Steamed Bitter Gourd stuffed with Minced Pork 蒸釀苦瓜

First, cut off both end of a bitter gourd.  Then vertically cut it into a 2cm thick rings.  Without damaging the ring, remove the seeds with the spongy pith with a spoon or a small knife.  Keep aside.

Meanwhile, finely dice some carrot, dried shitake mushroom and onion.  Add into minced pork.  Seasoned it with a bit of salt, pepper, sesame seed oil and corn flour.   

Another lazy way to prepare the mixed minced pork is replace it with frozen beef/chicken burger meat.  It is readily flavoured, yet may not as healthy.

Then, arrange the rings on a ceramic/glass/metal plate.  Stuff the mixed minced pork into in bitter gourd rings.  Steam it for about 10 minutes.

Edible Palms of Malaysia

Subfamily : Arecoideae

Cocos nucifera - kelapa

The endosperm, ( commonly known as coconut ‘meat’), is crated and toasted to make ‘kerisik’ for use in cooking and bakery.  Coconut milk ‘santan’ 椰浆is extracted from crated fresh endosperm, while coconut oil ‘minyak kelapa’ 椰油is from dried endosperm.

Coconut water ‘air kelapa’ 椰水is consumed fresh, or fermented into liquor and vinegar.

Sap derived from incising of the flower cluster ‘mayang’ too is consumed fresh as nira, fermented into liquor ‘toddy’ 椰花酒, reduced to make coconut sugar ‘gula Melaka’ 椰糖.

Apical buds of adult coconut tree is harvested and consumed as vegetable ‘umbut kelapa’ 椰心.


Subfamily : Arecoideae

Bactris gasipaes - peach palm

Apical bud is harvested for vegetable.

Subfamily : Nyphoiceae

Nypa fruticans - nipah

Just as coconut, its flower cluster can be taped to yield sweet sap.  The sap can too produced into liquor, vinegar and sugar ‘gula apong’.

The seed of young fruit, ‘attap-zi’  is used as a dessert ingredient.

Buds are harvested and consumed as vegetable.

Subfamily : Coryphoideae

Arenga pinnata – kabong

A sugary sap is harvested from incised flower cluster.  The sap is then reduced to make ‘gula kabong’.

The seed of young fruit is a delicacy.

Subfamily : Calamoideae

Salacca zalacca ( Salacca edulis ) - salak

The sweet and acidic flesh is eaten fresh, or pickled.

Subfamily : Calamoideae

Eleiodoxa conferta  - asam paya

The flesh is very acidic and often used in cooking.  It is also pickled into ‘jeruk kelubi’

Cari Makan @ Serdang - 瓦堡老鼠粉

瓦堡老鼠粉

玉兴饭店

33, Jalan SR 8/4,

Taman Putra Indah,

Serdang Raya,

Selangor.

03-89438753

012-3399678

012-6533915

Business hour :

10:30am – 2:30pm

5:30pm – 10:30pm

close on every alternate Mondays.

Dabai - A Folklore Freeze-Storing Technique

Dabai ( Canarium odontophyllum ) is an exotic fruit indigenous to Sarawak.  It is normally consumed as vegetable, occasionally made into cakes.

Dabai is a seasonal fruit, available at the same time as the durians.     It is pre-soaked in warm water to softened it before consuming with some soy sauce and sugar.  It’s a bit creamy, some describe it as similar to avocados.  An acquired taste, I may put it, not everyone would enjoy it.   Yet, it is still a well received fruit-vegetable among Sarawakians.

However, dabai is a highly perishable produce.  It cannot be stored for long after harvest.  Once soaked, it must be consumed immediately.   So, it is very hard to acquire during off-seasons.

One day, in Miri’s Aunt Hong new house, I learned that there is a folklore technique to store the dabai fruits.   The fruits are kept in the freezer, without being pre-washed.  When required, wash and put the dabai in room temperature to defrost.  Once its defrosted, just add in soy sauce and sugar to marinate.  Soaking in warm water not required, as the freezing will damage the plant cell membranes, resulting of the dabai fruits to softened. 

Apparently, the freezing burst the plant cells as moisture will slightly expand when reaches temperature of approximately 4°C.   When water almost reaches the freezing point, it expand by approximately 9%.  Damages on cell wall means softening of tissue.      

However, the freezing method requires more proper study.

   

香椿 Chinese Toon

香椿 ( Toona sinensis )，又名香椿芽、香椿、香樁頭、大紅椿樹、Chinese Mahogany、Chinese Toon、Red Toon、suren (Malay) 等。根有二層皮又稱椿白皮，原產於中国。

成语 é椿萱并茂û 中的椿和萱指的是香椿和萱草 ( Hermerocallis fulva )，分別代称父亲和母亲，因为香椿寿命很长，而象征母亲的萱草可以使人忘忧，因此成语的意思是父母均健在、安康。

香椿木可制作家具，也可作造船、建筑材料。香椿也是庭院和街道旁的观赏树木

香椿叶屬于健康食品，民间自古就流傳 “食用香椿，不染杂病” 的說法，根、皮、叶、花和果实均可入药。近期西方醫學研究發現有抗氧化效果。

不过香椿叶的亚硝酸盐 ( nitrite ) 含量較高，须用沸水焯一焯、或煮一煮，方可安全食用。香椿叶长时间存放後，亚硝酸盐含量也會上升，因此不宜过久存放。

香椿的叶片有獨特濃厚的味道，可做香料。嫩葉乾燥後磨成細粉，素食者時常拿來當調味料，而且還可以制作多種菜肴,或制成香椿酱。

Cari Makan @ Bintangor - Rojak + ABC

民丹莪 的 Rojak 和 ABC 是 成名已久的道地小食。在微博、面子书未面世前几十年，周边的小镇都已慕名而来。以前交通又不方便，食客们却都不曾间断。小小的档子至今还是老样子。

Rojak

ABC

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A Walk Through Supermarkets in Sibu : Canned Food

whole kernel corn... canned & tetrapacked 

clams in soy sauce

 Wow ! Petai in brine !

various fruit drinks...

(from left to right)

pink guava, soursop, another soursop, 

orange juice, young coconut juice...

 

 colourful fruit juices 

with angry birds...

lagi colour-loaded sport drinks

Cola ape ni ?

Birdnest drink !