Asian Holiday Recipes to Attract Good Luck, Health and Wealth

By Jennie L. Ilustre

 

Go to any Asian American party on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day and chances are, you will find round fruits on the dining table because they evoke coins or wealth. Or you will notice that a sumptuous noodle dish is always on the menu.

 

Who doesn’t know that long, unbroken noodles signify long life in Asian culture? (The secret, though, is to slurp the noodles so as not to break them.) It is also said that they bring good health and good luck.

 

“Pancit or noodle dish is always served by Filipinos in every celebration or party, but especially during New Year, as we believe it signifies long life and good luck,” said Evelyn Bunoan.  A Filipino American master chef (she completed a course in French Cuisine and Patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu in London), she is well-known in the community for hosting parties that rival five-star hotel buffet offerings.

 

 

Master Chef Evelyn shares a recipe of the popular “Pancit Bihon Guisado” or Sautéed Rice Noodles below. “This is a favorite party dish, and it is gaining popularity throughout the world,” she said. She held a cooking demonstration of this dish on WUSATV Channel 9.

 

Fish is another popular holiday treat. It is a Chinese tradition to serve a whole fish during the New Year, according to Parade (www.parade.com), because it symbolizes prosperity and abundance, as well as an entire good year. In the Spanish culture, it added, eating 12 grapes or 12 raisins just before midnight will bring good luck throughout the 12 months of the year.

 

Nancy Ceniza, a Filipino American engaged in the healthcare profession, recalled driving around Virginia to buy round fruits on New Year’s Eve. “In our family, we always have 12 pieces each of oranges, grapes and other round fruits on the dining table, because they resemble coins and symbolize prosperity,” she said.

 

“I learned my lesson years ago not to buy round fruits at the last minute, as most groceries had sold out by then,” she added, laughing. Round fruits on New Year’s Eve are a popular tradition with Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans.

 

Japanese American actor and playwright Ken Narasaki said, “Among all the various food, I remember the tradition of eating ebi or prawns for long life and Kuromame or black beans for good health and good luck.”

 

Peas and beans represent coins or wealth, and if you eat them on New Year’s Day, it is said you would have good luck throughout the year. Use black-eyed peas, lentils or beans to make a dish with pork, ham or sausage, as suggested by thespruceeats.com.

 

There are also certain holiday foods to avoid, however, such as chicken and lobsters, according to www.farmersalmanac.com. Reason: Chickens scratch backwards, and lobsters can move backwards.

 

Among Asians, pork, however, is a popular dish. Pigs walk forward, representing progress. Also, pigs symbolize abundance. A popular Vietnamese dish is Thit kho Tau/Thit kho hot vit (Pork Braised with Eggs and Coconut Water). Vietnamese dessert includes round glutinous or sticky rice cake. Sticky rice is an Asian favorite, as it is said to invoke strong family bond or family unity.

 

Long Life, Good Luck

“Pancit Bihon Guisado (Rice Noodles Sauté) can be cooked even at moment’s notice, as long as the ingredients are prepared ahead of time. The stock should be simmer-ready,” said Master Chef Evelyn Bunoan, owner/chef of the Philippine Oriental Market & Deli in Arlington, Virginia. “Pancit Bihon can be sautéed with bits of chicken, pork or shrimps. My recipe here is a Vegetarian Dish. ”

 

PANCIT BIHON GUISADO

(Rice Noodles Sauté)

Simply Vegetarian

 

Ingredients:

1 pack thin rice noodles (Bihon – 16 oz.)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms or tree ears

2 cups vegetable stock or water

1/2 cup soy sauce (preferably Philippine brand)

1 cup julienne carrot

1 cup thinly cut celery (crosswise)

1/2 cup tiny diced tofu (optional)

1/2 pound coarsely chopped Chinese cabbage

1/4 cup snow peas

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

Directions

1. Wet the rice noodles with cold water, drain excess water and leave it wet for at least 10 minutes (do not soak). When soft, separate the rice noodles with your fingers. Set aside.

 

2. Heat a wok or large skillet with vegetable oil. Sweat the onions for 2-3 minutes and add the mushrooms, carrots, celery and tofu and sauté for another 2-3 more minutes.

 

3. Add 2 cups simmering vegetable stock or water and mix in the rice noodles while `maintaining high heat. Add the cabbage, while constantly mixing the pancit until all the sauce is absorbed by the rice noodles. Add the snow peas and sprinkle some black pepper at the last minute of cooking.

 

This recipe serves 10-12. Best if served immediately while the pancit is freshly-cooked.

 

Family Unity, Good Luck

In Asian culture, eating sticky rice is said to keep family unity or a strong family bond. It is also said to invite good fortune to stick around throughout the year.

 

“I love making Chinese sticky rice and using it instead of stuffing or as a side dish,” said Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans/Vote, or APIAVote. “I remember getting this recipe from the internet over 15 years ago, but it’s a favorite anytime I make it.”

 

 

CHINESE STICKY RICE

 

Ingredients

4 cups sweet rice

2 cups jasmine rice

25 Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms

6 Chinese sausages (lop chong)

1 pound lean Chinese barbecued pork, store-bought

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

5 cups low sodium chicken stock

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 cup chopped scallions

1 cup chopped cilantro

 

Directions

1) In a bowl, soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes, until softened. In a 6-quart stockpot, wash all the rice in several changes of cold water until the water runs clear. Soak the combined sweet and jasmine rice for 1 hour in enough cold water to cover.

 

2) When softened, drain and squeeze dry the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Cut off and discard stems and chop the caps.

 

3) Chop sausage and barbecued pork and set aside separately.

 

4) Heat large wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add oil and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and barbecued pork, and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, stir to combine, remove from heat, and set aside.

 

5) Drain rice. Add chicken broth and enough the reserved mushrooms liquid to measure 1 cup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and quickly scoop Chinese sausage mixture onto top of rice. Immediately cover and continue cooking the rice 25 to 30 minutes, or until broth is completely absorbed and rice is tender. Let stand 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallions, cilantro and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve and enjoy.

 

Makes about 4 quarts; serves 18 to 20 as part of a multi-course meal.

 

Prosperity, Abundance

Fish is a must-serve holiday dish. The scales are said to resemble coins, and because fish swims in schools (group), it conveys the idea of abundance, according to the Reader’s Digest website (www.rd.com).

 

Malaysian Doreen Chew is an artist/designer. This is one of her favorite dishes to make during the holiday season for the family. It is an Asian-Moroccan fusion dish.

 

MOROCCAN-INSPIRED FISH STEW

 

Ingredients:

 

1 tsp olive oil

200gsm wild salmon/ pollock, cut into chunks

200gsm shrimp (optional)

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder/ cayenne

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

400g can plum tomatoes

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 celery sticks, cut into ¼ inch

1 carrot, cut into ¼ inch

1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 cup of vegetable stock

Flat- leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Lemon juice/ orange juice

 

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pot or deep saucepan and fry the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until veggie is lightly browned. Add spices in and stir for another 30 seconds more. Season with salt and black pepper.

 

2. Add plum tomatoes, peppers and chickpeas with a cup of vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally until veggie is well-softened.

 

3. Add fish pieces and shrimp and cover. Simmer over a medium heat until fish is cooked. Squeeze in some lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. Lastly, add in chopped parsley.