Hor Fun is the most common noodle dish cooked in Singapore’s Zhu Chow stalls. It is made with pre-fried flat rice noodles (Hokkien call it kuay teow, and Cantonese call it Hor Fun), and being poured over with a cooked gravy with seafood, and sometimes with soft cooked egg (wat dan, or smooth egg-滑蛋河粉).  What really makes the dish with its unique taste is not the gravy but the fragrant of the pre-cooked noodles. 

This is how you prepare it.  Best if you have a Chinese metal wok (to really give the smell of the wok), or any frying pan will do, since most family don’t use metal wok in Singapore.  Heat up the wok very hot, add oil and garlic, and add in the noodle and fry with high heat.  Add in Dark soya sauce (2 tablespoon for 1 serving of noodles), by streaming slowly (don’t pour at the same spot) evenly on the noodles as well as some on the wok (to allow it to create some burnt smell), keep stirring at the same time. Serve on plate when done (5 mins will probably be enough).  Recipe of the gravy will be posted later.

Kok Zai is one of the many Chinese New Year goodie.  It has flour cracker outside with crush peanut and sugar filling, made into a mini-puff like shape (that is now the name is derived, like a mini “horn”).   This recipe is from my mom.  She makes it every year.

Ingredients

For filings

1. 600 gms raw peanuts
2. 300 gms fine sugar

For dough

1. 600 gms wheat flour
2. 1 tablespoon sugar mixed with ½ cup water
3. 1 tablespoon margarine
4. 1 egg

For frying

1. Oil for deep frying

Method

Filing

1. In a pan without oil, stir fry peanuts with low heat, until fragrant (skin a little burnt). Refer to tips for more information.
2. Leave it to cool, and remove the skin.  Crush it with food processor. Mixed with sugar.

Dough

1. Sieve the flour on a mixing table, and make a heap.  Make a depression in the middle, and crack in the egg, and margarine. Mix in the flour slowly with fingers, and adding the sugar water slowly. 
2. Keep mixing and adding water slow until a soft dough is form.  If the sugar solution runs out, use plain water.  Cover with damp cloth for 1 hour.
3. Separate into smaller portion, roll out with rolling pin, and make mini-puffs filled with peanuts and sugar mixture. (either using fingers to fold, or you get some gadget to help you make the puffs)
4. Deep fry till golden brown.
5. Keep in air tight container when totally cooled down.

 Vegetarian (with eggs).