3 Dishes and 1 Soup Recipe for your Family

“三菜一汤” (sān cài yì tāng), also known as 3 dishes and 1 soup, is a feast of 3 different types of dishes and 1 soup commonly enjoyed by Chinese families, featuring a variety of nutritious and yummy dishes for the family to bond over. Although many families enjoy a feast like this, it is often challenging to come up with several 3 dishes and 1 soup recipes. To help you easily whip up a heartwarming meal for your loved ones, we found a few recipes for you to try.

Dish #1: Hong Kong Style Beef Brisket Curry

Recipe adapted from Ang Sarap.

Step 1: Add oil to a large pot and cook the beef brisket until browned. Remove and set aside. Then, add the onions and sauté them until they soften.

Step 2: Add the curry paste to the pot, chu hou paste, beef brisket, beef tendons, beef stock, coconut milk and bay leaves. Bring mixture to a boil. Then, lower the heat and simmer for one hour on low heat.

Step 3: Add the potatoes and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Step 4: Add the red capsicum and coconut cream. Bring to a boil. Then, simmer for another 5 minutes.

Step 5: Season with sugar, freshly ground black pepper, and fish sauce.

Step 6: Serve with warm rice.

Dish #2: Stir-Fried Vegetables & Tofu with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

Recipe adapted from Rouxbe.

Step 1: Cut the tofu into small bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl or plate. Add in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of Shao Xing rice wine, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of sambal oelek, and 2 tsp of cornstarch. Mix until combined. Set aside.

Step 2: Mix the stock or water with 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch together in a bowl. Make sure to dissolve all the cornstarch. Set aside the sauce.

Step 3: Heat a wok over high heat then stir fry the tofu. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside. Then, stir-fry the long beans, red peppers and sliced red chillies. Then, add in 1 tablespoon of garlic and 3 tablespoons of black bean garlic sauce, stir-fry.

Step 4: Return tofu to the walk, add the sauce and garnish with chives and cashews. Serve immediately.

Dish #3: Chinese Red Pork Belly

Recipe adapted from honest-food.net.

Step 1: Bring water to boil in a large pot. Then, add the entire slab of pork belly in to boil for 5 minutes. Remove the pork from the water and set aside to cool. Then, cut the meat into 2-inch cubes.

Step 2: Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with 3 tablespoons of water until the sugar dissolves. Heat the syrup in a wok over medium heat for about 5 minutes until it begins to turn yellow. Then, add the pork belly and stir to coat with the mixture. Stir-fry until nicely browned.

Step 3: Pour the Shaoxing wine into the mix, soy sauce, and enough stock or water to cover the meat. Then, add the star anise, ginger, and chillies. Cover and simmer gently for about 90 minutes over medium-low heat. Taste the sauce after 90 minutes and remove the herbs if the flavour gets too strong.

Step 4: Fry garlic cloves in lard or peanut oil separately and set aside.

Step 5: Once the meat is cooked till tender, add in the desired amount of sugar to taste. Re-cover and cook until the meat is almost falling apart. Remove pork from heat and set aside.

Step 6: Turn the heat up to reduce the sauce. Once it thickens, return the pork and add the garlic. Garnish with spring onion and coriander. Serve with warm rice.

Soup: Easy Egg Drop Soup

Recipe is adapted from The Spruce Eats.

Step 1: Bring 4 cups of chicken broth or stock to boil in a pot or saucepan. Slowly and steadily pour in the lightly beaten eggs.

Step 2: Stir the egg quickly in one direction after you pour in the egg mixture.

Step 3: Season with pepper, salt, and sesame oil. Pour into bowls and serve with spring onion.

Whether you’re cooking for a large family or just for yourself, you can always use these recipes to whip up a delicious meal.

We are a sauce supplier in Singapore, visit our blog page for more recipes, or visit our website to purchase sauces like the chu hou paste and black bean garlic sauce used in the recipes in this article.