While not necessarily a CNY staple, we make them around this time of the year as a change from all the sweets we have been making and eating.

INGREDIENTS:
Filling: Carrots, water chestnut, shitake mushroom, preserved Chinese sausage, dried prawns, shallots, garlic, coriander, sesame oil, soy sauce

Wrapper: 1 pk (400g) tapioca pearls, water, wheat starch

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.   Soak tapioca pearls in water.  When soft, set aside to strain overnight.
2. Loosely chop up parsley and set aside.  Dice remainder filling ingredients.  Put in bowl and season with sesame oil and soy sauce.

3.  Heat a tablespoon of oil in wok.  Stir-fry the diced ingredients.  Spoon into bowl and mix in the chopped coriander.  

4. Heat the tapioca in the microwave for about 3mins.  It should look translucent.  Careful not to overcook.  To make it more manageble, we divided the tapioca iinto 3 bowls and heated them up separately. 

For our second batch, we tried steaming the drained tapioca.  Works a bit better but a little more work.

5. Put all the tapioca into a large mixing bowl and stir in wheat starch a little at a time to achieve a sticky consistency.  If it gets too dry, add a little hot water.

6.  Now the tricky part.  Scoop out a little piece of the dough.  Pull, stretch, tug until you have a flat disc.  Add a spoonful of the filling.  Knead the dough shut.  You can choose a traditional dumpling shape or roll into a ball.  But it can be quite STICKY and requires patience.

7. Brush a little oil on a steaming basket.  Layer the dumplings on the basket and steam for 6-8mins.  It will take on a glossy, translucent look.  Serve warm.

Remember all that sweet filling leftover from making Guk-chai? Here's a recipe  that requires the same filling.  It also requires some dexterity and thus a  possible activity for little fingers to strengthen fine-motor skills.  Can get messy though...

According to Chinese traditions, luck and good fortune is bestowed upon all those that begin on an auspicious date.  Thus, what better way to start this writing project then a post about the sweets and savour foods mom prepared for CNY?

CNY celebration is steeped in tradition and folklore.  It is said that a monster lived atop a mountain and when it wakes up for its slumber, it will come down and eat up the villagers.  In a bid to scare the monster away, a cocophony of pots and pans would keep the monster at bay.  Today, instead of running around banging pots and pans, firecrackers are used.  Houses are artfully decorated with blessings written on red paper and spring is welcomed in with colourful displays of flowers. 

There are a lot of other dos and don'ts such as not washing one's hair or sweeping on the first day of CNY; the first day of the new year.  It is feared that if one does, one will wash or sweep away that year's luck or fortunes.  On the third day, it is recommended that no family or friend visits be made so as to avoid disagreements.  I never did quite get this one and wonder if has anything to do with all the feasting from the days before...Everyone's just bloated and grumbly. No gift-giving of shoes as the sound of 'shoe' in Cantonese sounds like a person sighing.  I say, give me a brand new Louboutine or Manolo Blahnik any day! 

In any case, my family does not subscribe to much of the superstitions surrounding CNY...Though we kids do get our lucky red envelopes stuffed with crisp money notes (laisee) and mom cooks up a storm which I am about to share.

**My youngest sister recently married and was reminded by mom to give her two older sisters laisee.  To which she said 'Aww, really?'  I am still waiting for it...