Recipe: Cheng Tng (清汤)

by Mummy's Kitchen

When we were kids, my late dad would bring us to places to have this cold, sweet dessert.  In those days, we did not have a refrigerator at home, so having this cold dessert was definitely a special treat for us.

Missing Dad plus the extreme hot weather recently, Cheng Tng seems to be a good option to combat the heat and bring me some good childhood memories.  For some of you who are not familiar with this dessert, Cheng Tng literally means clear soup. It is both light and refreshing.

Some might think that Cheng Tng is easily available at hawker centres or food courts, so why bother to cook it yourself. You need to bear in mind that many of the Cheng Tngs that you consume outside have a lot of fragrance essence added into it, which is why I prefer to cook it at home. I can also adjust the ingredients according to my preference. Feel free to share your Cheng Tng cooking experience and the preferred ingredients you like to use in the comments below.

Like and follow us on Beyond Norm’s Facebook Page and subscribe to our blog. Follow us on Instagram (@TheRealBeyondNorm) and YouTube (@BeyondNormEats), to get the latest exciting updates and videos.  We would also like to welcome you to join our Mummy’s Kitchen Facebook Group for food lovers like you, whether newbie or veteran.

Serves 4 to 5 persons

Ingredients

120g lotus seeds

120g dried longan

50g dried white fungus

10 red dates

70g or more rock sugar (depending on your taste)

3 knots pandan leaves

2 litres of water

Method

  1. Soak white fungus and dried lotus seeds, separately, in warm water for about 10 minutes till they soften.
  2. Then trim the softened white fungus into small clusters and discard the stem portion. Set aside.
  3. Next, remove the green pith from the center of the lotus seeds to prevent the bitter taste when cooking.
  4. Add 2 litres of water and pandan leaves into a pot. Then bring them to a boil.
  5. Add in the white fungus and continue to simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
  6. Next, add in the lotus seeds, dried longan, red dates, gingko nuts, and rock sugar into the pot. Simmer for another 20 minutes or till the ingredients soften.
  7. Remove the pandan leaves.
  8. Taste and see if it is to your liking, you can add more brown sugar if necessary.
  9. It can be served both hot or chilled.

Tags:              
Mummy's Kitchen

Hi! My name is Josephine Go. I blog at BeyondNorm.com in a segment called Mummy’s Kitchen. I love to use fresh and natural ingredients in my cooking to promote healthy eating. Some of my recipes may not be in line with the traditional methods of cooking to the extent that some of the ingredients are different, but hopefully new recipes are being created in my style. I certainly hope that what I do will help guide kitchen first-timers on how to cook their first meal as well as further equip kitchen veterans with new recipes. My loving husband and two wonderful children are my best guinea pigs and critics. They have enjoyed (or endured) the food that has been served to them for all these years. Mind you, I did not know how to cook or ever knew that I could cook till I got married. So there is hope for everyone. If I can cook, you can cook. You will not know how good or talented you are until you put your hand in the plough.

Leave a Reply