10/06/2026
๐ฅฌใDDMA Senior Vegetarian Cooking Class: My Veggie Culinary Journeyใ๐ฒ
โNever too old to learn! I rarely cook at home and usually eat out, except on Wednesdays when I head over to my daughterโs place to whip up dinner. This time, I decided to challenge myself and learn some healthy vegetarian cooking. Iโve really benefited so much from it!
โ๐ Lesson 1: Malaysian Flavors with Teacher Anne
โMenu: Butterfly Pea Flower Nasi Lemak, Sambal Paste, Potato Patties, "Four Heavenly Kings" (Stir-fried Four Varieties of Beans/Veg)
โKitchen Practice:
As soon as I got home, I challenged myself to make the "Four Heavenly Kings"! Since my family doesn't eat stinky beans (petai), I thoughtfully swapped them out for French beans, and added lady's fingers (okra), small eggplants, and wing beans. Maybe I added a bit too much bean paste and forgot to garnish it with red chilies, so it didn't look very appetizingโbut luckily, it tasted alright!
๐ My Reflection: Watching the teacher cook looked so effortless and smooth, but doing it yourself makes you realize that heat control and seasoning are true skills. Itโs okay, practice makes perfect!
โ๐ Lesson 2: Traditional Dishes That Test Your Skills
โMenu: Vegetarian Yong Tau Foo, Fuzzy Melon & Soybean Soup, Making Vegetarian Ngoh Hiang (Five-Spice Rolls)
โKitchen Practice:
โVegetarian Yong Tau Foo: This dish requires way too much skill and time. As a beginner, I don't dare to try it at home just yet (haha).
โFuzzy Melon & Soybean Soup: This one is perfect for me! Soak the soybeans overnight and keep them in the fridge, slice one fuzzy melon, add a slice of ginger, and boil for an hour and a half. Itโs that simple and sweet! I plan to cook this for my grandkids next time.
โNgoh Hiang: The ingredients include mashed tofu, shredded taro, and crushed lotus root. Season with five-spice powder, salt, mushroom seasoning powder, and white pepper, then wrap and steam for 20 minutes. This dish is super practical for festive seasons when hosting many guestsโyou can wrap them in advance, freeze them, and just bake or air-fry them when ready to eat!
โ๐ Lesson 3: Warm Home Cooking with Teacher Shan Ru
โMenu: Lotus Leaf Rice, Braised Bean Curd Skin (Dou Bao), Goji Berry Leaf & Tofu Soup
โKitchen Practice:
The very next day at my daughterโs house, I immediately put my new skills to use! Since we didn't have goji berry leaves at home, I followed my instincts and used the Japanese Crown Daisy (Tong Ho) I found in her fridge instead. To my surprise, my family loved it so much that they polished off all the braised bean curd skin and soup! My daughter kept praising how delicious it was. Bean curd skin is made from soybeans, making it nutritious and easy to cookโsuch a wonderful ingredient.
As for the "Lotus Leaf Rice," it requires a bit more effort and a long steaming time of 45 minutes. I secretly "simplified" it into vegetarian yam rice. Although it lacked the fragrant aroma of the lotus leaf, it was still a delicious meal!
โ๐ Final Thoughts Upon Completion
โThis senior cooking class has truly taught me so much about using various vegetarian ingredients, and I've successfully put what I learned into practice!
โHonestly, I am not a full-time vegetarian; I only eat vegetarian meals for half a day on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month, and occasionally dine at vegetarian restaurants or stalls. But coming to DDM, I've not only started learning to eat healthily but also learned gratitude and to cherish our blessings through the process of cooking. When your mindset changes, the food you cook naturally carries a warmer, sweeter flavor.
โThank you to all the teachers for your dedicated guidance. Cheers to continuing my vegetarian cooking journey! ๐ชโค๏ธ
โ็ฝ็งๅจ Peh Siew Kieu
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