Pearlyn has been asked to write a book on Peranakan cuisine and culture. She decides to enlist the help of the entire household particularly Fern who represents the modern Nonya. Unfortunately nobody wants to help her and Pearlyn resorts to emotional blackmail. An episode that gives a broad brushstroke on Peranakan cuisine and includes an in depth discussion on what is the quintessential Nonya dish.

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Babi Chin

- 1kg Pork Belly
- 24 Shallots
- 8 cloves of Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Tau Cheo
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Dark Soya Sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Salt
- 855ml Water
- 1 tablespoon Ketumbar (roasted & pounded coriander seeds)
- 6 tablespoon Oil
- 455g Bamboo Shoot
- 85g Dried Mushrooms


Directions:

  1. Soak dried mushrooms in warm water until soft.
    2.
  2. Blanche bamboo shoot and then slice them.
    3.
  3. Cut pork into cubes
    4.
  4. (To make Ketumbar) Heat up kuali, put in coriander seeds, dry-fry the seeds for a few minutes or till fragrant. Then pound it till it is very fine.
    5.
  5. (To make Rempah) Pound the shallots and garlic till it becomes a fine paste.
    6.
  6. Heat up kuali with oil, fry the Rempah.
    7.
  7. Add Tau Cheo and Ketumbar, continue frying.
    8.
  8. Put in the pork belly.
    9.
  9. Add dark soya sauce for colour.
    10.
  10. Fry mixture evenly and then transfer into a pot.
    11.
  11. Pour water into the pot and bring to boil.
    12.
  12. Add bamboo Shoot, mushrooms and the cinnamon stick.
    13.
  13. Simmer for about 35 minutes.
    14.


Kueh Kochi

- 20 Banana Leaves
- 1kg Grated fresh Coconut without the skin
- 115g Sweet Potato
- 395g Glutinous Rice Flour
- 5 tablespoon Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 4 drops Blue Food Colouring
- 285g Gula Melaka
- 6 Pandan Leaves


Directions:

    1. Cut banana leaves into circles, with diameter between 15cm-20cm, and then cut circles into halves.
      2.
    2. Wipe leaves, soak them in hot water and remove immediate.
      3.
    3. Cut gula melaka into small pieces.
      4.
    4. (To make coconut filling) Put gula melaka into a pot with a bit of water, then add Pandan Leaves tied into a knot, and boil till it turns into a syrup, add half portion of the grated coconut and stir till the coconut soaks up all the syrup.
      5.
    5. (To make thick santan) Add water and some salt into the other half portion of the grated coconut, wrap in white cloth and squeeze the coconut milk into a bowl.
      6.
    6. (To make thin santan) Take squeezed-dried coconut from above, add more water, and squeeze the remaining coconut milk into another bowl.
      7.
    7. Peel sweet potato and boil it till soft, then mash. Add rice flour to sweet potato and mix well by using your fingers and pressing the sweet potato into the flour. Make it as fine as possible.
      8.
    8. (To make Part 1 of dough) Heat the thin santan in a pot, add some salt, sugar, oil and blue colouring, then let it cool, add in the rice flour and mix well.
      9.
    9. (To make Part 2 of dough) Add the thick santan into mashed sweet potato with rice flour and mix well.
      10.
    10. (To make dough) Add Part 1 into Part 2, knead until it becomes a nice, soft dough.
      11.
    11. Take a bit of the dough and roll into a ball.
      12.
    12. Make a hole and fill it with about a teaspoon of coconut filling.
      13.
    13. Cover it up.
      14.
    14. Take a banana leaf and fold it into a cone.
      15.
    15. Put uncooked Kueh Kochi into the cone, fold it closed and seal it with a toothpick.
      16.
    16. Steam the Kueh Kochi for about 10-15 minutes.
      17.

 


 


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