Ang Chow - Hong Chew - Chinese Red Rice Wine Recipe

Version #1
Ingredients

1. 1kg glutinous rice
2. Two pieces of wine cake (chew pia) -blended
3. Two taels red rice (ang kek bee) - blended

Preparation

1. Soak Glutinous rice in water overnight
2. Cook rice (you can steamed the rice so that it does not touch the water as per Sake brewing recommendations)
3. Break the wine cake and mix it with the red rice
4. Mix #3 thoroughly with the cooked rice
5. Let it ferment 2-4 weeks
For the first week , stir it every day , then twice weekly. Strain in a muslin cloth , wine for cooking and residue for marinating.


Version #2
Ingredients

1.1kg glutinous rice
2. 2 pieces of wine yeast cake (chew pia) - blended
3. 90g red rice yeast "ang kark" (Monascus Purpureus) - blended
4. 500cc Boiled cool water.

Preparation :

Soak Glutinous rice for at least 8 hours. Drain and then steam the rice over a bamboo steamer lined with a piece of cheese cloth over boiling water for at least 30 minute or until rice is cooked. Spread the rice out on a tray and allow to cool for 3 hours. Blend ang-kark and chew pia together until powdery in a electric grinder.
Set aside a bowl for mixing the glutinous rice with the blended dry ingredients. Mix a generous amount of glutinous rice with some red powder ( blended ingredients ). Continue mixing till all are used up.
Store in a cool dark place for example, in your store room .One week later, pour the fermented ang chow into the white cloth bag allowing wine to filter through. And let ferment for as long as 2 months. When ready, dish out all the rice wine storing it in another clean bottle.

Version #3
Ingredients

1.1.5kg glutinous rice
2. 2 pieces of wine yeast cake (chew pia) - blended
3. 300gm red rice yeast "ang kark" (Monascus Purpureus) - blended
4. 1L boiled cool water.

Preparation :

1. Cook approximately 1.5 kg of glutinous rice with water in normal rice cooker. Once cooked, take it out and set aside to cool overnight.
2. Once the glutinous rice is properly cooled, take in lumps and coat with blended red rice bran (use approximately 300gm). Place in clean jar. And add some crushed wine biscuits. For this amount, crush 2-3 wine biscuits and apply some on every layers . Pour in approximately 800 gm to 1 litre of filtered water. Less if you like your Ang Chew really concentrated and more vice versa.
3. Cover with a piece of clean cloth held tight with rubber band/strings.
4. During the fermentation process, the red rice mixture will start to float upwards causing 'boiling' bubbles and these form the essential Uang Chew. This stage will happen between 24 to 48 hours and will last for another few days. At this stage, it is important to stir the mixture at least twice a day to avoid overflowing or use only half a jar/container. During this process, the red rice mixture will separate from the liquid and stay afloat.
5. The mixture will then stabilise and red rice will slowly sink back towards the bottom of jar after a week or so (This is when the cloth can be taken off and replaced with a proper lid or on top of the cloth, cover with a metal bowl). The entire procedure will take approximately a month or so.
6. The whole content will then be filtered with a piece of white clean cloth hanged and allowing it to drip.
7. Produce collect about 5 botols of hong chew

My mother makes this with Dayak's pulut (local red glutinous rice), it is about 3 weeks old and the wine is already filtered out from the mixture, my mother will use the wine to cook ka cang ma. While for me, I'll add in the red rice yeast to this mixture so that I can cook my favorite Ang Chow Chicken with it.

Tips:

• Rice wine can be aged in its airtight container for years and can attain an alcohol volume of 22 percent, the highest possible from natural fermentation.
• Rice wine is classified as either dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet or extra-sweet depending on when the fermentation of sugar into alcohol is stopped. The earlier fermentation is stopped, the sweeter the wine.
• Avoid touching any food with a high acid content, especially lemons, while preparing rice wine. Any contact with such acid could turn the wine to vinegar.

Ref:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2059791_make-rice-wine.html
http://unclephilipsg.blogspot.com/2009/07/homebrew-chinese-rice-wine-aka-ang-chow.html
http://homecookedfood.blogspot.com/2007/01/ang-chow-chinese-red-rice-wine.html
http://gregwee.blogspot.com/2008/02/secret-foochow-red-wine.html

Confinement Food: Week 4

10 Sept 2009mix vege + chicken breast

hong jiu chicken soup

baby kailan

11 Sept 2009

papaya chicken soup

12 Sept 2009baby kailan

hong jiu chicken soup

egg + ginger + hong jiu + sesame oil

14 Sept 2009

Salmon

hong jiu chicken soup + egg

baby kailan

see Confinement Food: Week 3 here

Confinement Food: Week 3

chicken ball + egg + hong jiu

mix vege

ang chow chicken

see Confinement Food: Week 2 here

Confinement Food: Week 2

baby kailan + bai jiu

hong jiu chicken soup

chicken meat

kacang + bai jiu + soya sauce

hong jiu chicken soup + mee sua

see Confinement Food: Week 1 here

Confinement Food: Week 1

For Breakfast:porrigde

pusuk & ginger

For Lunch & Dinner:

meat & vege in ginger soup

haruan

kacang panjang


ka cang ma





sayur campur

Not in the pic :

Haruan steam with ginger

Haruan soup with ginger

Chicken with soy sauce

Confinement: Herbs & Drinks Pt.2

Things that I actually take during my confinement period.

For bath:
1. Sisuoh leaves - for the 1st and 2nd week

2. Herbal bath - during the 3rd week
3. Bai Jiu & Sirih leaves - during 4th week

For drink :
1. Pati Prune - RM22.90 - to prevent constipation
2. Pati Ikan Haruan - RM21 from cosway - 2x

3. Milo 3-in-1 with oat

4. Ginger with Honey - too sweet.

5. Longan + Red dates + wolfberries

6. Martel, take once only, too strong for me.

7. DOM - 1L - RM100 - still taking a sip before going to bed, very good.

For cooking :

1. Chinese cooking wine - RM25 - 18% alchohol - take once only, I don't like the taste, pahit.

2. Bai jiu - RM5.50 each - for cooking vege & ka cang ma - 3x
3. Hong jiu - for chicken soup - 13x

4. Lots of ginger, preferably the local ginger.

See Pt.1 here

Confinement: Herbs & Drinks Pt.1

Things that I have prepared for my coming confinement period.

For bath:
1. Sisuoh leaves (thanks to my dear friend Mummy B for these)
2. Herbal bath - which I bought from chinese drug store

For drink :
1. Pati Prune - RM22.90 - to prevent constipation
2. Pati Ikan Haruan - RM21 from cosway
3. Milo 3-in-1 with oat
4. Ginger with Honey

For cooking :

1. Chinese cooking wine - RM25 - 18% alchohol

2. Bai Jiu - 6 botols - RM5.50 each
3. Hong Jiu

For dessert :
Rock sugar

Confinement Food

Normally you'll be asked to eat only ' heaty' food and avoid cold or cooling food as your body is cold after childbirth.
Traditional Chinese confinement food consists mainly of old ginger, rice wine, sesame oil, black vinegar, some warming alcohol, lots of meat especially kampong chicken and lean pork, white fish such as white pomfret and some vegetables.
Food to avoid during the first week only
1. Ginger - Delays healing of wounds and increase risk of jaundice in baby. Substitute with peppercorn or garlic.
2. Fish - Causes foul smelling discharge.
Types of food to avoid

‘Cooling food’ for example: banana, cabbage, cucumber, coconut and Chinese cabbage

Contribute to mother’s poor blood circulation and stomach ache in the baby if you are breastfeeding. Salt as a condiment and salty foods in general are to be rejected, too, in the belief that use reduces breast milk production

‘Acidic food’ for example:pineapple, mango, lemon, lime

Contribute to excessive lochia in the mother and diarrhea in the baby.

Too much ‘Heaty food’ for example: chilli, pepper, spices, tonics, spirits and medicines.

Contribute to diarrhea in the baby and maternal headaches

‘Windy food’ for example: jackfruit, tapioca, pumpkin, onions.

Contributes to baby being colicky and may cause indigestion for mother and baby.

Poisonous food such as prawns, shellfish, crab, eel, ginger

Delay healing of the mother’s wound and may cause allergies and eczema in the baby.

These foods may cause stomach upsets and vomiting

Type of food recommended

To improve milk production : Chicken, squid, clams (small varieties), fish (especially carp), millet, mutton, pork, rice wine, sea slug, soybean milk mixed with powdered walnuts, wheat cakes, wheat noodles with egg, green papaya

To provide strength to the mother so she recovers quickly from the exertion of labor: Chicken, frog, Panax ginseng, licorice extract and razor clam

Wine/alcohol
These are the recommended alcohol for consumption during the confinement month because they are ‘yang'. If you are a non-drinker, this sudden consumption may cause alcohol rash, redness in the face and heart palpitations, so do take it easy. Alcohol does go to the baby through breast milk, so if you want a good night's sleep, drink the alcohol after your dinner. The content of alcohol is reduced during cooking therefore you might consider adding it to your food during cooking instead of drinking it neat.
Pulut rice is rich in iron therefore is used to make rice wine for postnatal nursing mothers. The rice is low in fat and free of cholesterol with high dietary fibre to reduce risk of heart attack and diabetes. It is better known as Shaoxing wine.

Drinks
It is believed that iced or cold drinks may cause severe shock to the system and further weaken the ‘cold' body therefore it is strongly recommended that boiled warm teas are consumed throughout the day as they are supposed to help heat up the womb.

Take Red dates and wolfberry tea drinks. Just take out the seeds from the red dates, boiled the red dates with water and wolfberry, then drink.
Some says if baby boy, boiled the red dates in odd numbers, if baby girl, boiled the red dates in even numbers .

Soups
Soup is a nutritious replacement for water. You can use any meat for stock. The meat supplies fat that is essential for extraction of fat soluble nutrients. Drinking soup about 1 hour before breastfeeding may help to increase milk flow. Chinese soups are usually clear and easier to drink compared to creamy western soups and it is less fattening.
Boxthorn fruit or Chinese wolfberry is best known to correct poor eyesight and eye strain. Used in conjunction with other herbs it is effective for improving energy and strength
Chinese angelica root or dong kwai is supposed to nourish the female organs, alleviate menstrual pain and prevent haemorrhage.
Chinese yam (wai san) used in conjunction with meat and other herbs aids digestion, regulate sugar level and control inflammation of the uterus. The dried variety must be soaked for at least 15 minutes before use to remove the powder
Solomon's seal (yok chuk) is used to alleviate many ailments especially those affecting the throat and lungs.
Sesame oil, besides being rich in Vitamin E, Iron & Calcium, helps heal the womb and rid it of "dirty residual blood".
Chestnuts invigorate vital energy. Resolves fatigue depression and irritability. High in phosphorous, selenium and calcium.
Black vinegar is made from glutinous rice and lowers ph of food. It leaches calcium from bones cooked with it, therefore it is used to prepare high calcium food especially for breast feeding mothers and it also relieves a windy abdomen.
Dill has antibacterial and antispasmodic properties. It is a warming herb which aids digestion, gets rid of gas, encourages lactation, freshens the breath and soothes colic. It is the main ingredient in Gripe water.
Almonds and walnuts contain leucine and isoleucine which are amino acids that regulates growth, blood sugar and wound healing.

Sesame Oil and ginger chicken

Ingredients :

• Two chicken thighs cut into bite sizes
• I thumb size ginger, slice finely
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• Soya sauce, dark soya sauce, pepper and a pinch of sugar

Method :

• Heat sesame oil and stir fry the ginger till fragrant.

• Put in chicken and stir fry a bit. Add some water, the seasoning and let the chicken simmer over low fire until the meat is tender and the gravy is rather thick. Taste and season according to your taste.
  

• Sprinkled some sesame seeds on top for decoration purpose.

Confinement practices

Chinese confinement practices:

1) No bathing for 12 days after birth

2) No exposing ourselves and we must wrapped ourselves including wear socks

3) No drinking of water except soups and special rice tea and dates tea

4) No climbing stairs

5) No vegetables and most foods

source : http://www.chineseconfinementfoods.com

My mum's confinement practices = Chinese + Bidayuh

1. If C-sec, no bath for 7 days; if normal deliver can bath once a day for 30 days. With special leaves (sisuoh).

2. No washing hair for 30 days.

3. No plain water, only warm water. (I still take plain water, cannot tahan the hot weather)

4. Wear socks (especially at night)

5. Cover your hair (nanti angin masuk kepala)

Food :
6. Prawn and crab - if c-sec, cannot take for 6 months, if normal, 1 months

7. Yam, pineapple, rabung - cannot take for 3 months.

8. Vege - try to avoid water spinach, bean sprouts, cucumber, leaf mustard, cabbage.

9. No bread/bun/pau for me, mum said nanti kembang dalam perut, can make you buncit. Take crackers instead.

Chicken Wine

Ingredients :
200g Chicken (kampung chicken)
10g wood fungus/black fungus, soaked & shredded (as blood cleanser)
50g raw peanuts, soaked overnight & drained (optional)
1 cup Chinese Rice Wine / DOM /  brandy
2 cups water
1 tsp sesame seed oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 huge old ginger, shredded

Dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, sugar and pepper (optional)

• Marinate chicken (sugar, soy, oil) for 5 mins.
• Heat sesame seed oil. Fry ginger & garlic until fragrant.
• Add wood fungus, peanuts, & chicken. Stir fry well.
• Pour in the Chinese Wine & 2 cups hot water. Bring to boil.

Preventive Measures Of Allergies At Pregnancy

Heredity is one of the major factors in determining whether a child has an allergy. Tendency of a child towards allergy could be while being breastfed, during the mother’s pregnancy and while being introduced to foods. One can find out how allergies may be the cause of a child’s health problems.

Preventive measures during pregnancy:

Breastfeeding - Feeding babies with solid foods during their first six months of life could increase their risk of developing allergies. The best way to prevent allergies later in childhood is to breastfeed them during the first six months.

Avoid unnecessary medicines - Unless and until it is absolutely necessary, a pregnant women should not risk taking any allergy medications. DO not take anything without your doctor’s permission.

Avoid herbs during pregnancy - Pregnant must avoid several herbs as they tend to cause skin allergies.

Special Formula May Reduce Allergies in Infants - By means of some of the same ingredients that are found in breast milk scientists have developed a new formula. This formula helps in preventing allergies in infants. The infants who are at high risk for developing the allergic condition are helped through this formula by reducing their eczema.

Over breastfeeding invite allergies:

A study on 200 mothers for a period of 20-years at the Helsinki Skin and Allergy Hospital in Finland, indicates that breastfeeding a child for nine months can increase the food sensitivity and the risk of allergies.

Peanuts during pregnancy - Peanuts are believed to cause allergies. They are avoided during pregnancy and lactation.

Avoid tobacco - Avoid tobacco and its products at the time of pregnancy.

Physical Exercise - Consult your doctor whether its OK to do some mild exercise as it has been observed that exercise at the later part of pregnancy can cause allergic reactions.

I hope you will find this information helpful. Needless to say, always consult your doctor before following these advices.

source : http://www.chineseconfinementfoods.com

Foods to avoid constipation during confinement

One of the painful and scariest thing after giving birth is to pass motion. Bowel movement will cause some pain to the stitching as we need to exert and it will slightly hurts the episiotomy. Therefore, it is very important to avoid getting constipated.

We can easily get constipation because of the foods we ate and the lack of liquid we drink. The other reason is when we did not move enough.

So, remember to :

1) Drink a lot of liquids;

2) Move a lot, i.e. walk around your hospital wards and do the same at home;

3) Eat lots of fibrous foods;

Chinese moms have been given the wrong diet which usually consists of a lot of meats and rice. These are the sure fire way to get constipation.

Here are my recommended solution to avoid constipation :

1) Prune juice. Get a bottle and bring along to the hospital. Mix it with warm water and drink it every morning and at every meal.

2) Prunes. It is nice to snack on them for the extra fibres

3) Oats - Great for producing more breastmilk, healthy and most of all, gives bulk to your stools

4) Vegetables and fruits.

5) Vegetarian soy products. These may give you some wind but taken with ginger, it is a good fibrous alternatives to meat.

Most moms are not allowed to take banana. But I must mention that if you take banana with rice, it will cause you severe constipation. Banana can cause constipation instead of helping when taken with the wrong type of foods. Note that.

Usually, your doctor will give you some laxatives to help you along. However, avoid taking them after a few days because you do not want to become dependent on it. So, cut down on the amount and eventually stay off laxatives. Remember, if you are constipated and cannot pass motion, ask your doctor for help and don’t suffer in silent.

source : http://www.chineseconfinementfoods.com