Barley Gingko with BeanCurd Soup

With all the glutinous rice (which is heaty), I made Barley Gingko with Bean Curd Soup, which is suppose to be cooling and nourshing.

I am using the ready cooked gingko nuts (vacuum packed type) from supermarket. When I was about 10 years old, I used to crack the raw gingko shell and use the toothpick to push out the core which my mum says will be bitter if left inside. It takes so much time to prepare the gingko nuts then. Life is so much easier now with these convenient alternatives but I do reminisce the simple old times!

In anycase, Gingko is worth all the work even if you choose to start with the raw gingko; it is a super brain food that will help to improve intellect and memory. However it can be dangerous if consumed in large quantity. So please take in moderation.

This can be easily cooked in Crocker Pot. Prepare, then add everything to the slow cooker in the morning before leaving for work. When you are back from work, you will have a nice pot of sweet soup waiting for you!

Ingredients

1 sheet of dried bean curd (available from Hock Hua)

1 packet of gingko nuts

1 cup of pearl barley (not the chinese variation), rinsed.

2 pieces of rock sugar (taste, then add more if required)

1.5 liters water

1 egg (optional, I didn't add this time)

Pandan Leave (optional, it adds very nice aroma to the soup)

Method:

1. Break dried bean curd sheet into small pieces and soak until it is very soft.
2. Add soaked bean curd sheet, barley, gingko nut, rock sugar and pandan leave (optional) to the slow cooker. Set to low if you are leaving it to cook for more than 6 hours.
3. Taste and add more sugar as required.
4. If adding egg, add before serving. Do stir contunously as you add the egg so that it does not coagulate into big lumps.
   

I brought some to my office to share with my colleagues cos my family does not like it - the people there likes this version where the beancurd sheet is just soft but still solid. Me, I prefer the type that my mother-in-law cooks; the beancurd "melts" into a thick cream. Yummy :-)