Sambal prawns and sotong with petai

Most people cook either sambal prawn or sambal sotong. I decided to combine the prawns and sotong since it uses the same sambal paste and to give it that extra oomph, I threw in some petai. The chilli paste that I used turned out quite tasty so I will use it again.

Ingredients

10 large prawns (peeled and cleaned)

1 pre-soaked sotong cut into bite size pieces

1 big onion (sliced)

Petai beans (amount depends on how much each person likes to eat)

Today I am trying out the Prima Taste sambal chilli sauce which I got from Singapore

Boil the sotong until soft.

Drain and put aside.

Heat up some oil and pour the chilli paste into it

Fry the chilli paste until fragrant then add the onions

Stir until onions are slightly soft

Add the petai and some water and salt to taste

Add the prawns and sotong

Mix thoroughly and stir until prawns are cooked

Dish out and serve with white rice or nasi lemak

Bean sprouts or taugeh (豆芽) with bean curd

Mung bean sprouts are crunchy and delicious when lightly stir fried. You can just flavour it with garlic and soy sauce or add other ingredients such as salted fish, chicken strips, tofu or any other choices that you like. Today I am frying the bean sprouts with bean curd (taukwa).

The 2 main types of bean sprouts are produced from the seeds of mung beans and soybeans. Mung bean sprouts have smaller stems and a small soft bean with a greenish tint. Soybean sprouts have longer stems and a larger, firm bean with a yellowish tint. It is a healthy food that is loaded with vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and zinc, and it is absolutely cholesterol free. It is best to use sprouts on day of purchase or the following day. Do not use sprouts that are slimy or have changed colour. According to TCM, mung sprouts is good for treating diarrhoea and painful swelling because of its heat and toxin clearing properties. 

Ingredients

2 pieces of bean curd

200 gm bean sprouts

I like to remove the tails because it looks better when cooked. Soak the sprouts for 5 minutes then rinse thoroughly.

Cut the bean curd (taukwa) into fairly thick strips

Heat up some oil and fry the bean curd until slightly golden brown in colour.

Remove the bean curd and set aside.

Leave sufficient oil in the wok to fry the bean sprouts. Put in 1 tbsp chopped garlic and fry until it starts to brown. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes. 

Add the bean curd and mix thoroughly. Season with 1 tsp light soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste

Do not overcook the bean sprouts as they will release a lot of moisture and lose the crisp and crunchy texture.

Take out the children’s portion. Add some cut red chillies onto the remaining sprouts. This is for the adults.

You can serve the children's portion in a separate dish or next to the adult portion in one dish

Tomato and tofu soup

This is another super easy soup to prepare. You can sprinkle some chopped parsley or spring onions to add taste and improve the presentation

Ingredients

1 tomato

1 pack soft tofu

1 chicken stock cube

Wash and cut the tomato into wedges

Cut the tofu into bite size pieces

Prepare the soup and put in the tomato and tofu

Season with salt and pepper

Dish up and serve

Air fried dried anchovies (Ikan bilis in Malay) 鳀科

In South East Asian cuisine, we tend to use dried anchovies rather than the pickled ones. They are normally fried in oil until crispy and can be served as it is or cooked with sambal, as a garnish or stir fried with vegetables or used in soup. It is fantastic cooked with peanuts and chilli and eaten with beer. It can be ground into powder and added to children’s porridge.

Anchovies are small, common forage fishes which are full of nutrients such as iron, omega-3 fatty acids and calcium (present in the bones). It is ideal for people who are lactose intolerant.  

Ingredients

It is best to use medium to big sized anchovies as small ones will fall through the basket. Remove the heads and intestines otherwise the anchovies will be bitter.

Dried anchovies are very salty therefore soak them for about 5 mins and rinse thoroughly to reduce the salt content.

Drain off the excess water

Spread out on absorbent paper and pat dry.

If you like, add a little to the anchovies but I prefer it without the oil

Set the air fryer to cook for 6 mins. Give it 1 min to heat up the fryer so that the food will not stick to the basket.

Put in the anchovies and start the cooking process.

Give it a couple of shakes every couple of mins to ensure that the anchovies are evenly browned

Transfer to an air tight container for use later. Let it cool down before covering it.

Stir fried French beans with minced meat

This is another favourite dish of the children and old folks in my house. It is a good accompaniment with white congee. Also suitable during confinement.

Green beans are very delicious with a crunchy texture and great flavour. Some of the health benefits of green beans include reduced risk of heart disease and colon cancer as well as improved regulation of diabetes. They also provide a big boost to the immune system, the health of the eyes and bones, while regulating the digestive processes. They have also been shown to reduce the risk of birth defects for pregnant women. Green beans can cause allergic reactions involving rash and itching in some people. It also contain oxalic acid may crystallize as oxalate stones in the urinary tract in some people.  

Ingredients

1 bundle French beans

Minced pork or chicken

Chopped garlic

Cooking oil

A little sesame oil

Salt and pepper

Marinate the meat with:

½ tsp soy sauce

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp cornflour

Salt and pepper

Mix thoroughly and set aside

Remove the strings from the sides of the beans.

Slice the beans into bite size pieces

Heat the oil and sauté the garlic until slightly brown. 

Add the minced meat and stir until it changes colour. 

Add the beans and mix thoroughly.

Add a little water at a time to prevent the beans from burning

Cover and simmer on low fire until the beans are tender

Dish up and serve

White bitter gourd (白苦瓜) omelette

Finally i have got my act together after sorting out my pc and camera. So here is the first post for the year.

White bitter gourd is more commonly found in Taiwan compared to green bitter gourd. It is less bitter, and the children are willing to eat it when fried as an omelette.

Ingredients

1 medium sized white bitter gourd

2 eggs

Halve the bitter gourd and remove the seeds

Slice thinly

Add 1 tsp salt and mix thoroughly

Leave for 10 minutes

Rinse off the salt

Drain off the water

Crack the eggs into a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Beat slightly with a fork and set aside

Put a little oil in the wok.

Add some chopped garlic and fry until fragrant

Add the bitter gourd and stir until cooked

Pour in the beaten eggs.

Tip the pan around until the eggs completely covers the bitter gourd

When the bottom is brown, turn it over to brown the other side

Break it up into bite size pieces

Dish up and serve