YOU can see it in their smile, taste it in the air and savour it in their fare, of sugar and spice and all things nice, an exquisite blend of all that is wonderful about the Asia I like. I’m talking about Malacca. The original hub of the solar system (much to the chagrin I would expect of Boston Brahmins!) or if that sounds a tad inflated, at least of 15th century global trade routes.
Successive world empires have left their traces here, in the language you hear spoken on the street, in the architectural mélange of buildings, genes and places of worship, and ultimately for this foodie, in the prized Peranakan cuisine. It is about the latter that I wish to write about in this post.
Peranakan (or Baba Nyonya) cooking was first brought to my attention when a friend of mine took pity on my culinary skills, with its tendency to render all food cuit à l'anglaise, and showed me how to prepare some simple dishes (she is of Chinese, Indian and Malay extraction). One incredible recipe of hers which has gotten me out of more tough situations than I can remember, is the Ayam Masak Merah Ala Baba Nyonya (chicken cooked in spicy red sauce). It can be prepared in a jiffy, uses a minimal of pots and pans, and for someone who used to live on a student’s budget, was and still is eminently affordable.
So what this post comes down to is this, to show you how to prepare this amazingly simple dish. The recipe that I’m going to describe has evolved over time and I have taken the liberty of using ingredients such as cashews which were not present in the original as well as ditching some that only connoisseurs of exotic food may miss. So the authenticity to Baba Nyonya cooking is debatable. But what matters most is the taste, right?
First, let’s begin with the list of ingredients you will need (Box 1). Notice that they are all commonplace items which you will be able to find in the Tescos and Wall-Marts of the world. I happen to think that this availability factor is one of the main attractions of this recipe. So no matter where you are, be it Wasilla or Valhalla you will still be able to prepare and enjoy this dish with your friends and family.
Successive world empires have left their traces here, in the language you hear spoken on the street, in the architectural mélange of buildings, genes and places of worship, and ultimately for this foodie, in the prized Peranakan cuisine. It is about the latter that I wish to write about in this post.
Peranakan (or Baba Nyonya) cooking was first brought to my attention when a friend of mine took pity on my culinary skills, with its tendency to render all food cuit à l'anglaise, and showed me how to prepare some simple dishes (she is of Chinese, Indian and Malay extraction). One incredible recipe of hers which has gotten me out of more tough situations than I can remember, is the Ayam Masak Merah Ala Baba Nyonya (chicken cooked in spicy red sauce). It can be prepared in a jiffy, uses a minimal of pots and pans, and for someone who used to live on a student’s budget, was and still is eminently affordable.
So what this post comes down to is this, to show you how to prepare this amazingly simple dish. The recipe that I’m going to describe has evolved over time and I have taken the liberty of using ingredients such as cashews which were not present in the original as well as ditching some that only connoisseurs of exotic food may miss. So the authenticity to Baba Nyonya cooking is debatable. But what matters most is the taste, right?
First, let’s begin with the list of ingredients you will need (Box 1). Notice that they are all commonplace items which you will be able to find in the Tescos and Wall-Marts of the world. I happen to think that this availability factor is one of the main attractions of this recipe. So no matter where you are, be it Wasilla or Valhalla you will still be able to prepare and enjoy this dish with your friends and family.
BOX 1: LIST OF INGREDIENTS
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OK now’s time to get all hands on. Cut the chicken breast fillets into smaller pieces, but be careful not to make them too small otherwise you’ll end up with chicken broth instead of an exotic dish from the Far East. Lightly marinade the pieces with some paste made up of turmeric, chilli powder, salt and water. Cover the pieces and leave them aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
Blend the onions and fresh chilli into a paste using a food processor. Leave it for later. Cut the shallots crosswise and separate them into rings. The shallots will be used for garnishing the dish when we’re done cooking.
Fire up the wok and add a sufficient amount of cooking oil to make frying comfortable. Add cashews to the oil when it’s sufficiently hot, and fry until they are slightly brown. You have to be careful here. It’s easy to overdo the frying and end up with burned cashews! So remove the cashews at the slightest hint of browning. Once done, place the fried cashews aside to drain the excess oil.
Now fry the shallots in the same wok and put them aside after you're done. Do not discard the oil in the wok just yet. Use it to fry the marinated chicken pieces. Fry the chicken pieces until they are about half done. Remove and let drain.
There should still be some oil left in the wok. So add the onion/chilli paste, followed by a tablespoon of sugar (to give that exotic taste!). Fry the paste until it turns golden brown and you start getting a whiff of that gorgeous aroma. Put in the chopped tomatoes and continue frying until the tomatoes begin to melt. Add a tablespoon of thick soy sauce to give the paste that exotic Far East look. Then add the fried chicken pieces, making sure that they are completely coated by the paste and tomatoes. Stir fry for a minute or so before adding a cup of water. Bring the concoction to boil, cover and allow to simmer under low fire for about 10 minutes.
Add salt to taste and optionally, a squeeze of lemon juice if you would like that extra tang. Fried cashews are added next and the contents of the wok transferred to a serving bowl. Garnish with fried shallots and coriander leaves. Ta-da! And you’re done!
This dish is best served with steaming fragrant rice.
What if you want to skip the rice?
Here’s a variation on the recipe that I find myself using quite often. If you would like to serve the dish with spaghetti instead of rice, ditch the chilli and shallot, instead add a small amount of cumin to the wok prior to the onion paste. When you're almost done cooking and the chicken has become tender, add some bell red pepper that has been sliced into long thin strips (if you put in the pepper too early it will become unacceptably soft).
What if you are vegetarian?
You can replace the chicken with Quorn. In fact this is what I do when I invite vegetarians over for dinner. If you haven’t heard of Quorn, look it up on Wikipedia or visit http://www.quorn.com. I have visited the factory where they make the stuff and I have this to say: it is the cleanest food production facility I have seen. No, I don’t work there in case you’re wondering!
Dealing with the chilli
Not everyone likes the bite chilli leaves in their mouth. After a great deal of experimentation I have discovered the perfect antidote for this, it’s Haagen-Dazs’ pineapple coconut ice cream, although frozen yoghurt will do in a cinch.
You are now all set for a wonderful evening
If you have called your friends over for an evening of fireside discussion don’t forget that pecan pie or gourmet roasted coffee. I find them to be absolutely indispensable for a summer’s evening of entertaining, light-hearted and occasionally weighty discussion. I usually tend to end such gatherings by taking my friends outside to enjoy the cool breeze on an otherwise warm summer’s night and introduce those who are unfamiliar with the night-time sky, to the Summer Triangle, which is made up of the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair. A marvellous sight if you happen to live away from the city and a perfect way to end a summer’s evening.
Blend the onions and fresh chilli into a paste using a food processor. Leave it for later. Cut the shallots crosswise and separate them into rings. The shallots will be used for garnishing the dish when we’re done cooking.
Fire up the wok and add a sufficient amount of cooking oil to make frying comfortable. Add cashews to the oil when it’s sufficiently hot, and fry until they are slightly brown. You have to be careful here. It’s easy to overdo the frying and end up with burned cashews! So remove the cashews at the slightest hint of browning. Once done, place the fried cashews aside to drain the excess oil.
Now fry the shallots in the same wok and put them aside after you're done. Do not discard the oil in the wok just yet. Use it to fry the marinated chicken pieces. Fry the chicken pieces until they are about half done. Remove and let drain.
There should still be some oil left in the wok. So add the onion/chilli paste, followed by a tablespoon of sugar (to give that exotic taste!). Fry the paste until it turns golden brown and you start getting a whiff of that gorgeous aroma. Put in the chopped tomatoes and continue frying until the tomatoes begin to melt. Add a tablespoon of thick soy sauce to give the paste that exotic Far East look. Then add the fried chicken pieces, making sure that they are completely coated by the paste and tomatoes. Stir fry for a minute or so before adding a cup of water. Bring the concoction to boil, cover and allow to simmer under low fire for about 10 minutes.
Add salt to taste and optionally, a squeeze of lemon juice if you would like that extra tang. Fried cashews are added next and the contents of the wok transferred to a serving bowl. Garnish with fried shallots and coriander leaves. Ta-da! And you’re done!
This dish is best served with steaming fragrant rice.
What if you want to skip the rice?
Here’s a variation on the recipe that I find myself using quite often. If you would like to serve the dish with spaghetti instead of rice, ditch the chilli and shallot, instead add a small amount of cumin to the wok prior to the onion paste. When you're almost done cooking and the chicken has become tender, add some bell red pepper that has been sliced into long thin strips (if you put in the pepper too early it will become unacceptably soft).
What if you are vegetarian?
You can replace the chicken with Quorn. In fact this is what I do when I invite vegetarians over for dinner. If you haven’t heard of Quorn, look it up on Wikipedia or visit http://www.quorn.com. I have visited the factory where they make the stuff and I have this to say: it is the cleanest food production facility I have seen. No, I don’t work there in case you’re wondering!
Dealing with the chilli
Not everyone likes the bite chilli leaves in their mouth. After a great deal of experimentation I have discovered the perfect antidote for this, it’s Haagen-Dazs’ pineapple coconut ice cream, although frozen yoghurt will do in a cinch.
You are now all set for a wonderful evening
If you have called your friends over for an evening of fireside discussion don’t forget that pecan pie or gourmet roasted coffee. I find them to be absolutely indispensable for a summer’s evening of entertaining, light-hearted and occasionally weighty discussion. I usually tend to end such gatherings by taking my friends outside to enjoy the cool breeze on an otherwise warm summer’s night and introduce those who are unfamiliar with the night-time sky, to the Summer Triangle, which is made up of the stars Vega, Deneb and Altair. A marvellous sight if you happen to live away from the city and a perfect way to end a summer’s evening.
2 comments:
I enjoyed reading your posts. This recipe sounds like one I should try - some of the ingredients are part of my weekly farm share.
I'm glad you liked the posts :-) Good luck trying out the recipe! BTW instead of frying the cashews yourself, you could use roasted ones such as Kirkland's
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