Sambal Petai Udang Kering Sarawak

Ingredients :

1. Petai ( seeds of Parkia speciosa )

2. Sarawak sesar unjur ( Sarawak smoked prawn )

3. Belacan ( shrimp paste )

4. Chili

5. Garlic

6. Onion

First, soak the Sarawak smoked prawn in water for a while.  Then, coarsely blend it with a food processor.  Else, use a lesung batu ( mortar ), which is more conventional and troublesome, but produce nicer rhythmatic pounding sound than the ear-piercing grinding sound of food processor.

In a hot kuali ( crock ) with oil, tumis ( stirfry ) the minced mixture of chili, garlic, onion and belacan till the nice aroma can be smelled few house away. 

Then, add in the petai and udang kering Sarawak.  Cook till the neighbors can  smell the mouth-watering aroma.  

Siap la tu !

Sarawak's Smoked Prawn

This is the uniquely Sarawak’s smoked prawn, locally known as kupas tigah in Melanau language.

The Melanaus are native of Sarawak, residing along rivers and costals of Borneon Malaysia.  Tradionally fishermans and farmers, the Melanaus used to live in tall stilted houses by the riverines. 

Sokedprawn is considered important foodstuff by the Melanaus.  The prawns are harvested from the sea, deskinned, straightened, and smoked over an open hearth.  The end product is an  appeasing marroon coloration, chewy, savory with richness of prawn.

Kupas tigah can be stored for long period time, and thus was once an important staple food for fishermans, and wanderers as well.  It was taken along with sagu and umai.

Today, priced at a hefty RM70/kg, kupas tigah is well incorportated into cuisines of other ethnic group of Sarawak.