Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Nori Soup takes only 15 mins to make

It is strange for me to like Nori because I am very sensitive to fishy taste.  Many people find Nori very fishy. I am glad  I don’t because if I do, I will miss out on Japanese food like sushi.  In Japanese cuisine, they use lots of Nori.  I have not taken any Nori soup in a Japanese restaurant but my mum made Nori Soup at home often. I can just put in a bowl of cooked white rice and make it a meal.  I know, you may make a face but one man’s meat is another’s poison but even if this is poison, I will drink it! LOL! 


I asked mum to give me the recipe just before she left for her trip to Ipoh with a good friend. She went there to help her grandson to negotiate dowry for his future wife with his future in-laws. For those who are not familiar with a Chinese Wedding tradition, dowry are money and goods that would make up the gift to the girl’s family. The dowry list is prepared by the bride's family to the groom's family.  In this modern day and age, dowry will be just the "Ang Pau" and/or number of tables at the wedding dinner paid for, given to the bride's family.  According to my mum, the negotiation went well.  I am happy to hear that because there were many cases I knew of, where both the bridegrooms and brides' families had a big fall out after the negotiation.  Mostly because parents could not come to an agreement.  It is very sad when that happened.  It sounded absurd but believe me, it still happens. Sometimes I wonder what those parents were thinking during the negotiation.  My mum has never asked for a dowry from both my husbands. She told my late husband Michael to give her "ang pau" (red packet with money inside)  of RM9.99 and that is good omen for our marriage to last forever. To Stitch, she did not even ask for an "ang pau" because he is a quaylo.  As for me, if I have a daughter, I will tell her there is no need for dowry. What I want from the bridegroom is his assurance to love her and take good care of her for the rest of his life and be happy couple. The day will come for me to go through this dowry negotiation process. Let's hope my future in-laws will be like my mum who understands that marriage is about couple's happiness an not about the parents' wants.  What is your view on this? Oops, how did I go off topic? I am suppose to give you the recipe for nori soup right?  




Ingredients:

1 tbs ginger, julliened
1 C parsley , roughly chopped
2 pcs Nori
100g thinly sliced pork
½ tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
600ml water
1 cube bullion chicken stock

Method:

Heal oil in wok and sauté garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add pork and sauté till meat looks whitish. Add water and bullion chicken stock and bring to boil for 3 mins. Add Nori  and boil for 1 min. Serve hot.

32 comments:

  1. great soup and interesting information on your culture alot like Indian lucky my hubbys family doesn't do dowrys

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  2. Nice refreshing soup. My mum didn't ask for any dowry from my husband. She told him and his family that she's not 'selling' her daughter!

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  3. Rebecca: Thanks and you are lucky! I am familiar with the Indian wedding traditions. The brides got to pay the grooms dowry. One of my Indian friend has 8 daughters and no sons, she always joke and say that by the time her youngest daughter gets married, they will have to declare bankruptcy! hehe.

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  4. Yes, I have to agree wtih you about the dowry! At the end, still the couples have to take care of it. Some even have to borrow from Ah Long! I think that is pretty torturing. A wedding is suposed to be a happy day for the couples with no pressure. Just like your nori soup! Quick and easy. Btw, I have an award for you, Venorica. Feel free to stop by and collect the button. Thanks! Enjoy your day.
    Blessings, Kristy

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  5. Cheah: Thanks for your comment on the soup. Your mum is absolutely RIGHT! I have high respect for her! Next time you see her, please give her a big bear hug for me.

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  6. That's sweet - you're so right! Though a new iPad and a Le Creuset pot wouldn't hurt. Heehee...think big, eh? This soup looks wonderful and so flavorful!

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  7. Kristy: Thanks so much for thinking of me for the award. It means a lot to me and I feel blessed to have a nice friend like you. I am trying to figure out how to create a page for all the awards given to me by all my wonderful blogger friends but have not been able to do so yet. Haha, I like how you compare a happy wedding with my Nori soup! "Quick and Easy"! Brilliant!

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  8. Such interesting information about the dowry. It is the couples who must make the marriage work. Parenting is working yourself out of a job and should stop when children select a spouse. ;) I agree with you that the parent's job is to wish the couple well.

    Thanks for another great recipe.

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  9. Belinda: You are so funny! Frankly, I don't mind that too, hehe

    Lois: You are most welcome. Happy to share. I cannot agree more with you about parenting.

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  10. Both sides of our parents didn't touch our wedding plans. Hahaha!
    Well to my mom, still have to give, it's custom, but how much, it's really up to the guy. I'm priceless she said, no price and not selling.
    But I do hear alot of girl's parents asking for so much dried seafood, birds nest, tables, and s lot of money. So much so the man ends up with nothing after the wedding. The bride even begs the parents to reduce but the parents refuse. They never seem to think whatever the son in law has after the wedding is how much the daughter will have.

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  11. I like the stories that come with your recipes; it's like having a meal with a group of people with chatter etc that makes the meal enjoyable.

    Although I am not in favour of dowries being demanded, I like the idea of maintaining the tradition but as a goodwill gesture with token angpaos.

    From what i know, the groom's side gives the dowry and then the bride's side returns a portion of it back.

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  12. Hi Quay Po,

    Seaweed is a strange one for me. Sometimes I love it in soups and sometimes I hate it. Same thing with seaweed salad. I love sushi though and thank God do mot have any problems with that seaweed. Oh, and I love those seaweed snacks too. I make my kiddies share with me. Teehee.

    When hubby and I got married neither of our parents negotiated anything. Hubby and I paid for everything ourselves. I believe that's the way a marriage should start out, not like selling your daughter away. When my daughter gets married (far from now), all I ask is that her husband loves her. No amount of money can measure up to that.

    PS
    I'd also like to thank your Quay Lo for leaving such a great comment on my blog. His information was very helpful and informative. So thank you Stitch/Simplifried for taking the time to do that. By the way what do you both prefer to be referred to as?

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  13. Thanks for the fascinating cultural background and the quick, nutritious and flavourful soup - just my kind of winter meal! Dan

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  14. I love that this is such a quick and simple soup to make! Perfect for those nights when have to eat and run out the door!
    The only words my Grandma had for my husband on our wedding day: She pulled him in close and said "Treat her right son, or I will have to kick your a**". True story. No dowry, just a warning! She was a fiestly little lady!

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  15. Hi Veronica...I love Nori too..in soup , in sushi and in fish rolls :p Yea..we will miss the goodness of it if we don't like the taste of Nori :)

    Have a great day,
    Elin

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  16. I had no idea that dowries still existed. It would be a shame for a marriage to be over before it started all because of bad negotiations! Anyway, I love this soup; I've never had it before, but I have some nori sheets at home so will give it a try.

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  17. I love nori. This nori soup looks dleicious. sure going to try it.

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  18. agree with you there. Dowry and all the haggling reli makes it feel as if the parents selling their daughters instead of marriage btw two ppl in love. End of the day, it's still the young couple who have to settle it.

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  19. This looks sooo good!
    Am following along to see what else you have cooking!
    Ann

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  20. I will definitely make this Soup. I will probably leave out the red pepper flakes though.

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  21. i love nori!! and the soup just make me crave for it. is sooo tempting and looking so delicious! (:
    i agree with you. my mum didnt ask my bro-in-law's family for dowry too as she belive that my sis happiness is more important and she's not "selling" her (:

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  22. Wendy: Your parents truly cares for your happiness. Two thumbs up to them. What you said is true, I think parents who do not ask for dowry are the wiser ones:D

    Rudi: Yes, I feel the same as you. I agree that it is nice to maintain tradition but not impose on the bridegroom a hefty some.

    LeQuan, You can call us Stitch and Krystle, or Gary and Veronica. Quaypo and Quaylo also can:D hehe.. LeQuan I can see that you have wonderful parents. Both your Dad and Mum radiates kindness through the expression from the photos I have seen of them. You are a lucky girl and your kids are lucky to have you as their mum too. I can see ypu shower them with lots of love.

    islandeat: You are welcome. So nice of you to drop by. Do visit often and share your thoughts.

    Lo-mo: Tell your Grandma, She is The LADY!! I love tough ladies like her! You think I can say that to my future daughter in law? hehe

    Elin: Yes, for sure we will.

    Bel, Swathi: Glad to know you guys will try this recipe.

    Small Kucing: Well said.

    singh: I am sorry, I did not put any red chilly flakes in the soup:D

    Tracie: Your mum is a wise woman. You do not need to worry about your future in laws will have a fall out with your parents in future:D

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  23. I adore nori. I enjoy it's salty taste. The soup looks wonderful. I haven't made nori soup for a while, so I am inspired to cook this. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Have a great day.

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  24. yum, I love anything with ginger...Im making a gingered chicken dish tonight...

    :)

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  25. your story is interesting. Hong Kong wedding tradition is not much different from that!

    i also like nori soup! sometimes i add tomatoes, and egg flowers too!

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  26. Awesome post! Ty for recipe!

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  27. yummychunklet: Thank you for your kind comment.

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  28. I love this type of soup too. I don't find nori tastes fishy too.

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  29. Little Inbox: Nice to see you again. Thanks for dropping by.

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  30. Simple but hearty soup!!

    i have a thai friend getting married.. and her inlaws are indian/Mauritian. Her fiance and parents in law finds it difficult to understand dowry and think it is parents trying to be greedy. This cause so much tension for them!
    for myself, we left it up to our parents.. my parents didnt request just a red packet will do..and we didnt ask how much my hubby's parents gave. im blessed as my family just wants me to be happy but it can be such a touchy topic.

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  31. daphne: Those of us who have parents that put our happiness before their wants are very blessed. So far, all of us here are a lucky bunch!!

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