oh my yin tsai

One of my all time favorite leafy herb which is also know as yin tsai or cilantro. It's a love-hate herb, people seemed to love it or hate it, hence the contradicting name in Chinese xiang chai (frangant vege) vs. chou chai (smelly vege).

I love it in my soups, stir fries and raw.  It's like a stronger taste of celery.

Whenever my mum make pak cham kai (steamed chicken) this would be a must-have side dish that we we eat it fresh with the tender steamed chicken, and dipping. 

Whenever I buy them from the market, I would choose a tender / younger bunch, for it's leafy crunch. The roots made great stock too. Keep then in the freezer after cleaning it and brushing off the dirt, and add it in to your soups, stews, and any soupy / gravy-based dishes.

So this is what I use my yin tsai for; steamed eggy prawns and scallops.

This is also another easy dish. To me, seafood always taste better when you steam them, as they maintain the sweetness and the freshness of the texture. This is how it goes;

- 6-8 pcs medium prawns (butterfly cut: spilt the middle, twist the tail from the bottom and turn it back, and it opens up beautifully)

- 6-8 pcs of scallops (i bought these frozen Korean scallops, they add in excellent texture)

for the sauce:

- few drops of sesame oil

- few drops of nampla

- few drops of soy sauce 

- pepper

- half a teaspoon of oyster sauce 

and mix them all with two tablespoon of water, then pour over the prawns and scallops. 

add in:

- thinly sliced ginger

- kei chi (wolf berries)

- a beaten egg and some water

Steam for 10 minutes, and serve hot with fresh yin tsai and a dash of soy sauce