What better recipe to introduce during the Eid festival season than one commonly found at a meal of a Malaysian household.
Fair warning though, that this recipe is NOT a GERD-IBS friendly one a.k.a. it is high FODMAP.
However, this is an all-time family favourite home-cooked side dish typically enjoyed with piping hot rice; a must-share recipe!
In my Nyonya family, this side dish includes prawn paste commonly known in Malaysia as belacan. It is a savoury and pungent yet flavour-enhancing condiment found in a myriad of Malaysian, Indonesian and even Thai dishes or side dishes.
Another wonderful ingredient recipe added is the ginger torch flower (bunga kantan). This flower is also used in my Kerabu Nanas Utara a.k.a. Northern Malaysian Pineapple Salad post, which is a perfect pair to tone down the heat.
Ingredients & Preparation:
Chilli & Herbs Paste
- 2 pcs medium fresh chillies
- 10 pcs dried chillies
- 5 cloves garlic
- 7-10 bulbs shallots
- 1 inch fresh turmeric rhizome (kunyit hidup)
- 1/4 cup tamarind juice (asam jawa)
Preparation: Blend the above ingredients to form a thick paste then set aside.
Notes – Add bird’s eye chillies (cili paid) for more intense heat. If you are pounding using a pestle and mortar, only add the tamarind juice when cooking. Tamarind juice quantity is an estimate for blending. I would advise adding enough tamarind juice to cover the ingredients in the blender for a smooth blending experience. However, reduce it if your blender is suited for dry ingredients.
Cooking
- 300gm pineapple-cut fresh squid
- 1/2 tsp prawn paste (belacan)
- 1/2 pc finely sliced ginger torch flower (bunga kantan)
- 1/2 pc whole ginger torch flower
- 1 large thickly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup cooking oil (adding 1 tbsp gradually if insufficient)
- Salt to taste
Preparation: Toast the prawn paste until fragrant, enough to achieve umami flavour, then set aside for cooking. Various other fresh squid cutting methods are rings, slices, or tubes, choice is self preference.
Note – The oil-splitting process is mandatory for a successful dish. I highly advise adding more cooking oil during this phase to encourage the oil-split process. Insufficient oil will not result in an oil split, which can turn the dish into an unpleasant flavour.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, replace squid with Konjac slices/jelly as they have similar texture and crunch. Omit belacan in this case too.
Directions:
- Heat the cooking oil in a medium-sized pan over high heat.
- Once pan is hot, add Chilli & Herbs Paste and pre-toasted prawn paste. Sautée until achieved oil split (pecah minyak) and oil surfaces from cooked paste.
- Add sliced onions and ginger torch flower, sliced and whole, and cook until all ingredients have softened.
- Stir in squid and cook until tender. Lower heat enough to continue simmering to cook thoroughly for approximately 5 minutes.
- Choose to serve hot immediately or allow to cool till warm, never cold.
Kisah Tanduk Berbunga 