FOODlog #65: Chap Fan with Vegetables

'Chap Fan' is a staple here in Malaysia. It's basically a plate of rice and you can pick from a variety of dishes that the stall serves from vegetable dishes to meat dishes. These shops are typically open 7 days a week and some serve from lunch till dinner. Most places are ready with the food from 1030am and serve throughout the day till 8-9pm.

Here's some dishes I had for lunch last week and my Mum picked out mostly vegetables dishes that day. Some dishes were vegetables with a little meat in it for flavor but mostly a vegetable loaded meal which I do enjoy.

We had some stir fried 'kai-lan' also known as Chinese broccoli. It was cooked with garlic and seasoned with oyster sauce. The stems of the kai-lan is tender yet still has some bite to it. A popular and simple way to cook this vegetable and is a local favorite as it's really delicious especially eaten with rice.

Another vegetable dish we had was stir fried long beans with carrots, slices of chicken, chili, ginger, and Chinese fermented black beans. This is a dish that's really appetizing and has a wonderful balance of salty, savory, sweet, and a slight kick and warmth from the chili and ginger. Super delicious and a perfect pairing with white rice or porridge.

Our last dish was a minced pork stuffed tofu. The tofu is stuffed with marinated mince pork and spring onions then cooked in soy sauce. Really flavorful and one of my favorite dishes at a 'chap fan' stall.

If you're ever in Malaysia, head to any Chinese stall that sells 'chap fan' and you'llhave loads of options to pick your favorite dishes.