Fried Pumpkin Patty

It is good to know that instead of imitation mock chicken nuggets, there are new pro-vegetarian inventions. An easy snack to prepare and I did it the more healthy way: I steamed it. :-) It tasted like sotong balls with bread crumb coating and pumpkin fillings.

This is product of Vegefarm but no information on country of origin. Ingredients on label:

Glucomannan, Whey protein (milk protein), Canola oil, Starch, Butter, Pumpkin, Salt, Sugar, Pepper, Bread crumb (contains wheat), Vegetarian seasoning.

Vegetarian Instant Pasta

I got this Vegetarian Instant Tomato & Vegetable Pasta from Nature Vegetarian. (They do sell some tibits, frozen vegetarian products, dry stocks and New Year cookies! near the drink stall)
The manufacturer is Honsei Pte Ltd at Singapore. They have Pasta of other flavours like cream of Mushroom, but personally I prefer tomato-sauced pasta so I decided to start with it.
It comes in a small cup with instant pasta in packet as shown and a hugh packet of powder which as per label says, contains non-dairy creamer (despite the name, it contains milk protein derivatives !), yeast extract, tomato extract, corn starch, salt, vegetable gum, soya protein, dried herbs, spices, calcium and vitamin C. (Not a scientific person, I always wonder how these extra minerals and vitamins are inputed!)
Per instructions, I poured hot water into cup , stir well and close the lids for 3 minutes and I got a lovely cup of pasta.
The sauce tasted surprisingly better than expected, though the pasta was not as well-cooked which could be the water I used wasn't hot enough but generally overall, it tasted reasonably.:-) It would be better if the portion of the pasta could be bigger though. :-)

Vegetarian Assam Fish

Another new product tried! Vegetarian Assam Fish! Claims to be 100% Vegetarian, product of Singapore from Tian Xin Su Shi Bao Dian. Ingredients: Fresh bean curb, Seaweed, Assam, Chilli , Salt, Sugar & seasoning.

It comes in a plastic container and the Otak-like product in middle picture was the frozen state it was in. After steaming, the frozen Assam sauce melted and became a great gravy to go with the Ladyfingers that Mum added in. The Ladyfingers would have tasted better if they were sliced into slimer pieces to better absorb the gravy. I would think the selling point is the appetising Assam sauce more than the beancurb skin vegetarian fish.

One can finish bowls of rice with it. :-) Quite reasonable priced around $3.50 for a big piece. You should be able to get it from most Vegetarian supply shops.

Golden Pumpkin Meat Floss

I can't exactly remember the taste of the actual meat floss (which I don't fancy in the past:P). However, I think this vegetarian product that I just discovered, may taste better than the meat version recalled from my fading memory of its taste.

The taste of this mock meat floss is mild, not too saltish and tastes abit creamy? It melts in your mouth. I tried it with noodles today & it tasted well.
Its ingredients as found on its label include: Pumpkin, TSP, Starch, Vegetable Oil, Seaweed, Vegetarian Seasoning.
Hence, you can also find slices of seaweed and pumpkin seeds in it.

It is an Malaysian product (found "Halal" logo on its packaging) by Yi Dah Xing Food Factory (M) Sdn. Bhd., imported by Friendly Vegetarian Food Supplier at Blk421, Ang Mo Kio Ave. 10, #01-1165.

I got it from the Vegetarian stall at S'pore Buddhist Lodge's trolley cart that sells buns. At $5, for a 230g in air-tight packaging, I think it's worth to try...

(The Trolley cart is a new concept that they have for their stalls which I feel sorry for the stall vendors who have to endure the sun & rain in the open space. Personally, I consider trolley carts to be more suitable in sheltered environment especially since Spore is a country that experiences hot & rainy weather :P)

Vegetarian Mock Meat

Generally, I do not really like mock meat but the 2 frozen mock meat products that I am going to introduce are quite nice in my opinion & changed my views about mock meat.

The Vegetarian Cold Smoky Meat is a Taiwanese product by Chaste Je Way Industrial Co., Ltd with essential ingredients indicated on its packaging: soybean protein fiber, glucomannian, lactalbumin, starch, sugar, salt, soybean oil, natural spices.

Just have to slice them into thin pieces & use them to stir-fry with vegetables or cook them with noodles. It is replicating as the fatty pork meat and the white jelly portion tastes like fats of meat.

Princess Gold Pieces is a Malaysia product from Tian Sing Cold Storage. Details of ingredients are not specified but it claimed all ingredients to be from plant sources.

It can also be stir-fried with vegetables and it tasted like tender pork pieces. I would think it tasted better than the real pork pieces which needs a lot of preparation to make it as tender. My favourite dish would be to use it to cook with sesame oil, dark soy sauce and ginger slices.

Another mock meat product that I like is the mock meat found in Classic Lao Di Fang's Spicy noodles . However, the frozen product found & tried does not taste as good so I believe some additional preparation work may have been done to make it taste good.

Hope that more nutritious and yet tasty products in place of meat could be introduced in future...

Cheers... :-)

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 :-)

Vegetarian Belachan Chilli

This is my favourite Vegetarian Belachan chilli. I bought it from the "convenience" stall at Spore Buddhist Lodge. Real hot & spicy, did you see the chilli oil floating on top? that's the best part...sinful but shiok..

It just has a simple label pasted :
健裕斋料供应商 Kian Joo Vegetarian Food Supply Centre with an address:

Blk 134, Geylang East #01-221 (near Aljunied MRT)

Hmm, you can try finding it there..it cost $2.60. Could it be cheaper at original store?

Even the word "Belachan" is ink-written. No info on ingredients but does have a printed expiry date. Ha, try it at your own risk... :P