"Twenty-three, sugar melon sticky; 24. Cleaning the house; Twenty-five, grinding tofu; Twenty-six, go and cut the meat. This is a folk song that circulates in the northern region of our country, describing the blessings and expectations of people to the stove when they eat dumplings during the Spring Festival. In the blink of an eye, the Year of the Rabbit is coming, and the Year of the Rabbit is coming to an end. The twenty-third day of the lunar month is the traditional festival in the north - Xiao Nian, also known as the "Jiaonian Festival". In traditional Chinese culture, Xiao Nian is a day to worship the stove, sweep away the dust, and enjoy the stove sugar. In the rural areas of some areas in southern China, people have a custom called "sending the god of the stove" during the Spring Festival, that is, inviting the stove master to the house to make a delicious dish for everyone. On this special day, the stove candy will be placed in front of the stove prince. When the Lord of the Stove tasted it, his mouth became sweet, and after returning to the Heavenly Palace, he would say more nice words in front of the Jade Emperor to bring good luck to the entire family.
Xiao Nian is a traditional festival full of rituals. When the 23rd day of the lunar month is celebrated among the people, it marks the official beginning of the new year. Once this day has passed, people begin to tidy up their rooms, put up flower paper, stock up on New Year's goods, and begin to follow the various taboos of the New Year, such as not saying unlucky words, not breaking objects, and not having disputes. On the twenty-third day of the lunar month, every household is busy preparing for the New Year, the hot pot is steaming, and the dumplings are full of aroma. "People take food as the sky", on this special day, people's eating habits are also very particular. There is an old proverb among the people: "If the 3 dishes are not served, the blessing will not enter the door". As the New Year is approaching, remind your family to celebrate the New Year on the 23rd day of the lunar month, and make sure that these 3 dishes are served on the table, not forgetting this ancient tradition, so that the New Year is full of festive atmosphere.
The first thing to mention is dumplings.
Dumplings are regarded as the most representative traditional food in our country. At various traditional festivals, you can't go wrong with tasting a plate of dumplings. Dumplings have a similar pronunciation to "Jiaozi", implying the meaning of "Jiaozi for more years". Dumplings wrapped in shiitake mushrooms and cabbage are rich in fillings, implying that the new year will be full of harvest and abundance. The shape of dumplings is similar to ingots, so eating dumplings in a young year can bring good luck to "fortune and treasure", which is a sign of wealth. Cabbage is similar to the pronunciation of "Baicai" and "Swing Wealth", while the mushroom meat filling means "drum" wealth. Today, we are going to share how to make cabbage and shiitake mushroom dumplings.
Dumplings with cabbage and shiitake mushrooms as the main ingredients
1.In a large bowl, add 500 grams of flour and 3 grams of salt to enhance the gluten of the flour, then stir it with warm water until the dough without dry flour is flocculent, then knead it into a smooth dough with moderate firmness and softness, and finally cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
2.First of all, you need to prepare a cabbage and wash it. Keeping only the part of the leaf, cut it into thin strips before chopping it into small pieces. Finally, put the Chinese cabbage in a large pot, add 3 tablespoons of salt, and stir well with chopsticks. After that, the bok choy is marinated with table salt to remove any excess water from it.
3.Prepare a few shiitake mushrooms first, remove the old roots, then cut them into thick slices, and finally cut them into small cubes, a carrot, first cut into small cubes, a few chives, cut into chopped green onions, a piece of ginger, cut into minced ginger.
4.First of all, pour the cold oil into the preheated pot, wait for the oil temperature to rise, add the pepper and star anise to fry until the fragrance is exuded, and then take it out and discard. Next, add the diced shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry, then add an appropriate amount of light soy sauce and a small amount of dark soy sauce to color them. Finally, add the chopped carrots to the pan and continue to fry until the diced radishes are nearly cooked.
5.First, squeeze the water out of the cabbage, and then add an appropriate amount of cooked oil to lock in the moisture. Next, add the sautéed diced shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and chopped green onion and ginger to make all the ingredients combine. Then start seasoning, add 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 spoonful of chicken essence, 1 spoonful of thirteen spices, a small amount of pepper and an appropriate amount of oil, so that our cabbage and shiitake mushroom filling is ready.
6.The fermented dough is kneaded a little for a while, then it is cut into small pieces, filled with cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, and wrapped into dumplings. Next, roll the dumplings three times in boiling water, add cold water twice in between, and serve until they are fully floating and swollen.
The second item: about fish.
"Fish" and "yu" are similar in pronunciation, and eating fish during the Chinese New Year represents a surplus and wealth every year, just like the water of a fish. Therefore, at any banquet or potluck, there should be a dish of fish on the table, which is rich in protein and very little fat. Today, I would like to introduce you to the method of home-cooked fish stew and suggest the use of carp, which means "carp jumping over the dragon gate", and wish you all good luck.
Fish that is often stewed at home
1.Start by buying a fresh carp and wash it thoroughly. Make sure that the abdominal black membrane and gills of the fish are completely removed. Then, the fish is treated with a flower knife and the green onion, ginger, chopped and red pepper are added to match the colors. Next, prepare some toppings such as green onions, ginger, dried chilies, star anise, coriander, and red peppers and cut them into small pieces.
2.Add oil to the pan, sprinkle a small amount of salt when the oil temperature rises, then add the carp, fry it first until the shape is stable, then flip it so that the skin of the fried fish does not fall off, fry on both sides until golden brown, and then remove it.
3.Re-add oil to the pan, and when the oil temperature rises, add the green onion, ginger, star anise and sauté until fragrant, then add the fish. Then add cooking wine, light soy sauce and some vinegar, then dark soy sauce and boiling water, and finally sprinkle with salt and sugar. First, simmer over high heat for about seven or eight minutes, then pick out the coriander and green onion and ginger and continue to simmer for 20 minutes until the soup is concentrated. Finish with some red peppers for garnish and sprinkle with cilantro so it's ready to serve.
The third item is about tofu.
Tofu is similar to "Doufu" in pronunciation, and it also carries the beautiful meaning of "head rich, all rich". For families in the north, it is a must-have for the Chinese New Year. On the one hand, it means beauty; On the other hand, tofu has high nutritional value, various production methods, and is relatively cheap. After eating more big fish and meat, a plate of delicious tofu can also be a good relief. Next, I would like to share with you a sweet and sour sweet and sour tofu.
Sweet and sour tofu】 This dish.
1.First of all, you need to prepare a piece of old tofu with a firm texture that does not break easily. First, we need to cut the tofu into squares, then cut it all and put it on a plate. Next, bring water to a boil in a pot and place the cut tofu cubes in the pot. Blanching not only removes the fishy smell of the tofu pieces, but also makes the tofu firmer. Once boiling, boil for 2 minutes, then remove and overcook with cold water.
2.The next step is to prepare a sauce, add more tomato paste and a spoonful of salt to the bowl, then add 4 tablespoons of sugar, add an appropriate amount of white vinegar, and stir it well with chopsticks, so that the sweet and sour sauce is ready.
3.Add the cornstarch to the plate, then add the tofu that has controlled the moisture to make sure that the surface of the tofu is evenly covered with starch, then place the starched tofu cubes on the plate and set aside.
4.Add more cooking oil to the pan and when the oil temperature reaches 6 percent hot, add the tofu one by one. First, fry the tofu over medium heat for 2 minutes, then gently push with a spatula until the skin of the tofu is slightly yellow and the tofu is completely inflated and floats on top. Next, remove the tofu and drain the excess oil to allow to cool. Then, put the tofu in the pan again and fry it again until the skin of the tofu is golden brown and crispy, then remove it.
5.Reserve some base oil in the pan and add the pre-prepared sweet and sour sauce. When the sauce becomes thick, add the fried tofu cubes and stir-fry quickly until even, making sure that the sauce covers the tofu evenly. Finally, sprinkle white sesame seeds to add flavor before coming out of the pan, so that the sweet and sour tofu cubes are ready.
On this special day of the New Year, these three dishes known as "auspicious dishes" must be served on the table, because "if the three dishes are not served, the blessing will not enter the door." Hearty dishes fill the table with a fragrant aroma. Revering ancient traditions and customs, the Year of the Dragon will be an auspicious and auspicious year. May the auspicious dishes exude the fragrance of happiness, and the family reunion will continue to laugh. May you all be full of good luck, financial prosperity and good luck in the coming New Year.
Chinese New Year