When I saw this midin is available at my wet market, I can’t wait to just go back to fry them!

A bunch of midin (or some called wild jungle fern?) can be quite costly here, and it cost Rm3 per bunch.

It comes with hard long stem at the bottom, like a stick but it is the top part (which you can see some curly-curly leaves) is tender and edible.

I bought this vege twice and will cook with belacan or just dried shrimp. It is so tender and all my 3 kids loves it A LOT!

Well, it is not easy to find vege with leaves that my kids can chew or love, so I shall expect a lot of midin dish served on our table from now on……………….Provided I can find them in this often…..

Anyway, the best way to get your fish paste is of course from the wet market. I got mine at Rm7 per big ball  and I mixed them with some mince meat and mui heong salted fish at home. In just less than Rm15 (fish paste from the market plus some vege), I can come up with these….

Stuffed fish paste in all sorts of vegetables

Stuffed fish paste in Tofu-pok, and even Yau-char-kuai (Chinese cruller)

For a healthier option, I lightly steam all the above for about 5 minutes so that the meat is partially cooked instead of frying them with lots of oil like how they do it outside.  But steaming makes everything look a bit lumpy so I lightly pan fried them until golden brown at the surface.

Instead of eating them like that, I also made some soy bean paste (just add sauteed garlic to soy bean paste, water, sugar to taste). Once the sauce is ready, you can ither pour it over your yong tau foo. But I prefer lightly stir fry all my yong tau foo with the sauce. Just garnish your dish with some onions and  it’s ready to be served with your bowl of fragrant white rice.

Simple and easy, isn’t it?

Shireen has always mention in her blog, how yummy this dish is. I tried making them myself quite sometime ago, but I only used tumeric and nothing else. The taste was so horrible that I decided to stay away from this dish.

A few days back, she posted again, and I asked my maid if she can make this dish. She said, yes, as she usually makes them at home. Good to have a maid so I have someone pound the ingredients for me

Ingredients we used:

• 1/2 chicken – cut into small pieces
• sugar to taste
• enough water to cover the chicken to let it simmer until dry

Pounded ingredients

• 2 thumb size tumeric
• 8 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp pepper seeds
• few slices galangal (we did not use this)
• 1 thumb size ginger (we did not use this)
• 2 tsp salt

Preparation

1. Pound all the ingredients above
2. Marinate the chicken pieces with the spices (estimate: 1 hour)
3. Leave the extra aside

Cooking method

1. Saute the extra spice in oil till dry and fragant
2. Add in marinated chicken with spiece
3. Fry till tender
4. Add sugar to taste
5. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Close lid. Once boiled, lower fire and let it simmer (I think it takes about 30mins -1 hour)
6. Once the gravy turns thick, I turn off the gas because I prefer some gravy to go with my rice.

Verdict: Very very yummy, a must try!!  I had trouble removing the yellow stain from my blender and my hands previously. So, the only trouble is to pound them.

I love making this dish whenever there is a leftover with our Sambal Belacan (see how to make Sambal Belacan here)

How to cook

1. Heat up some oil and saute some garlic
2. Add in some sambal belacan
3. Add in the winged beans and some salt and sugar (to replace MSG) to taste
4. Ready to be served

I recently let QQ try some winged beans (or locally known as Kacang botol) and she loves it! For her, I will only stir fry with some belacan and pounded shallots (omitting cilli) so that it is not too spicy for her. I love my white rice with spicy dishes like this and I can’t probably eat this without rice. Guess that is why most of us still need the thermogenic fat burner especially when we are living in a country so rich with spicy ingredients which can be used to cook so much of good food.

Stir Fried Stingray with Bean Paste

Initially when  I got a piece of nice stingray (ikan pari) from the wet market, I thought of grilling (baking with my oven). Thanks to tips from Jesselyn, I decided to stir-fried and it really taste yummy!!

Recipe

• Stingray (not sure what’s the weight but it is about Rm8)
• ginger cut to strips
• dry cillies soaked (about 5 stalks)
• 2 tablespoon Taucu (bean paste)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• salt and sugar to taste
• some water for the gravy

Method:

• Clean stingray and cut into pieces. Leave aside
• Heat up oil on wok and fry ginger strips till golden yellow
• Add in garlic, bean paste and dry chillies till fragant
• Add in fish cubes
• Once cook, add some water and seasoning

Verdict: I love the gravy! Even hubby thinks that this dish is really yummy.

Next round I shall try to steam with ingredients suggested by Jessie as following:

1. Rub some salt all over the stingray.
2. Steam them in a plate.
3. Prepare soya sauce + red chili + garlic + small onion + one lime.
4. optional put cincalok

When my SIL comes back from her ski vacation, I will try to cook this dish again with some other kind of fish she brings back.