Choon Kuen aka Chinese Meat Rolls

Gong Xi Fat Chai!!!!

Wishing all my readers and followers Happy Chinese New Year. May this coming year be filled with God's blessings and joy.

I love Chinese New Year. Not just for the food and angpao....but the family. I love having family reunion. Everyone gather together on this special occasion, catching up with one another and just enjoy each other's company.

Usually we have the big reunion dinner before the first day of Chinese New Year. But my wonderful family decided to wait for me to get back to Melbourne because I was posted to Ballarat and we had our reunion dinner yesterday. Of course, we also had the honour of having one of our beloved friend from Malaysia visiting us in Melbourne as well. It was such a wonderful time. We also celebrated my wonderful father in law's birthday. So many celebrations. We really enjoyed it.

The menu for our reunion dinner was:

Yee Sang

We just prepared the vegetables. My mother in law bought
the prepack from Malaysia. It came with all the condiments.
What a great idea. Tasted just like the ones from restaurants

Dried Oyster and Radish Soup ( sorry, brother in law forgot to take photos of these). But it was so good, prepared by my mom in law who is a great cook.

Chinese Style Steam Fish, again prepared by my mom in law. Very nice! Will share the recipe tomorrow so stay tuned.

Kau Yoke with Yam - typical Hakka Dish, collaboration of me and my mom in law


Choon Kuen aka Chinese Meat Rolls by yours truly....=)

My mom always makes Choon Kuen for Chinese New Year. I remember never getting enough of them. She only makes them once in a while and it's one of our family's favourite. The traditional way is to roll the meat mixture in bean curd sheets, steam them and then deep fry in hot oil Or steam the meat rolls ( without beancurd sheets) and coat in flour before deep frying. But I hate deep frying and decided to try the healthier option. I used the same recipe my mom gave me for the meat rolls, but instead of deep frying them I coated them with panko breadcrumbs and baked them. The result? FANTASTIC. I don't think I'll go back to deep frying option in the future. Very nice and crispy and the best part of it? Much healthier option for the family.

Choon Kuen / Chinese Meat Rolls
Ingredients for meat rolls:

• 500 grams minced pork
• 500 grams minced prawns
• 1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced finely
  
• 1/2 brown onion, finely chopped
  
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon cornflour

Seasonings:

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon five spice powder
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper

Coating:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• Plain flour
• Panko breadcrumbs
  

Baking paper and aluminium foil for rolling.

Methods:

1. Place all the ingredients ( except the ones for coating) and seasonings together in a big bowl and mix well until the mixture becomes rather sticky
2. Take a piece of baking paper around 25-30cm long. Take a portion of the meat mixture, place on top of baking paper and shape it into long cylinder of around 3-4cm diameter and 15cm long.
   
3. Roll the meat mixture tightly with the baking paper. Tie the ends of the baking paper tightly.
4. Then, take a piece of aluminium foil also around 25-30cm long and use it to roll the meat mixture that is already covered in baking paper.
5. Repeat the same process for the remaining of the meat mixture. You should be able to make around 5-6 rolls
6. Steam the rolls for around 30 minutes until cooked through.
7. Take the rolls out of the steamer. Unwrap the rolls and let cool
   
8. When you are ready to eat, place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate plates
9. First coat the meat rolls in flour.
10. Then dip in beaten eggs and lastly coat well with panko breadcrumbs.
11. Spray the rolls with vegetable/ cooking oil
    
12. Bake in preheated 220 degrees celcius oven for 30 minutes until the breadcrumbs become cripsy and golden
13. Slice the meatrolls diagonally into 1cm thick pieces

Tips:

• To taste the seasoning of the meat rolls before steaming them, take a small portion and put in microwave for around 1-2 minutes. If not salty enough can add more salt.

Gong Xi Fat Chai
May this year be filled with joy and happiness.