Peranakan cuisine. It is about the latter that I wish to write about in this post.
LIST OF INGREDIENTS
- 4 skinless chicken breast fillets (approx 600g)
- 5 shallots
- 3 large ripe tomatoes
- 3 medium sized red onions
- 1 large fresh chilli
- 1 tablespoon thick soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- A handful of cashews
- 1 teaspoon of chilli powder (for marinating)
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- Chopped coriander, aka cilantro (optional)
- A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
- Cooking oil
- Salt
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.
This dish is best served with steaming fragrant rice.
What if you want to skip the rice?
What if you are vegetarian?
Dealing with the chilli
You are now all set for a wonderful evening
Tags: Malacca Recipes Baba-Nyonya Malaysia Peranakan Firesides Pecan-Pie