Thursday, March 12, 2009

Monday, March 2, 2009

Steamed Chive Dumpling (Part 1)





Ingredients of Steamed Chive Dumpling

1. 1 cup of white rice flour

2. 0.5 cup of water

3. 2 cups Chinese chives

4. 4 tsp of ginger
5. 2 tsp garlic

6. About 3 chili peppers

7. 2 tbsp rice vinegar

8. 2 tbsp sesame oil

9. 1/4 cup glutinous rice flour (available at Asian supermarkets)

10. 1/2 cup potato or tapioca flour

11. 1 tbsp soy sauce


Nutritional Value




Process



Metabolism Involved


Carbohydrates usually are ingested in the forms of polysaccharides, disaccharides and monosaccharides. In the body, carbohydrates digested, absorbed, and transported to appropriate cells for metabolism.

Table 1: Major digestive enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion.


Enzyme


Source

Effects

Salivary amylase


Salivary glands

Starch converted to polysaccharides + maltose

Pancreatic amylase


Pancreas

Starch converted to disaccharides + maltose

Sucrose


Intestine cells

Sucrose converted to glucose + fructose

Maltose


Intestine cells

Maltose converted to glucose + glucose

Lactose


Intestine cells

Lactose converted to galactose + glucose


The primary site of digestion is small intestine, and monosaccharides are absorbed into the capillaries then transported in blood to continue metabolism. Monosaccharides are absorbed by diffusion and active transport. In the passive diffusion the substance simply diffuses across the cell membrane; in the facilitated diffusion, a receptor in the cell is needed to transport the substance from the intestine to the cell.



Commonly call fat in our diet as lipid. Lipids are insoluble in water therefore their digestion and absorption are more complicated than carbohydrates. While lipids enter the small intestine, they stimulate hormonal secretion by the intestine that culminates in the secretion of bile from the gallbladder and lipases from the pancreas into the intestine lumen. The bile salts serve as emulsifiers, breaking up the lipids droplets into smaller segments that may be hydrolyzed by the lipid enzymes, pancreatic lipases, and cholesterases. Basically, lipids are hydrolyzed into FFAs, glycerol, cholesterol, and phospholipids, which through an intricate process are then absorbed into the cells of the intestine mucosa. After that they combined into a fat droplet called chylomicron. Then it leaves the intestinal cell and is absorbed by the lacteal in the villi, where it is eventually transport in the lymphatic system to the blood.


Figure 1: Processing of dietary lipids in vertebrates [David and Michael 2004]

In protein digestion, proteases in the stomach and small intestine break protein down into amino acid. Amino acid pass to blood through the wall of small intestine and then to the liver via the portal vein. Body cannot store amino acids per se. Through the process of determination the amino group containing the nitrogen is removed from the amino acid, leaving a carbon substrate known as an alpha-ketoacid. The excess nitrogen must be excreted from the body. In essence, the live forms ammonia from the excess nitrogen; the ammonia is converted into urea, which passes into blood and is eventually eliminated by the kidneys into the urine.



Figure 2: Overview of Protein Metabolism (Protein: How much protein do athletes need - and how safe are high-protein diets? [online] availabe from: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/protein.html)


Evaluation for steamed chive dumpling


Steamed dumpling can be considered as healthier food in Malaysia! It is not a kind of fried food and it's slightly high in fiber. We can achieve RNI of Vitamin C while we are consumed two servings of it's. This is strongly recommended to smoker who do not like citrus fruits. Besides that, it is suitable consumed by all of us. But the sodium content on its may quite high, if 8 servings of chive dumpling are consumed it would the reach the adequate intake of 19-50 years old population (1500mg). So that, it is not encourage to hypotension patients.

Steamed Chive Dumpling (Part 2)

Physiological Benefits

Did u realize that you are eating a dumpling that contributes a valuable nutritious?


The main ingredient in dumplings is chives…..

Chives are high in dietary fiber but low in fat therefore its give low calorie contribution in the food. Besides, chives are abounding with carotene and Vitamin C. In fact, chives are also teemed with others minerals that can provide physiological benefits to our body!

According to Dr. Winston Craig, chives are able to enhance human digestive system and stimulate appetite due to the organosulfur compounds that present in its. Studies proved that chives help to kill some of the “unwanted” bacteria that found in the intestines. Nowadays, the technology had been processed the chives widely for the medicine used! In addition, chives promote advantages to our respiratory system and also contain diuretic properties that assist to lower obesity and fluid retention (Dr. Winston Craig, 2008).

So, can you imagine its power? I really shocked by realizing that my favorite food does empower this facility to our body! But, you must always bear in mind that we must eat moderately for health balanced.

There are no side effects or dangers from consuming the chives. However, large quantities may cause stomach irritation. So, if you want to try it?

I believed that if ask you to eat one type of food everyday will make you feels borings too! :P

Furthermore, Steam is the method of cooking the chive dumplings, although it can also serve as pan fried. In the steam chive dumplings, the high temperature cooking will kill the bacteria but not destroying the nutrients in it’s, such as the valuable vitamin C in the chives (Natural Health Technologies, 2006). Steaming act as protection or preserve from nutrients lost via cooking!

I have been told a number of benefits, but, in fact, steamed chive dumplings do role some risk for human health. Therefore, if we make some alternation in our food, it may help to avoid some risk.

One of the major ingredients for the dumpling skin is white flour. The white rice flour is a gluten-free product that is actually an advantage for people who is suffered from celiac disease or gluten-intolerance. However, white rice flour is processed by removed the bran and germ but the most recent studies shown their have side effect to human body after it’s have been processed (Mike Adams, 2004).


How to Enhance the nutrition values?

How? How? How?

Processed white rice flour induce diminish immune reservoir and response because the 2 main nutritious components has been detached. When you body metabolizing the processed white rice flour, it wills repetitive pressure on the adrenals to pump out balancing hormones. This can eventually weaken the adrenals function due to the wrong perception that create by the flour and cause body to respond as the “emergency system” happens; this is quote from studies published by the U.S. Department of Health.

White rice flour that used to make the chive dumpling ‘skin’ contain less folic acid compared to brown rice flour. As we know, folic acid is essential for a pregnancy woman due to it’s significant for fetal development. Brown rice flour (25grams) has contained folic acid five times more than white rice flour (5 grams). Instead we can choose brown rice flour for making steamed chives dumpling because brown rice flour has a nutty flavor which can enhance the flavor of the dumplings and it is also gluten-free product but still contain the bran which is not go through processing. In addition, brown rice flour is higher in fiber and folic acid which is supplemented to health benefits (Mark Fodchuk and Tricia Ryan, 2004).

You know? This is actually a plain steamed chive dumpling which is not contain any meat or marine food, to make it tastier and not destroying its ingredients and nutrients contain in it, we can add in shrimp to enhance the flavor.

Why Shrimp???

In point of fact, of course it boosts the dumpling flavor and what about nutrition fact? Shrimp is a great source of selenium that aid in cancer protection and neutralizes the injurious effects which induce DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells. Adding the shrimp into a dumpling may not raises calorie a lots, due to shrimp is a low calorie and saturated fat food. In addition, shrimp also has a high omega-3 fatty acid which is an essential fatty acid that can reduce cardiovascular disease (Vogt, T. M. Ziegler, et al., 2003).


Okie... finally.... Is it take u a long time? opps.. SORRY!!
Anyway, Just as a simple conclusion...
Steamed Chives Dumplings is Tasty Food,
at the same time u eat, u gain your nutrients needed too!
Please feels free to drop some comments ya!!!


Created By

Kwan Sue Yuan (Stella) 1000716575
Teo Chin Chin 1000716643