Lunar New Year, also widely known as Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is one of the most important and celebrated festivals across Asia. Rooted in ancient traditions and customs, this festival marks the beginning of the lunar calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon.
Where is it Celebrated
Lunar New Year is predominantly celebrated in countries with significant Chinese populations, such as China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam (where it is known as Tết), Korea (where it is known as Seollal), and by Asian communities worldwide. Each country and community adds its unique customs and practices to the celebration.
How is it Celebrated
The festival is characterised by a number of customs and traditions. Key among them are family reunions, where family members, often travelling long distances, gather to share meals and enjoy each other’s company. Homes are cleaned prior to the New Year to sweep away ill-fortune and make room for incoming luck. Red, symbolising good fortune and joy, is the dominant colour seen in decorations. Red lanterns, couplets, and paper cuttings adorn streets and homes. Fireworks and firecrackers are common, believed to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck.
Giving red envelopes (hongbao) containing money is a traditional practice, typically from elders to younger family members, symbolising the transfer of good fortune and blessings. Lion and dragon dances are also a significant part of the festivities, representing power and wisdom, believed to bring good luck.
Welcome to our Lunar New Year celebration!
As we gather to usher in another year of prosperity, health, and happiness, we invite you to embark on a culinary journey through Asia, with a selection of dishes that pay homage to the rich traditions and flavours of the season.
Appetizers
Our feast begins with an assortment of appetizers, each chosen for their symbolic meanings and delicious tastes. Delight in our crispy Spring Rolls, representing wealth with their golden, bar-shaped appearance. Savour the succulence of Prawn Wontons, symbolising happiness and good fortune. Relish the tender, juicy Dumplings, a staple at any Lunar New Year table, meant to bring wealth for the coming year. And don’t miss our Korean Vegetable Pancakes, a flavourful and auspicious start to our feast.
Prawn Wontons
To make Fried Prawn Wontons, start by combining 500g of finely chopped raw prawns with chopped green onions, grated ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper in a bowl for the filling. Place a teaspoon of this mixture onto each wonton wrapper, dampen the edges with water, and fold to seal tightly. Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat and fry the wontons in batches until they are golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. For the dipping sauce, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and optional chopped chilli or oil. Serve the crispy wontons hot with the sauce for dipping.
Spring Rolls
Start by preparing the filling: sauté minced garlic and shredded vegetables (cabbage, carrots, mushrooms) in a pan with a splash of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a pinch of sugar, cooling it afterwards. Add cooked, minced pork or prawns/shrimp to the mixture if desired. Place a tablespoon of the cooled filling on each spring roll wrapper, fold in the edges, and roll tightly, sealing the end with a dab of water. Heat oil in a deep fryer or a deep pan to 350°F (175°C), and fry the spring rolls in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and serve with dipping sauce. Image: DronG
Chinese Dumplings
Begin by mixing ground pork or chicken with finely chopped cabbage, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper for the filling. Take a dumpling wrapper, place a small spoonful of the mixture in the centre, and moisten the edges of the wrapper with water. Fold the wrapper over the filling to create a half-moon shape, then press the edges together to seal, ensuring no filling escapes. Create pleats along the edge for a traditional look. Arrange the dumplings in a steamer lined with parchment paper or cabbage leaves, ensuring they don’t touch. Steam over boiling water for about 15-20 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through and the wrapper is translucent. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce.
Korean Vegetable Pancakes
A wonderful addition to the spread would be a vegetarian appetizer, Korean Vegetable Pancakes, also known as Yachaejeon. These are crispy, golden-brown delights that are made by mixing a variety of fresh vegetables like carrots, scallions, and spinach into a light, savoury batter, then pan-fried to perfection. The pancakes are usually cut into bite-sized pieces and served with a dipping sauce that’s a blend of soy sauce, vinegar, and a hint of sesame oil, sprinkled with chilli and toasted sesame seeds for an extra crunch. Join the video cooking tutorial below which will guide you through the process of cooking the pancakes.
Main Course
The main course of our Lunar New Year banquet is a lavish spread that promises a sensory and symbolic feast. Each dish is carefully chosen for both its flavour and its auspicious significance.
The Braised Pork Belly is melt-in-your-mouth tender, its layers of meat and fat symbolising the rich layers of wealth and abundance that await in the New Year. The succulent Chilli and Garlic Stir-Fried Prawns, with their fiery red hue and intense flavour, are a toast to liveliness and the joyous laughter of gatherings.
The centrepiece is the Steamed Chinese Fish, served whole from head to tail, embodying unity and a wish for prosperity. In tradition’s embrace, the fish is never completely finished, ensuring the surplus will carry forward into the days to come.
Accompanying these are the golden-hued Egg Fried Rice and the savoury Chow Mein Noodles. The fried rice, with each grain separated by the skill of the wok, represents the fertility of the land, while the long, twirling strands of noodles are a wish for longevity and the continuous threads of happiness that connect our days.
Served banquet style, each dish arrives at the table together, creating a tapestry of flavours and a shared experience that is the hallmark of Lunar New Year celebrations. This bountiful array is a shared hope for the future, a communal ushering in of good fortune, health, and prosperity.
Now lets see how to make them…
Braised Pork Belly
Stir Fry Garlic Chilli Prawns
Chinese Egg Fried Rice
Start by cooking a cup of long-grain rice according to package instructions; however, for the best texture in fried rice, it’s ideal to use rice that has been cooked and left to cool or refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight. This helps to dry out the grains so they don’t clump together when fried.
In a wok or large skillet, heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add two beaten eggs and scramble until just set but still moist. Remove the eggs and set them aside.
In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed, and sauté chopped onions, minced garlic, and diced carrots until they’re soft. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add a bit more oil to the center, and pour in the cooled rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes until the rice is well heated, breaking up any clumps with a spatula.
Add the scrambled eggs back into the pan with the rice, along with frozen peas, and green onions for freshness. Pour over a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper to taste, and stir everything together until the rice is evenly coated with the sauce and the ingredients are well mixed.
Serve the egg fried rice immediately, garnished with additional green onions.
Steamed Chinese Fish
Begin by selecting a fresh, whole white fish such as sea bass or snapper, ensuring it’s been scaled and gutted. Make a few diagonal slashes on both sides of the fish to allow the flavours to penetrate and the heat to distribute evenly.
Rub the fish inside and out with a mixture of salt and white pepper. Place the fish on a heatproof plate that fits inside a steamer basket. Stuff the cavity with slices of ginger and scallions to infuse the fish with aromatic flavours as it cooks.
Prepare your steamer by bringing water to boil. Carefully place the plate with the fish into the steamer, cover, and steam for about 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness of the fish, or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.
While the fish is steaming, prepare the sauce by heating a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce, a splash of sesame oil, and a teaspoon of sugar in a small pan. You can also add a small amount of fish stock or water to create more of a sauce consistency.
Once the fish is done, carefully remove the plate from the steamer and drain any accumulated liquid. Drizzle the warm sauce over the fish, and then garnish with freshly julienned ginger, more scallions, and cilantro. If desired, heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil until smoking and pour it over the fish to bring out the aroma of the herbs and spices.
Serve the steamed fish immediately, encouraging diners to enjoy the tender flesh along with the seasoned skin.
In Chinese culture, the head and tail are left intact to represent a good beginning and end to the New Year.
Chow Mein Noodles
To cook this classic Asian dish, Chow Mein noodles, start by boiling the noodles until they’re just tender, then draining and tossing them with a bit of oil to prevent sticking. On high heat, stir-fry your choice of thinly sliced vegetables such as onions, bell peppers, and celery, adding in proteins like chicken, beef, prawns or tofu if desired. Once the ingredients are cooked and have a slight char, add the noodles to the wok or pan.
The key to Chow Mein is the sauce, which typically includes soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and a touch of cornstarch for thickening. Pour this mixture over the noodles and ingredients, tossing everything to ensure the noodles are evenly coated and the sauce is well-distributed. Cook until the noodles are heated through and have absorbed the flavours of the sauce. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh green onions or sesame seeds before serving. This dish offers a delightful combination of savory flavours, chewy noodles, and the fresh crunch of vegetables.
Bok Choy in Oyster Sauce and Garlic
To start, thoroughly wash the bok choy and slice it into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking. In a small dish, whisk together oyster sauce, a splash of soy sauce, and a teaspoon of sugar to craft a savoury-sweet sauce that complements the bok choy’s natural flavours. Heat a wok or a large skillet over medium-high heat and swirl in some vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Add finely chopped garlic, quickly sautéing until fragrant — be careful to avoid burning. Toss in the bok choy, sautéing briskly until the leaves begin to wilt and the stems soften but retain a satisfying crunch. Drizzle the sauce over the greens, tossing to coat each piece in the glossy mixture. Sauté everything together for a minute or two until the bok choy is perfectly glazed and tender. Finish off with a drizzle of sesame oil, giving the dish a nutty aroma and depth just before serving.
Desserts
No Lunar New Year celebration would be complete without a sweet note. Our desserts, Red Bean Soup and Sticky Rice Cake, are rich in tradition and flavour. The sweet, comforting red bean soup signifies luck and happiness, while the sticky rice cake, or ‘nian gao’, symbolises a higher year, promising growth and prosperity.
Red Bean Soup
Red Bean Soup is a traditional Chinese dessert, known for its sweet, warming nature. To make it, begin by rinsing one cup of dried adzuki beans under cold water, then soak them for at least four hours or overnight — this step will help them cook more quickly and evenly. Drain and transfer the beans to a large pot, adding enough water to cover them by a few inches. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the beans are soft, which can take up to an hour, adding more water as necessary to keep the beans submerged.
Once the beans are tender, stir in half a cup of sugar, although the amount can be adjusted according to taste. Some recipes also include a small piece of dried orange peel or a few slices of ginger for an additional layer of flavour. Continue to simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a creamy consistency. For a smoother texture, you can puree the soup in a blender or pass it through a sieve.
The soup is traditionally served warm, but it can also be enjoyed cold, especially in warmer weather. As a final touch, a drizzle of coconut milk or a scoop of glutinous rice balls can be added for extra richness and texture, making the Red Bean Soup a delightful end to a meal.
Chinese New Year Cake
Nian Gao, also known as Chinese New Year’s cake, is a sweet, sticky rice cake that symbolises success and progress for the coming year. To make Nian Gao, start by soaking 2 cups of glutinous rice flour in 1 cup of water. Mix it until it forms a smooth paste, then gradually add 1 cup of brown sugar dissolved in 1/2 cup of boiling water, stirring continuously to combine. You may include a dash of vanilla or almond extract for added flavour.
Once the sugar is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth, pour it into a well-greased heatproof dish. Line the dish with banana leaves for traditional flavour and aroma. Steam the mixture over medium-high heat for about 1 hour, or until the cake has become translucent and firm to the touch.
After steaming, allow the Nian Gao to cool completely in the dish. Once cooled, it can be sliced into pieces and served as is, or for added texture, the slices can be pan-fried in egg batter until they’re golden and crispy on the outside.
The sticky and sweet Nian Gao is a cherished emblem of the Lunar New Year, representing a rich cultural tradition and the sweet promise of a prosperous year ahead. Enjoy it with family and friends as you welcome the new year.
This menu blends traditional Chinese New Year dishes with a few creative twists, ensuring a memorable and auspicious celebration.
Overall, Lunar New Year is a festive, deeply cultural event filled with joy, family, and hope for the future. It’s a time when the past is bid farewell, and the coming year welcomed with great enthusiasm and optimism.