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Chinese Lion Head Meatballs (Non-Fried Version)

My parents’ home cooking recipe for Chinese Lion Head Meatballs. Unlike most existing recipes for this dish, it is a non-fried version. So if you want a healthy meatball dish, check this page.

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Everyone likes to try a new dish. Last week my parents emailed me their new dish called “lion head” meatball, which they learned the recipe from China local TV program and modified it to their own version. Basically, it is a meatball dish but uses a lot of different ingredients mixed with the meat.

I had a quick search online and noticed that for most existing recipes for this dish you need to fry the meatballs at the beginning. But my parents’ recipe is different as it does not require frying, so it is a very healthy option. Plus, for most cases, this dish uses the pork, but here my parents used the chicken.

Here is what they have made. The pictures in this post were taken by my parents, so some pictures may look lack of the sharpness, but hopefully there are no problems to show you the process. I may take more pictures for this dish next time when I go back to China.

狮子头: 电视里淮阳狮子头:五花肉、马蹄、淖洋葱、面粉和各种香料(伺自己欢喜的).各种料成沫子后混合泥状.做成比苹果大的团子在凉水下锅中火慢煮让表皮硬定型,再转入大碗中.水快没顶.在水中放入如木耳、洋葱、土豆条、火腿.....放入蒸锅隔水燕蒸贰十分钟.起锅时调味....

我的用料:鸡胸脯一块、马蹄五个、豆付一块、胡萝卜一小根.、百合.葱姜蒜成沫后加生抽、盐、糖、生粉、鸡蛋一个调成泥.生粉调节干湿度,以成团为度. 蒸锅中放:木耳、笋、山药、百合.起锅时调汤味可加绿叶菜等.

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 Chicken breast
• 5 water chestnuts
• 1 square firm tofu
• 1 carrot
• 1 egg
• Wood ears
• Bamboo shoot
• Shan Yao (Chinese herb ingredient)
• Baihe (Chinese herb ingredient)

• Green veggie
• Spring onions
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Salt
• Sugar
• Corn starch flour

Method for Chinese Lion Head Meatballs (Non-Fried Version)

• Chop the chicken breast, carrot, water chestnuts into mince. Mash the tofu as well.

• Finely chop the ingredients: springing onions, ginger and garlic. Mix all ingredients with one egg and corn starch flour. Shape the mixture into four apple-sized meatballs.

Chinese Lion Head Meatballs Ingredients Mixed

Now here is the important part. For most recipes for Chinese lion head meatballs I found online, you would fry the meatballs to make the meatball outside golden brown, this also helps to firm the surface and make the meatballs ready for further cooking.

For this recipe, there is no frying involved, here is what my parents did. In the wok, add cold water and put the meatballs in it. Slowly bring the water to the boil until the meatball's surface becomes firm.

You don’t need to cook through the meatball, as long as the outside it firm enough, take the meatball out. You may also keep the water after cooking.

• Transfer the meatballs to a big bowl and put the bowl into a steamer. In the bowl, you can add the water just used for cooking the meatball; alternatively you can use other stock you prefer. In the water or stock, add wood ear, bamboo shoots, and Chinese herb ingredients such as Shan Yao and Baihe.

• Steam the meatballs for about 20-25 minutes. Before finishing, season the soup to taste, and add green leaf veggie to further steaming three minutes. Serve hot with other dish and rice.