Philips Avance XL AirFryer review and a recipe for ngoh hiang

Having children really changes one's lifestyle and one's perspective.

Because the LAM and I can both cook, we had cut down the number of times we dine out since we had the kids, preferring to cook our meals daily so that we know what we are feeding the kids as well as ourselves. 

As it is, we prefer not to fry our food because of concerns about diseases like heart diseases, Type II diabetes and cancer which are linked to a high intake of fat in our diets.

Having said that, it is inevitable that we want to have something fried once in a while. This is why I was over the moon when I was given a Philips AirFryer XL with Rapid Air technology to review.

This machine has changed the way I cook. I can now "fry" food more regularly since I would be "frying" using air!

Philips launched its Viva Collection AirFryer in the region in 2011 and early this month, they released the Avance AirFryer XL, which is bigger and better, with 50% more capacity - which means it allows you to cook enough to comfortably feed a family of 4-5. The Airfryer also allows you to cook with up to 80% less fat. In addition, besides frying, the AirFryer can also grill, roast and bake.

Yep, people, I kid you not!

Today I am going to share a much-treasured recipe. This is my Mom's recipe for ngoh hiang. My mom makes the best ngoh hiang. When my sister and I were little, we would hover around the stove, waiting for the first piece of ngoh hiang to emerge from the oil so we could pounce on it.

I still absolutely love my mom's ngoh hiang, but because they were fried, we seldom got to eat them. One of the first things I asked my mom to do when I received my AirFryer was to teach me to make her ngoh hiang, so that we could airfry them! And what a fantastic idea this turned out to be!

I used a total of one teaspoon of oil to cook the four pieces of ngor hiang you see in the picture yet they tasted the same as they did when my mom fried them the traditional way. And the best part of it all? The ngoh hiang were cooked to crispy perfection in a space of 10 minutes, and my kitchen (and house) stayed oil-free, and clean up was minimal.

It was, in one word, AMAZING.

This was how we made these delectable ngoh hiang.

To the minced pork, we added chopped spring onion, chopped water chestnuts, light soy sauce, grounded white pepper, Chinese five spice powder and chopped preserved winter melon (冬瓜糖).

We also added corn flour, minced prawns and an egg.

These were all mixed together.

A piece of bean curd skin was cut into small rectangles, roughly measuring 20 cm by 15 cm. We placed about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture onto the bean curd skin.

Then the skin was folded.

And rolled to form a log.

The pieces of ngoh hiang were steamed, and once cooked, they can be kept frozen in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.

Just before air-frying, I took the basket out of the cabin of the air fryer (this is definitely a clever improvement from the previous model).

I brushed a little oil on both sides of the ngoh hiang.

And placed them in the basket.

They were cooked at 200C for 10 minutes.

By then they would have turned golden brown.

And crispy.

But absolutely not oily.

Yet, super super delicious.

In addition to ngoh hiang, I have cooked quite a few other things like chicken (the airfryer is really superb for cooking chicken), grilled fish, meat patties and lamb.

I love the digital touch-screen interface, which is easy to use, I can even programme the pre-set button for settings that I most commonly use.

The AirFryer XL and AirFryer Digital were launched in Singapore on 6 November, and together with quite a few other members from the Singapore Mom Bloggers, I was at the launch and took part in a cook-off. The mystery ingredients were prawns, lychee and pineapple. I air-fried panko-coated prawns with the lychee and pineapple, which, according to the judges, were delicious. :P I have also included the recipe for this dish below in case you want to try cooking it!

I had loads of fun cooking, and even managed to win! HOORAY!! :D

Receiving my prize from Dable from I Love Philips Airfryer

All in all, I love cooking without (or with minimum) oil. I think my family and I will definitely benefit from cutting out so much oil from our diets. I am sure I will finally be able to lose those stubborn kilograms I had gained after I had JL!!!

Cook with Air today! Quote [thedomesticgoddesswannabe] and buy the Viva Digital Airfryer at $399 (Usual price: $459), FREE $50 SHOPPING VOUCHER and Avance XL Airfryer at $479 (Usual price: $539), FREE $50 SHOPPING VOUCHER at the PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM. This promotion is valid from 1^st December till 31^st January 2014.

Limited to 1 Airfryer per person. IC must be produced.

PHILIPS EXPERIENCE SHOWROOM

Address: 620A Lorong 1 Toa Payoh Building TP4 Level 1 S(319762)

Tel: 6882 5800

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9.00 am – 7.00 pm Saturday: 9.00 am – 1.00 pm. Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

The Viva Digital Airfryer and Avance XL Airfryer are also available at regular prices in leading electronics stores, department stores and supermarkets island-wide.

RECIPE

Ngoh Hiang (Makes about 8-10)

Recipe adapted from my mom, Pauline Chng

Ingredients:

500g minced pork or chicken

2 springs sping onion, chopped

5 water chestnuts, peeled and chopped

3 small pieces preserved winter melon, chopped

8-10 prawns, minced

1 large egg, beaten

3 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon grounded white pepper

2 tablespoons corn flour

1 large sheet dried bean curd skin

Note: To air-fry 4 pieces of ngor hiang, I used 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

Method:

1. Place minced pork (or chicken), spring onion, water chestnuts, preserved winter melon, prawns, egg, corn flour, Chinese five spice powder, light soy sauce and grounded white pepper into a mixing bowl. Mix well.

2. Cut bean curd skin in rectangles measuring 20 x 15 cm.

3. Place 2-3 tablespoons of mixture onto bean curd skin. Do not put too much filling.

4. Fold the shorter sides of the bean curd skin inwards. Lift the bottom edge of the bean curd skin (longer side) and roll tightly.

5. Steam for 20 minutes, or until meat is cooked through.

6. To fry, brush oil on both sides of ngoh hiang. Arrange the ngoh hiang in the basket of the air fryer. Cook at 200C for 10 minutes.

7. Serve hot, or cold.

Panko-Coated Prawns with Lychee and Pineapples (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

6 pieces prawns, shells removed and de-veined, but leave the tails and heads on

1/2 cup canned lychee, quartered

1/2 cup canned pineapple, cubed

1/4 cup panko

1 tablespoon corn flour

1 egg, beaten

salt and grounded white pepper to taste

Method:

1. Season prawns with salt and pepper.

2. Coat prawns in corn flour. Shake off excess flour.

3. Dip prawns into egg, shaking off excess.

4. Coat prawns with panko.

5. Place prawns in air-fryer. Cook at 180C for 8 minutes.

6. After 4 minutes, scatter lychee and pineapple over prawns and continue cooking.

7. Serve immediately.

Disclaimer: This is a post for a product experience trial, sponsored by Philips. While I was given a Philips Avance XL AirFryer to review for this post, all opinions expressed here are my own.