,As the name implies, prosperity money bags are just the appropriate dish to be served in auspicious occasions like Chinese New Year. These easy to make bags contains jade and, silver and gold!
Well, not really. The Chinese like to have lucky and auspicious symbols and names during the new year. So for the uninitiated, the peas represents jade, the water chestnut silver, and the carrots gold. There you go, all very prosperous items.
How did I get the idea?
I first came across money bags back in the good old days in Prai, the state of Penang. We sometimes have lunch there. And one of the more interesting and tasty dish is the money bags. The ones served are bigger, like the size of about half an adult’s clenched fist.
I am recreating it and of course the flavours are different. I have the idea in my head to use the spices. This has been floating in my mind for a few weeks and now it is a reality. It tastes fabulous! Much better than anticipated.
Now, new dish for the new year!
Ong ah, Ong ah! Huat ah! Huat ah! (Lucky, lucky! Prosper, prosper!)
So now, you have a dish for Chinese new year! It is good as a finger food. So why wait? You can have it anytime now that you have my recipe! Do make if for the new year to welcome 2022.
Do let me know how the recipe goes. I hope you enjoy it.
Please share and like and subscribe to the blog and You Tube so that get notified each time I upload a video.
For your convenience, here are the links to some of the equipment, ingredients used.
As an Amazon associate, I get a small commission on qualified purchases. This goes to the production of the videos. You do not pay extra for the purchase. All support is appreciated.
Wok:
Here is the recipe.
Prosperity Money Bags
Equipment
- Wok or deep pan for deep fat frying
- Long Chopsticks or tongs
- sieve
- Heat proof container for draining the oil
Ingredients
Filling
- 300 g Chicken breast, cut to 1 cm cubes
- 100 g 100g shrimps - diced (optional) use 200g chicken if using shrimp
- 4 Cloves Garlic - chopped
- 1 Sprig Coriander leaves – chopped
- 50 g Peas
- 1 Spring onion -chopped
- 3 pcs Shitake mushrooms - soaked and chopped
- 100 g Water chestnuts -chopped
- 100 g Carrot- chopped
- 1/4 tsp 5 spice powder
- 1/4 tsp Freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
- 1 tbsp Oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp Pepper powder
- 1 tsp Cornflour
- 1 tsp Corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp water
For wrapping
- 35 sheets Spring roll wrapper 15cm x15cm
- 3 leaves Outer leek leaves Cut into strips 1- 2cm and blanched, then plunge in cold water immediately.
- 1000 ml Cooking oil fry deep frying 750 to 1000ml
Instructions
Prepare the filling
- Prepare the vegetables as above in the recipe.
- Cut the outer 3 layers of the leeks and cut into thin strip.
- Blanch it in simmering water until soft. Remove and place in cold water.
- Drain and it is ready to use.
- Season the chicken with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar.
- Heat a tablespoon of cooking oil and fry the garlic till lightly brown.
- Add in the chicken and fry on one side until done and flip over to cookthe other side.
- Toss the chicken and add in the carrots, water chestnuts, and mushroom.
- Add wine, the 5-spice powder and grate the nutmeg over it.
- Then add in the wine, salt and pepper. Toss. The mixture should be dry.
- Add in the peas, sesame oil, salt to taste..
- Toss again and then add in the corn starch mixture to thicken.
- Finally add in the spring onions and the coriander leaves.
- Dish out and set aside to cool
To Wrap
- Take a piece of the wrapper and place it with a corner facing you.
- Put about 2 tables spoons of the vegetables in the centre,
- Bring the corner of the wrapper nearest to you, and bring the opposite corner together.
- Gather the sides of the wrapper and bring it to the centre.
- Repeat for the other side.
- Give the gathers a slight twist and tie with a single leek string.
- Set aside and repeat for the rest of the wrappers.
To Fry
- Heat some oil in a deep pan or wok to about 180C.
- Gently add in the bags and fry till golden brown, turning it so that it is evenly done.
- When done, remove and drain.
- Serve with chilli sauce or any sauce of your own.
- Bon appetite.
