

3) May add some fruit cocktail on top of it or cut the dessert into bite size cubes to serve with fruit cocktail or longan Or even eat it plain.:-)

Even simpler than cooking instant noodles if you just eat it plain without fruits. No Hassle dessert that suits a lazy person like me.

Its ingredients: Sugar, Non-fat dry milk, Glucose, Natural vegetable gum, Almond.

This brand has other flavours like Mango & Durian but I like its Almond flavour Best. Personally, I prefer to use fresh fruits for Mango & Durian pudding:P.

Natural Health Food - Funori (Bird's nest of the sea)

In a visit to an organic health food shop, I was recommended "Bird's Nest of The Sea" - Funori or jelly seaweed which I was told has great nutritional value.

(It expanded after an hour)

(Boiled red dates with Funori)

According to the label, its mineral content includes: calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.

It is believed that the ample iron in funori is beneficial to metabolism such that fatigue does not occur so readily and its abundance in calcium can prevent steoporosis.

Its rich collagen also serves to replenish the cartilage between joints, strengthen bones, sinews and ligaments as well as lower back pains etc.

Sounds like really good stuff, so I bought a pkt to try...

I soaked half of it in water as instructed & it really expanded 5-8times :P

I tried the simplest recipe recommended:

1. Boil red dates/wolfberries with rock sugar (yellow sugar preferred and be generous with it so that the sweetness covers the funori's "fishy" smell) until fully cooked.

2. Leave to cool & add chopped funori.

3. For those who like the dessert cold, you may put it in fridge & its gelatin texture will cause it to be jelly like which I find it more tasty this way:-)

The final product looks like Bird's nest which is also likely how it gets its common name but texture is not as good. If anyone knows more ways of cooking it to make it tastier, do let me know as its original taste is rather bland & innovative ideas are required to make it tastier & popular.

Strongly encouraged to take for its nutritional value.