Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Monkey Head (Kepala Monyet) Mushroom Chick Kut Teh Recipe

Heh heh heh, animal rights activist would have thought that I am cooking the real 'monkey head' in bak kut teh (Chinese herbal soup)! I have been looking for monkey head mushroom quite sometime already and managed to find it at Genting Strawberry Leisure Park last week. I was so excited that I cooked Chick Kut Teh with it the very next day. Monkey head mushroom (Hericium erinaceus, hóu tóu gū, 猴头菇, yamabushitake) has many medicinal properties. It has antioxidant compund, regulate blood sugar level and anti dementia properties. Apart from all these, it is also very tasty! LOL!

Ingredients
Chicken, 1/2 bird, cut onto large chunks
A1 Bak Kut Teh herbs, or herbs from local Chinese Medicine shop, 1 packet
Kei Chi, 1/4 cup
Garlic, 1 bulb
Monkey Head Mushroom, 1 packet Salt to taste
Vegetable (eg Sawi, lettuce...), cut onto 1 inch length
Yau char kwai (chinese crullers), 2 pcs, cut into bite size
Light Soya Sauce, 3 tablespoons
Dark soya sauce, 1/2 teaspoon

Pour the desired amount of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Add in the bak kut teh herbs, kei chi, light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, chicken and garlic. Boil for around 45 minutes. Add salt to taste. Put in the monkey head mushroom and boil for around 5 minutes. Then put in the vegetable and boil for another 1 minute. Put the soup in a bowl and garnish with parsley. The soup is best eaten with rice and yau char kwai(Chinese Crullers).
This is how monkey head mushroom looks like!
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24 comments:

  1. MerrynDecember 22, 2010 at 1:04 AM

    eeeek! I tot u gonna do that knock the monkey brain open n eat kinda post! scary!!!!!!!!!!

    thank goodness u r only talking bout mushrooms! *wipe sweat*

    hehe... i think I'll like this :D minus the 'monkey' :P

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  2. WendyinKK December 22, 2010 at 2:23 AM

    I bought this mushroom once, and hoh, got some kind of smell, that I dun really fancy. Dried ones smell worse to me.
    But then again, mushroom smell is always a personal preference.

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  3. suituapuiDecember 22, 2010 at 8:06 AM

    You were in Cameron last week? Gee! We were there too...but only on a day trip. Too bad we did not bump into each other - or perhaps, lucky for you we didn't. So skinny...sure fly one! LOL!!! Didn't see these mushrooms there either. My daughter loves mushrooms...

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  4. ChristineDecember 22, 2010 at 8:25 AM

    something different, I like soup.

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  5. AnonymousDecember 22, 2010 at 8:26 AM

    The monkey head mushrooms looked like corals.

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  6. Somewhere in SingaporeDecember 22, 2010 at 8:34 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. Somewhere in SingaporeDecember 22, 2010 at 8:35 AM

    First time see the monkey head mushrooms...

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  8. wennDecember 22, 2010 at 9:28 AM

    ya, i hvn't tried the monkey head mushrooms before..

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  9. ReanaclaireDecember 22, 2010 at 11:47 AM

    wooo.. i really thought it was monkey brains.. last time saw in one movie, the man was eating the brains of the monkey "live"..
    never tried the monkey head mushrooms before..

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  10. Small KucingDecember 22, 2010 at 1:11 PM

    never saw this mushroom before. Apart from this, can be use to cook what? Can use for steamboat?

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  11. இ Baŋäŋaz இDecember 22, 2010 at 2:03 PM

    Monkey head? Where got look like one looked like your head ah kakaka. Thought Pete eating the brain of monkey when I saw the title. Chick kut can interchange with bak kut without changing the recipe? tQ

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  12. Alice LawDecember 22, 2010 at 2:42 PM

    Your soup looked really tasty(I'm a soup person)! How much did you buy the Monkey Head Mushroom, I know it's rather expensive one! Must do to Genting Leisure park lar!

    Happy winter Solstice to you and family!^-^

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  13. Aunty LiewDecember 22, 2010 at 3:25 PM

    I also terkejut when first read your title.I saw this monkey mushroom head when i went visit to Genting Mushroom Park last 2 weeks ago,didn't buy because don't know how to cook.

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  14. PeteDecember 22, 2010 at 11:45 PM

    STP : I was not in Cameron lah, but in Genting

    Smallkucing : Can use in steamboat and tomyam

    Bananaz : yes, recipe is the same

    Alice : I think only around Rm5

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  15. tasteofbeirutDecember 23, 2010 at 2:33 AM

    You got me here! I was half expecting to see an actual monkey head on the screen! Although the actual mushrooms are close and probably could have fooled me! Love that soup and you are right the benefits of mushrooms should be exploited more!

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  16. NamithaDecember 23, 2010 at 6:51 AM

    Thanks for introducing this mushroom ...seeing it for the first time

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  17. Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak LoverDecember 23, 2010 at 6:40 PM

    Monkey Head Mushroomm, this is new to me, I just curious how it taste!
    Merry Christmas and Happy new Year.

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  18. Love2cook MalaysiaDecember 23, 2010 at 10:20 PM

    Kepala monyet satu!!! Ooops, mushroom! hehehe...;)

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  19. [SK]December 23, 2010 at 10:25 PM

    haha, at first i really thought you are cooking the monkey's head or monkey's brain.. no surprise because i guess you will eat them if served right?? :D

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  20. tutiDecember 25, 2010 at 2:11 PM

    cool stuff! to more good food this christmas season and 2011, pete.
    merry christmas.

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  21. AyieDecember 26, 2010 at 5:52 PM

    i don't like the sound of it but good to know it's mushroom heads =P

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  22. Annie QDecember 29, 2010 at 12:45 AM

    monkey head mushroom, i think i heard it before from those Taiwan cooking show, but i never kknow how it look like. I heard it is quite good for health.

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  23. LilySaffronMarch 5, 2013 at 1:40 PM

    Hi, can you recommend any shop in Singapore to buy the monkeyhead mushroom?

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  24. PeteMarch 5, 2013 at 4:32 PM

    Lily : Try this farm, Myco Biotech
    9 Seletar West Farmway 5
    Singapore 798057Phone: 65. 6773 0377
    Fax: 65. 6773 1766

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