Christine's Recipes: Easy Chinese Recipes | Delicious Recipes

Molten Chocolate Cakes (Easter Dessert)

2026-03-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

My favourite part of Easter is the chocolate desserts. Molten chocolate cake, aka lava cake or chocolate fondant pudding, is very popular around the world. It is even served in high-end restaurants and is suitable for all occasions. I personally feel that the bitter taste can resemble the remembrance of the sufferings of Jesus Christ, and the sweet taste associates with the joy of the victory of His resurrection.

Back to the cake, it’s not that difficult when you actually roll up your sleeves to make this delicious chocolate cake. But producing the spectacular, oozing runny, lava-like chocolate inside needs a little experience of knowing how to work with your own oven. The prime principle is not to over cook the chocolate batter.
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Braised Honey Pork Ribs

2026-03-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

The taste of this braised honey pork rib dish is quite like the baked one from Chinese BBQ shops. The meat is so succulent and juicy, nearly fallen off the bones. These pork ribs are coated with wonderfully tasty sauce.

The recipe yields for a secret ingredient though. Does it sound good for those who crave for baked pork ribs but don’t have an oven available for whatever reason? The meat is coated with wonderfully tasty sauce. It goes really well with steamed rice.
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Tofu and Pork in Chilli Bean Sauce (Video)

2026-03-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

Tofu is an inexpensive nutrient-rich food. You can make lots of delicious dishes with it. Here’s one of my favourite tofu dishes - tofu and pork in chilli bean sauce (魚香豆腐).

The savoury and spicy taste of the whole dish is very appetizing. This dish goes perfectly with a bowl of steamed rice.
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Hong Kong Style Egg Waffle (雞蛋仔 Original Flavour)

2026-03-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

The egg waffle shaped like an egg, in Chinese it’s called 雞蛋仔 (literally means little eggs), one of the long standing popular street foods in Hong Kong. It’s one of my favourite childhood foods. I remember that I ate a whole packet after school nearly every weekday.

After moving to Australia, I miss this delicious snack very much, yet hardly tried to make any at home, simply because I don’t have the mould specially designed for making this snack. After posting the recipe of waffle (Hong Kong Style), many readers sent me emails asking for the recipe of 雞蛋仔. My dear readers you get it now after a long wait. One of my fans of my Chinese food blog, Anne Yeung wrote a guest post sharing her recipe. Anne and I share the same love of this unique Hong Kong hawker food. Many thanks for her time and generous sharing.

Origin of Hong Kong Style Egg Waffle
The Hong Kong style Egg Waffle is a unique street hawker food in Hong Kong. Piece by piece they come in a golden coloured honeycomb shape and gives out a rich aroma of cake flavour. It is in fact hollow in shape … it gives one an extraordinary experience when biting on it as it has a distinct texture of having a crispy shell with inner softness.

In accordance to information available, the Hong Kong Style Egg Waffle is originated in the 1950s. In an effort of making use of some cracked eggs, an Asian grocery shop’s owner made an attempt of developing this egg batter. Sugar, flour and evaporated milk were added to an egg batter and was poured into a honey-comb metal plate to cook into waffle. Traditionally, the Hong Kong Egg Waffles are made over charcoal flames. However, most people nowadays use electric stove tops due to cost efficiency and safety reasons. (Information gathered from https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh/雞蛋仔).

Nowadays, the Hong Kong Style Egg Waffle has its original formula improved to also come in an array of different flavours and they include chocolate, strawberry; original flavour with shredded coconuts, black sesame, etc. However, the original flavour still remains as the majority out of all.

My special feel with the Hong Kong Style Waffle
My childhood is like many others ... I grew up with the ‘companionship’ of the Hong Kong Style Egg Waffles …

I can never forget about that special bond I had with the Hong Kong Style Egg Waffles … perhaps I should have said I am reluctant to have forgotten about it, probably due to the fact that the deep rich egg aroma has concealed within it my personal growing up memories in Hong Kong.

My son is already the generation which is born overseas … it is not possible for him to fully understand that feeling that I have with the Hong Kong Egg Waffle. But what a mother can do is to learn making so at home, at least to give that tiny little chance to my next generation the opportunity of tasting that rich egg aroma over the other side of the world.
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Yakisoba (Classic Japanese Stir Fry Noodles)

2026-03-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

I particularly like Japanese street foods. How can I miss out on Yakisoba, "fried noodle", a Classic Japanese street food? I couldn't go to Japan and enjoy it as frequently as I like, so I tried to make it at home. It's very simple and easy.

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Butter Pound Cake

2026-03-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

This butter pound cake has a strong aroma of butter. Mind you, it's so addictively delicious. Its simplicity, without any fancy decoration, with the golden brown crust, buttery taste and rich texture, totally wins my heart.

Butter pound cake is my favourite childhood dessert. I remember how the strong aroma of butter made this traditional cake so addictive to me, feeling like never having enough of it.

Its simplicity, without any fancy decoration, with the golden brown crust, buttery taste and rich texture, totally wins my heart. You can’t stop eating after tasting the first slice. Mind you, if you’re on diet, make sure you can share with some other friends, or bring it along to any parties as finger food.

One slice of the butter pound cake, with a cup of tea or coffee, brings me enough enjoyment with no regrets.
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Bubur Cha Cha (摩摩喳喳)

2026-03-12T22:36:00.000-07:00

This classic Malaysian dessert, Bubur Cha Cha is always a hit in our gatherings. The aroma of pandan leaves and coconut cream will get you hooked. I like putting all kinds of sweet potatoes, together with black-eyed beans. The translucent tapioca pearls add an interesting texture in the coconut soup. This dessert can be served as hot or cold.

What I like the most about this traditional Malaysian dessert is its colourful presentation. Needless to mention that its taste is wonderfully good because it’s made with fragrant sweet coconut soup, delicious sweet potatoes and tapioca pearls (sago pearls).

This dessert is so popular around the world and many new variations have been created. Some Malaysians like to add bananas and black-eyed beans into this dessert as well. It can be served hot or cold. I prefer to enjoy when it’s still warm.
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Elegant HK Zha Jiang Noodles (炸醬麵) | Secret 20-Min Recipe

2026-03-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

In the hustle and bustle of city life, we are often chasing time, forgetting to pause and feel the warmth that food brings. These Hong Kong Zha Jiang Noodles are my favorite "soul food" during busy days. Unlike the salty, heavy northern version, the soul of the Hong Kong style lies in the perfect balance of sweetness and spice.

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Seaweed, Tofu & Pork Mince Soup

2026-03-08T23:21:00.000-07:00

This seaweed, tofu & pork mince soup is very quick to make. It's simple, tasty and nourishing, suitable for serving all year round.

Seaweed is commonly used in oriental cuisine like Japanese, Korean and Chinese. I often use the seasoned seaweed to add flavours in soup, sometimes cook soups with the unflavoured ones, that normally comes in dried sheet form.

Just soak a sheet of seaweed in water until it softens. After rinsing thoroughly, it’s ready to cook with other ingredients I like.
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Baked Pork Chops with Rice (Classic Chinese Recipe)

2026-03-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

This Baked Pork Chops with Rice dish is very popular and well-liked in Hong Kong. The melted cheese covering tasty pan-fried pork chops on a bed of fried rice makes everyone enjoy digging in.

This Baked Pork Chops with Fried Rice (焗豬扒飯) is a classic Cantonese cuisine that I started to eat when I was a little kid.

Even though my lovely daughter has adapted to Western foods, she loves this dish very much. Whenever we go into any Chinese café (茶餐廳 Cha Chaan Teng ), she would definitely order this dish. She’d never miss it at any time.

If you’ve tried this dish before, I think you would share the same feeling that this classic Chinese cuisine is very tempting.

This time I added some fresh mushrooms that most Hong Kong restaurants seldom use because fresh mushrooms are very expensive in Hong Kong. After stir-frying the mushrooms with other vegetables, I cooked the delicious tomato sauce.

The special part of this dish is the fried rice with the baked loin chops and melted cheese on top. When it comes out from the oven, both the flavor and color of the dish are very attractive.
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Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣湯)

2026-03-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

No matter the weather is cold or hot, this classic hot and sour soup, originated from Sichuan China, is suitable for every occasion throughout the year. It’s tremendously appetising and delicious. No wonder this soup is well-liked and popular around the world.

Every family has their own version around different countries, using different ingredients though. Basically, this hot and sour soup contains wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots and tofu, sometimes pork blood (豬血) is added. Give it a go if you want, or dare, or you can find some pork blood at your local area.
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Satay Beef with Vermicelli Noodles

2026-02-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

Satay beef with vermicelli noodles are traditionally cooked in an earthen pot (clay pot), a very popular dish on many Chinese restaurants' menu.

This dish can be made in an earthen pot (clay pot), or any kind of deep pots, very simple and easy to make. The vermicelli noodles took up and absorbed all the flavours of the delicious satay sauce, beef and vegetables.

I’m particularly fond of consuming the noodles and don’t need any rice at all, yet it’s a dish perfectly going with a bowl of steamed rice. Making this dish is very flexible. You can add as many vegetables as you like.
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Sweet Potato Glutinous Rice Balls

2026-02-23T22:22:00.000-08:00

Impress your family or friends with this easy-to-make sweet treat. The melted runny fillings of these sweet potato glutinous rice balls (dumplings / tangyuan) will amaze them.

This Chinese dessert, sweet potato glutinous rice balls, reminds me of the western molten cake (aka lava cake), that often make people utter “ooz” and “aah” after cutting or biting open the tiny cute ball.

Not only does this sweet treat taste heavenly, but also it has an appealing presentation with its melted filling running down. You can impress your family and friends with this easy-to-make dessert for any occasion.
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Pandan Dumplings (Tangyuan)

2026-02-18T21:57:00.000-08:00

Tangyuan (dumplings 湯圓) traditionally served on the day of Chinese Winter Solstice Festival (冬至), that fell on 22nd December this year. They are mainly made from glutinous rice flour, with different kinds of fillings or without any at all, boiled in syrup.

Chinese families in southern areas will eat tangyuan on Chinese New Year’s Eve too. My mum used to cook us some at midnight on that day, with a symbolic meaning of bringing harmony in the family.
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Braised Vegetables with Red Fermented Beancurd (南乳炆齋)

2026-02-16T22:27:00.000-08:00

This is a must-eat dish during Chinese New Year. Needless to say, I grew up with this Braised Vegetables with Red Fermented Beancurd dish. The red fermented beancurd is the soul ingredient to make all vegetables sing.

During Chinese New Year, we’d have plenty of delicious snacks, desserts and great meals, including lots of meat, like chicken, pork, duck and fish - you name it, you have it.

On the first day of Chinese New Year, my mother used to follow the Chinese tradition and prepare a vegetarian dish. It’s cooked in a large amount and kept in a large pot. Whenever a lunch or dinner is set on our table during Chinese New Year, this vegetarian dish would be served as a side dish as well.
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Baked Red Bean Coconut Cake (Chinese New Year)

2026-02-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

The texture of this red bean coconut cake is a bit chewy, yet soft and smooth enough for easily digesting. The taste is so delicious. I especially love the crispy edges. This coconut cake is best served warm or hot out of the oven.

During the busy Chinese New Year’s celebration week, we have lots of different cakes (gao 糕). Yes, we can’t celebrate without all the traditional cakes, radish cake, taro cake (aka yum cake), sticky rice cake and water chestnut cake.

Except for all these must-have cakes, I pretty like this baked coconut cake.
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Chinese New Year Cake (Pressure Cooker + Video)

2026-02-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

During CNY, we enjoy this traditional must-eat snack. Whenever any relatives or friends visit us, we'd pan-fry some pieces of this Chinese New Year cake for welcoming them.

It’s still Chinese New Year celebration time until the 15th day of lunar calendar. We enjoy all the delicious snacks, radish cake (pressure cooker recipe), taro cake and Chinese New Year cake (steamed in a wok), especially when getting around with friends and family.

You might find this CNY cake in Chinese dim sum restaurants all year long. This is a popular, traditional cake in Chinese cooking.

When it comes to making this CNY cake, it takes forever to get it cooked through in a wok or steamer. But with an electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot, I can cut short the cooking time a lot. This recipe exactly use up one packet of brown slab sugar (片糖, picture shown here).
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Chinese New Year Cake (Sticky Rice Cake 年糕)

2026-02-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

Chinese New Year is a time of enjoying many delicious foods and snacks. One of popular desserts eaten during this festive season is Chinese New Year’s cake (nian gao 年糕), that made with sticky, glutinous rice flour (mochi flour) with brown sugar because it’s symbolic of growing taller, achieving higher every year, that signifies a prosperous year awaiting ahead.

2025 is the year of snake (Chinese zodiac)

It’s often served warm as it is. However, in Hong Kong, people like to have the steamed sticky rice cake, sliced and then pan-fried with egg. If it's pan-fried without egg, the texture would be slightly crispy outside and still pasty inside. When some relatives or friends come to visit them (bai nian拜年), they’d serve the sticky cake warm, with some other snacks, like turnip cake and taro cake.

Update: If you have an electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot, you might like to take a look at this radish recipe with video tutorial.
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Baked Coconut Sticky Rice Cake (Chinese New Year)

2026-02-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

This baked coconut sticky rice cake (aka baked Chinese New Year cake) is absolutely tasty. It's a no-brainer recipe. You won't go wrong if you try. I often bake this coconut sticky rice cake for Chinese New Year celebration recently.

As Chinese New Year is coming around the corner, my daughter begins to ask me what I’m going to cook to celebrate. The first thing came up in my mind was this baked Coconut Pudding.

My dear friend, Vivian who came from Malaysia baked one to share with us some time ago. I was impressed because it was so delicious. Vivian told us that her family would bake this coconut pudding to celebrate Chinese New Year in Malaysia.

(My daughter likes eating coconut pudding with some fresh cream.)

During Chinese New Year, Chinese people would make all kinds of cakes or puddings for friends. I have tried a steamed coconut cake that is very popular in Hong Kong.

Honestly speaking, I like this baked one most.

So I plan to bake one in the coming New Year season. The delicious taste, fragrant smell and chewy texture will make it a hit in my family for sure.
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Steamed Tofu with Minced Prawn (蝦膠蒸釀豆腐)

2026-01-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

Tofu is one of my favourite ingredients in Chinese cooking. Although it’s cheap and common, it could be served in an elegant way to impress my family and friends, just by adding a bit of prawn/shrimp meat paste.

Every time I have this dish, I love taking a close look at the springy prawn ball sitting on top of the silky smooth tofu before taking a big bite. It’s an incredible feeling that you can feel all the flavours bursting out in your mouth at the moment you bite them.
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Golden Pomfret in Spicy Tomato Sauce

2026-01-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

The pan-fried golden pomfret is so meaty, going so well with the delicious spicy tomato sauce, with a touch of sweet and tangy taste. This dish is very appetizing and comforting. It can be served with a bowl of steamed rice.

I’ve tried to cook golden pomfret with Sriracha sauce and tomato sauce several times. My family loved this dish very much.
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Turnip Cake/Radish Cake (Chinese New Year)

2026-01-12T23:14:00.000-08:00

Turnip Cake (aka radish cake) is a must-eat snack during Chinese New Year traditionally. You also easily find it at many dim sum restaurants through out the year though.

Normally we don’t have any holidays during Chinese New Year season in Australia. As for this year, Chinese New Year coincidentally falls on the same day as Australia Day – 26 January. Fantastic ! We’ll get one day off for celebration. In the meantime, I start to make some Chinese cakes for this special season. The first one is my most favorite, Turnip Cake (aka radish cake).
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Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry (Video)

2026-01-06T23:54:00.000-08:00

Ever tried adding some crunchy cashews in your stir-fried dishes? I grew up with this traditional stir-fried dish, cashew chicken stir-fry. It’s good for a daily meal or even family gatherings.

Cashews will add an interesting texture and make a contrast of the tender chicken meat. You can use any vegetables for the stir-fry instead of using celery. It’s very easy to make and flexible for you to add any vegetables you like.

In traditional Chinese cooking, cashews are often deep-fried in oil in order to make them crunchy. If you have an oven, simply bake them in an oven. Or pan-fry them in a pan without any oil. The result will be equally crunchy, and you can consume less oil.

As for chicken meat, I like using chicken thigh as the texture is good for stir-frying and the price is cheaper. You can use chicken breast if you want. It won't make any difference in taste.
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5-Ingredient Baked Pork Ribs (Video)

2026-01-04T22:57:00.000-08:00

Here comes my favourite baked pork rib dish. You only need 5 ingredients to make it. Best of all, you don’t even need to marinate the pork ribs in advance. Simply mix all the ingredients together and pop into an oven.

The pork ribs will become very tasty and tender after a slow-baking process without any fuss. They are best served immediately with salad or rice. Sounds good, right?

One simple secret tip on making tasty and succulent baked ribs you want to know. Cut the pork ribs separately beforehand. It’ll do the magic.
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Garlic Butter Tiger Prawns (Tutorial Video)

2025-12-30T22:47:00.000-08:00

The tiger prawns were so fresh that I didn’t need any more seasonings except garlic and butter, with salt and pepper of course. The prawns are so delicious.

Chinese New Year is just around the corner. Are you still searching for ideas of planning Chinese New Year menu?

Here comes a good one to put on your menu. Well, this dish is also suitable for any days throughout the year. It’s a no-brainer dish and quick to be done. Not only is this dish flavoursome, but also it’s full of nutrients.

These large tiger prawns I used were so big. From head to tail, it’s long as my palm. They were so fresh that I didn’t need any more seasonings except garlic and butter, with salt and pepper of course.
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