Sambal Belacan

Sambal Belacan is a condiment. It was originally created many decades ago when daily meals were much simpler; (steam white rice with fried fish/chicken). This condiment can be kept without the need to be chilled. Hence, one of the best condiment created at that time when fridge was not available. 

 

Today, Sambal Belacan was served as a starter with blanched vegetables like Okras, Aubergine and Long beans or eaten with raw young papayas and mangoes.

 

There are many versions of Sambal Belacan around. I personally love one with lots of green chilies instead of red. Green chilies produced a distinct earthy taste and the fragrant creates a different dimension from what we normally taste from red chilies sambal belacan.

For the star ingredient; Belacan, I prefer to use Penang Belacan instead of the Malacca ones, due to its pungent aroma and taste. 

Whats your version? Share in the comment below and I shall try your version :D

Sambal Belacan 

Prep time: 10mins

Ingredients:

50gm Penang Belacan

50gm Fresh Green Chili

10gm Fresh Green Birdeye Chili (cili padi)

10gm Fresh Red Chili

10gm Fresh Red Birdeye Chili (cili padi)

Green lime (I prefer Indian lime or Limau Nipis in Malay. Some call it the 'Bartender lime' as its used to serve alongside cocktails like Margaritas or Martinis)

Sugar to taste

**No salt as Belacan is salty

Equipment:

Mortar & Pestle 

**I used food processor! Hehehe...

Method: 

 

1) Break the belacan into small pieces/cubes. Toast the belacan in the oven or on a flat pan. Toast till all sides charred lightly and the surface a bit crispy. 

 

2) Pound all chilies and the belacan. I used the food processor as its hassle free..hehehe

3) Once done, pour in a bowl and mix in the sugar. I added the lime zest and a teaspoon of lime juice to add zing to the taste.

 

4) Stored in a sanitised container and kept chilled. Can be kept as long as a month. Due to its nature, many will bring this condiment along when travelling esp to Europe or USA. :D

 

 

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Asam Pedas Ikan (Asam Fish)

Some say that the best Asam Pedas originates from Malacca. But my visit to Malacca proves that if the preservation of the dish was meant just for preservation sake, with no improvements or better made on that dish, it was a total disappointment. Not to mention, overcooked fish, super diluted gravy...Urgh..

I have been savouring homecooked Asam Pedas since I was young till I take it for granted. My mom is notoriously well-known among the family and friends for her Asam Pedas. When there were special occasions or feasts, my mom was paid to cook Asam Pedas. You see?? Even though she prefers to help, people really appreciates her cooking and generously paid her for the skills!

I for one had never buy Asam Pedas when I eat out because I prefer to cook it  (my version) for my family (the fact that there's only three of us, made cooking much easier, lol)...and of course...my Mom is around and Asam Pedas has been a weekly affair at my parents place! hahaha XD

Verdict: I wouldn't say that my Asam Pedas is the best but my father in-law, a Malaccan, gave two thumbs up and he declared my Asam Pedas a MUST EAT! Yeay!!

Asam Pedas Ikan 

Prep time: 15mins

Cook time: 20mins

Serves: 2 pax

Note: Cooking and prep time were shorter as I had the main Sambal paste prepared and stored in advance ^_^

Ingredients:

4 steaks of Mackerel (you are free to use any types of fish but my suggestion was to use firm steaks of fish like Mackerel or Tuna)

6 finger-size Okra (locally known: Lady finger). Substitute: Aubergine (Eggplant) or Pickled Chye Sim

MUST HAVE: Few sprigs of Laksa leaves (Daun Kesom in Malay)

For the gravy:

1 tbsp oil

3/4 cup Sambal Chili (click for the recipe)

60gm Tamarind pulp

1 tbsp Kerisik Kelapa

1 stick Lemongrass (slit in long halves. This is the best way to extract lemongrass juice)

Few slices of Ginger

Salt, Black Pepper and Sugar to taste (not too much sugar. Just 1/2 to 1 tspn was enough. It helps to balance the sourness of the tamarind)

Above: Kerisik Kelapa (bought it from Sheng Siong Supermarket)

Method:

1) Mix the Tamarind pulp in water, extract the juice and set aside.

2) Heat up pot with a tablespoon of oil.

3) With medium flame, fry in the Sambal chili, kerisik kelapa, lemongrass and ginger for about 5mins. Ensure that you don't burn it.

4) Add in the Tamarind juice. At this point you may add the Laksa leaves. Do note that Laksa leaves are not vegetable. It is a form of herbs. Hence, it requires slightly longer cooking time to extract the best out of it. Add in salt and sugar to taste. Add in the black pepper too. Bring the gravy to boil.

5) Once boiling, add in the okras and the fish steaks. Cover pot. Simmer for 10mins and switch off flame. Let the hot gravy continue to cook the fish for another 5mins. This is to prevent from overcooking the fish. Tadaa!!! Enjoy with hot steam rice!

NOTE: Gravy must be boiling before adding the fish. I've seen some cooks who will add the fish while waiting for the gravy to boil. They believed that once the gravy boils, the fish will be cooked at the same time. In fact, that resulted in broken and dry fish steaks. We don't want that. Remember, Fish doesn't require a long time to cook. It can even be eaten raw.

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Sambal Chili

Sambal paste is one that requires hard labour to prepare and to cook. As women in Singapore join the labour force, many has taken the short cut when it comes to cooking. Prepacked blended chili (aka Chili Boh) is widely used and one that I dislike. It does make cooking much easier but what it does best is compromise on the flavour of a dish. 

So, what I did every weekend is to cook the base of the sambal paste which I can use for hundreds of other dishes. I will cook a lot of it, packed in a sanitised container and refrigerate or freeze it. It can lasts for 2mths in a freezer and 1mth in the fridge. 

**This sambal chili paste can be used for many dishes namely, Asam Pedas, Sambal Goreng Jawa, Ayam Masak Merah, Beef braised in Dark sauce, Beef in Tomato sauce, Laksa and many more. Can really cut cooking time by half! Yeay! 

Sambal Chili

(Makes one 1.5ltr ice cream tub)

Ingredients:

250gm Dried Red Chilies 

5 large Red Onions

6 cloves Garlic

30gm Belacan Melaka (dried shrimp paste)

1-1/2cups oil (can be used as garnishing for other dishes)

Few Pandan leaves

5 Shallots or One Medium Red Onion (julienne)

Method: 

1) Soaked the dried chili overnight in a pot of tap water. Cover the pot.

2) The next following morning, the chili would have soften and use a scissor to cut it into small pieces in random motion. This is to enable the seeds to be separated from the chili skin and settled to the bottom of the pot. 

3) Rinse the chili twice and let strained till ready to blend.

4) Blend all ingredients with onions at the bottom. This will ease the blending of the chili with less water used.

 

5) Heat up oil, with medium flame, fry in pandan leaves and the julienne red onion till the onion caramelised. 

6) Add in the blended paste. Keep flame at low-medium and let the sambal paste to cook. Continue to stir at every now and then so that it wont burnt. Cover with lid if need be as it will get messy when the chili started to boil.

 

7) Sambal is well-cooked when the oil turns dark red and be separated from the paste. Whole cooking time can stretch from 45mins to 1 hour.

8) Switch off flame and let cool before storing.

Follow my blogs for new recipes and how I use this basic sambal paste in many other dishes! xoxo

Simple Sambal Clams

Clams was aplenty in Singapore during the early days as Singapore was well-known for its swampy land. One of the cheaper source of food around, along the years, Clams have made its way to restaurants. Chefs will whip-up many great dishes with Clams as its meat is juicy and tender. It is so versatile and can be cooked in many ways; Asian style with sambal, cream based Carbonara, tomato based Marinara or can be eaten plain by steaming it with garlic. 

I for one love, love, love Clams. But too much of it is not healthy due to its toxin content. Some studies have shown that the toxin cant be totally removed even after it has been thoroughly cooked. Too much toxin can be poisonous. Ok, point taken! So, moderation is key :D

Simple Sambal Clams

Prep time: 15mins

Cook time: 15mins

Serves: 2 pax

Ingredients:

1/2kg Clams with shell, its really not a lot as the weight was mostly from the shells  (what I used in this recipe was called 'Sa Pak' by the locals)

4-5 thin slices of Galangal 

1 egg

1tbsp Cornflour mixed with with 3tbsp water 

Oil for cooking

Sambal paste:

100gm Fresh red chilies 

Few fresh bird's eye chilies (chili padi)- your preference in terms of spiciness

2tbsp of freshly grind dried shrimp

3 cloves Garlic (chopped)

2 thin slices of Ginger

Method: 

1) Prepare the steamer and boil some water with few tspn of salt. Steam the Clams till all shells opened. DO NOT overcooked the clams. This is to ensure that the rotten ones can be removed at this point (those with mud all that). This is A MUST STEP TO DO, as we do not want the rottens and muds get into our sauce. Yucks!

2) Blend the sambal ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, beat the egg and set aside.

3) Heat up oil. Stir fry the sambal paste, throw in slices of Galangal. Fry till fragrant and till the oil turns slightly dark red (indicator that the chili is well cooked).

5) Add salt and sugar to taste. Add in the steamed clams. At this point, clams will release its own juice and you will find that the dish is a bit soupy now. No worries. Just add in the cornstarch and this helps to thicken the sauce. Stir a bit, not too much as we do not want the meat to fall out from the shell.

6) Pour in the beaten egg in a 'number 8' motion. This is to ensure that it will not end up as omelette.  Do not stir. Reduce flame to low-medium. Once egg gets slightly firm, stir the clams 2-3 times and its done!

7) Garnish with corriander and Enjoy!

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Marmite Chicken

The product that was to become Marmite was invented in the late 19th century when German scientist Justus von Liebig discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. 

It was considered as a 'Superfood' due to its nutrients, so much that during World War I British troops were issued with Marmite as part of their rations. 

 

Marmite is traditionally eaten as a savoury spread on bread, toast, savoury biscuits orcrackers, and other similar baked products. 

When I was young, my mom added Marmite to our plain rice porridge. That was one of the best breakfast I could ever recalled. Today, many interesting and delicious recipes found; and one of the most popular dish found in any chinese restaurant is Marmite Chicken. Its savoury and the distinct taste of the Marmite will relives our childhood memories. 

Marmite Chicken Drumlets

Prep time: 15mins

Cook time: 20mins

Serves: 2 pax

 

Ingredients:

8pcs Chicken Drumlets (medium size)

2tbsp Lea & Perrins sauce

Cornflour (enough to coat the chicken)

2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)

White sesame seeds (toasted)

 

Sauce:

2tbsp Marmite

2tbsp Honey

2tbsp Maltose (can be bought frm any bakery store)

1tbsp Shrimp paste (used in making chinese rojak sauce)

1tbsp Water

 

 

Note: Do read the ingredients of every bottled sauce, in order to know the level of seasoning for each sauce. This is to prevent from adding more salt and sugar.

 

Method:

1) Marinate the chicken with Lea & Perrins sauce for 5mins.

2) Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

3) Toast the white sesame seeds until light brown and set aside.

 

Toast sesame seeds on a flat pan. Oven toaster can be used as well.

 

Left: Raw sesame seeds

Right: Well toasted sesame seeds

 

4) Heat up oil. Coat the marinated chicken with cornflour. DO NOT throw away the marinated juice from the chicken. Add it to the sauce ingredient that you premixed in a bowl earlier. 

 

5) Deep fry chicken till golden brown and leave it on the strainer till ready for use.

 

6) Heat up wok with a tbsp oil and fry in garlic. Dont burn the garlic. Add in the sauce ingredient and cook till boil. At this point you may add a dash of white pepper if you like. Ensure that sauce is not too thick and caramelised, else it will burn when you added the chicken (sauce thickness should be about the texture of bottled chili sauce, then you can add the chicken). 

 

7) Add in the fried chicken and toss it fast. This is to ensure the crispiness of the chicken skin stays.

 

8) Garnish with the sesame seed and some parsley. Enjoy!

 

 

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Black Bean KangKong

Kangkong is a common vegetable in Southeast Asian dishes. In Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, the leaves are usually stir-fried with chili pepper, garlic, ginger and dried shrimp paste (belacan) and other spices.

 

This vegetable is known in English as Water spinach, River spinach, Water morning glory or by the more ambiguous names "Chinese spinach", "Swamp cabbage" and "Kangkong".

 

It contain high moisture hence the stir-fry dish have to be eaten immediately upon served. If not, Kangkong will release more juice and your stir-fry dish became soupy XD

Black Bean KangKong

Prep time: 20mins

Cook time: 15mins

Serves: 2-3 pax

 

Ingredients:

250gm KangKong

2 shallots (julienne)

Oil to stir fry

To grind:

4 shallots

2 cloves garlic

1tbsp ground dried shrimps (hebi)

Some green and red chillies (depends on how spicy you want it to be)

Optional: Few red birds eye chili (chili padi), you may use green if you want to, but I preferred red for colour contrast

2tbsp Fermented Black Bean

Method:

 

Note: Kangkong need to be washed thoroughly. The stems of the vegetable are hollow hence made a great breeding place for parasites. When eaten raw or not well cleaned, it may transmit Fasciolopsis Buski, an intestinal fluke parasite, to human. 

1) To wash, prepare 2 litre of water, add 4tbsp of salt. Cut and trim the vegetables and soaked in the salt water for 5mins. Repeat this twice for every batch of Kangkong.

2) Grind 4 shallots, garlic, dried shrimps, all the chillies and black bean. I made use of the food processor as I do not want to end up having a bowl of diluted paste. I would prefer to have some textures from the shallots and the black beans.

 

Note: Do read the ingredients of the bottled black beans. I bought mine that came with ginger, salt and sugar.

3) Heat up the wok. Add oil and on medium flame, stir fry the julienne shallots till caramelized. Add in the paste. Stir constantly, ensure that you dont burn it. 

 

4) Once you saw that the oil became separated from the paste, you can gauge that the spices are well-cooked. At this stage, you may taste the cooked paste before adding any salt as the bottled black beans came with it. You may then add the well-cleaned KangKong. 

5) You may cover the wok with the lid for about 5mins on low flame to allow the kangkong to cook evenly. This also helps to ensure that the spices don't get burnt. By the way, KangKong will release its own juice so don't add water.

 

6) Remove the lid and stir fry the KangKong for another 3mins. Do not over fried the KangKong as its best enjoyed with some crunchiness . Serves hot. :D Enjoy!

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P/S: Be sure to Follow my Blog to get a heads up when new recipes are posted! If you liked this recipe, share and like this recipe so the world can know about it! Many thanks! xoxo