Cheater Chawanmushi - Savory Egg Custard

A quick and easy version of the more complicated Japanese dish, this delicious cheater chawanmushi or savory egg custard is cooked in a microwave.

Many years ago when we were living in Kuala Lumpur, there was a Japanese restaurant I loved to go to for lunch because they had a selection of set menus/lunch specials to choose from and all of the combos were delicious. 

I especially like the one that came with a little bowl of savory custard called chawanmushi, something I had never eaten before that. It was silky soft yet stayed upright on your spoon. And the flavor! Somehow delicate and yet robust. 

I searched online for chawanmushi recipes once we moved away from KL and my favorite restaurant but I never got around to making it, until I found a “cheater” version on New York Times Cooking.  

According to NYT Cooking, “the key to that perfect, soft-set wibble-wobble texture (think silken tofu) is using your microwave at around 500 watts — or half its power on a 1,000-watt machine. This lower heat lets the eggs and broth steam together gently until they cohere into something ethereal, existing somewhere between liquid and solid.”

I can confirm that I have had great success with my microwave on 50 percent power but depending on the temperature of the eggs and the vessel I cook them in, I’ve had to play with time. I take my eggs out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking so they aren’t ice cold.

Cheater Chawanmushi - Savory Egg Custard

This version is cooked in two ramekins so they only need about 4 1/2 minutes, then another minute resting. The original recipe calls for the two eggs to be cooked together in one bowl, so the suggested time for that was 5-7 minutes.

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1/2 cup or 120ml instant or kombu dashi, vegetable or chicken broth

Pinch of salt

To serve:

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Optional: chili crisp, chopped chives

Note: You can make your own kombu dashi by steeping a few pieces of kombu in boiling water until it cools.

Method

Whisk the eggs vigorously with the pinch of salt. 

Gradually add the dashi, whisking all the while, until very well combined, at least 30 seconds. 

Pour the mixture through a small sieve into a measuring pitcher, to make sure the eggs are smooth. This also removes the large bubbles which we definitely do not want as they mess up the texture of the eggs.

Divide the mixture between the ramekins. 

Cover them each loosely with cling film, making sure that they can “breathe.”

Microwave at 500 watts (on 50 percent power on a 1,000-watt microwave) until the eggs have just set and are no longer liquid in the middle, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Every machine differs, so check for doneness at 4 minutes, then in 30-second intervals after that if need be.)

Make sure the cling film is still loose and let them sit in the microwave to cool for 1 minute. 

Carefully remove, uncover and drizzle with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Garnish with the chopped chives and chili crisp, if using. 

Serve immediately. This is undoubtedly not the method my favorite Japanese restaurant used, but, I tell you what, the chawansushi is perfection. Silky, tender and delicious! 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are getting creative with eggs. Many thanks to our host, Sneha of Sneha’s Recipe. Check out all the links below.

• Food Lust People Love: Cheater Chawanmushi - Savory Egg Custard
• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Egg Drop Soup 
• Mayuri's Jikoni: Easy Migas Recipe
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Garden Vegetable Deviled Eggs 
• Sneha's Recipe: Hash Brown Omelette With Egg
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Stir-Fried Eggs and Velvet Shrimp

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Yemma Aouïcha – Eggplant with Chickpeas

Traditionally made with dried chickpeas soaked overnight and a spice paste called derssa, Yemma Aouïcha is a tasty classic dish from Algeria. It's so good!

I must confess that not only have I not been to Algeria, I had never heard of this dish before I started my search for recipes that begin with the letter Y. But as soon as I saw the dish name on one list, I began to look for more information about it and the mysterious spice paste derssa (or dersa or even dersah) that seemed integral and yet a little different in each recipe. 

These are the sorts of rabbit holes I adore when I am researching a recipe. I learn so much about other countries and cultures. For one, it seems that many Algerian recipes have chickpeas in them. Families almost always have a small bowl soaking overnight so that they can be used the next day. 

Derssa, however you spell it, is essential in many of the dishes and while some ingredients change, adding caraway and paprika, for instance, they all contain garlic, cumin, some form of red pepper and olive oil. 

Yemma means mother in the Algerian language and Aouïcha is the variation of the name Aïcha, which means “she who lives” or “alive and well.” 

When I started making the derssa with the amount of ingredients listed below, I realized that my little food processor couldn’t process such a small amount smoothly so I ended up doubling the recipe and using only half – about 4 1/2 tablespoons or 60g - in the Yemma Aouïcha. If you have to do the same, use leftovers as you would harissa. Or make this dish again! That is my plan.

Yemma Aouïcha – Eggplant with Chickpeas

NOTE: Start 8-12 hours ahead by soaking the chickpeas! Or you can substitute canned chickpeas. I measured mine after cooking so I am confident telling you to use 1 cup or 150g and rinse well. I give the approximate weight of my eggplant below but a little more or a little less won’t make any difference. 

Ingredients

For the derssa:

4 cloves garlic

1 red chili pepper

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Yemma Aouïcha:

1/3 cup or 66g dried chickpeas (or see note above the ingredient list)

2 large eggplant, approx. weight 2 lbs or 796g

1/4 cup or 60ml canola or other light oil

3/4 cup or 150g rice (I used extra-long grain Basmati)

3 cups or 720ml vegetable or chicken stock

small bunch cilantro, hard stems removed, chopped roughly, plus extra to garnish

1 lemon, cut in wedges to serve

Method

Soak your chickpeas in plenty of cool water for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Make the derssa by combining all of the ingredients in a small food processor. 

This is one recipe's worth. I actually doubled it, as mentioned above.

Blend till smooth. You can use a mortar and pestle as well. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

When you are ready to cook, wash and rinse the soaked chickpeas. Boil the chickpeas in fresh water for about 10 minutes then drain them in a colander. They should be half cooked and will finish cooking later. 

Cut the eggplant into small cubes.

In a large nonstick pan add a little of the oil and fry the eggplant in batches till they are golden brown, for about 10 minutes. 

Put the browned eggplant in a large bowl and fry the next batch until they are all golden.

Remove the hard stems from the cilantro and chop the tender stems and leaves. 

In a large pot, combine the chickpeas, eggplant and the derssa with 3 tablespoons canola oil.

Mix all the ingredients together. Pour in the rice and the chopped cilantro.

Cover with the stock, bring to a low boil and then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

 

Check it and if some of the rice is still hard, add a little water and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

Remove from the heat and leave covered until ready to serve. 

Serve warm, drizzled with a little bit of lemon juice and garnish with a little chopped cilantro and a lemon wedge. And since I made double the derssa, I added a little more of that on top. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 25th edition of the 2024 Alphabet Challenge, brought to you by the letter Y. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the Y recipes below:

• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls 
• Food Lust People Love: Yemma Aouïcha – Eggplant with Chickpeas 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Japanese Milk Bread with Yudane (Shokupan) 
• Culinary Cam: Garlicky Yogurt Topped with Çılbır, Turkish Poached Eggs 
• Blogghetti: Fresh Fruit Yogurt Parfaits 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Kiwi Yogurt Whip 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Tzatziki 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Thandai Baked Yogurt 
• A Messy Kitchen: Yuzu Pie 
• Magical Ingredients: Yuca Paratha 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Jalapeño Yellow Cornmeal Brown Sugar Cookies

Here are my posts for the alphabet challenge, thus far:
A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs
B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly
C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw
D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
E: Everything Pizza Tartin
F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
G: Grape Juice Jigglers
H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops 

K. Korean Barbecue-style Meatballs 

L. Easy Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry 

M. Fresh Mint Sauce 

N. Miso Butter Noodles 

O. Spicy Orange Braised Short Ribs 

P. Homemade Piri Piri Sauce 

Q, Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread 

R. Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto 

S. Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole 

T. Stuffed Turkey Cutlets 

U. Spicy Urad Dal -

V. Spicy Vinegar Braised Chicken 

W. Honey Walnut Brittle 

X. Xmas Eggnog Fudge 

Y. Yemma Aouïcha – Eggplant with Chickpeas - this post!

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins - Small Batch #MuffinMonday

Just sweet enough for dessert but not too sweet for breakfast, these peanut butter chocolate chip muffins go great with a cup of tea or glass of cold milk.

This month’s Muffin Monday snuck up on me! I could have sworn there was one more after Thanksgiving. Turns out that I wasn’t the only one!

So after a lot of scurrying around and possibly some panic baking, we have five SIX delicious muffin recipes to share with you today. This one is mine. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

This recipe makes six normal sized muffins, chock full of chocolate chips and peanut butter. I use Jif Extra Crunchy because it’s my favorite. I topped the muffins with mini chocolate chips before baking because I ran out of the regular ones. 

Ingredients

2 tablepoons plain whole milk yogurt

1/3 cup or 80ml milk

1 cup or 125g all-purpose flour

1/2 cup, packed, or 100g dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup or 83g crunchy peanut butter

1 tablespoon butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan and the chips

1 large egg, at room temperature

3oz or 85g semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for decoration, if desired

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Prepare your six-cup muffin pan by greasing it with butter or lining it with muffin cups. 

Measure the milk into a measuring cup and stir the yogurt into it. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Put just a dap or two of butter in the chocolate chips and rub them with your clean hands to separate the chips that are stuck together. Add the buttery chips to the dry ingredient mixture and toss to coat. 

In another mixing bowl, whisk the butter, peanut butter, milk/yogurt and egg.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold until almost completely combined. You might still see a little flour. 

Spoon or scoop the thick batter into your prepared muffin pan. Top with extra chocolate chips, if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. 

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about five minutes then transfer the muffins to the wire rack to cool completely before plating up to serve.

Enjoy!

As I mentioned above, today is Muffin Monday, always celebrated in this space on the last Monday of the month. Check out all the lovely muffins we are sharing in the links below. 

• Cranberry Squash Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mint Chocolate Chip Chocolate Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Chocolate Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Sourdough Pecan Pie Muffins from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Turmeric Granola Blueberry Muffins from A Messy Kitchen

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

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