#427 ; Sambal manga@ Malay ripe mango salad : recipe #231

I have been eating this since I was very young. Whenever mango was in season, My grandma will made a lot of this "sambal". The sweet-sour taste of this salad is perfect for the third dish of a typical Malay lunch/dinner.

What I used:
3 apple sized ripe mango: peeled and cut into small pieces or "cancang" in Brunei Malay.
1/2 bulb red onion - sliced
1 large red chili -sliced ; can be replaced with the hot bird's eye chili
garlic sized prawn paste@belacan- toasted and break into small pieces
soya sauce
sugar- optional

step:
mix all the ingredients together , adjust the seasoning, leave aside for at least 15 minutes before serving.

#311 : Dadah Tahai : recipe #203

Tahai is a dried, previously smoked White Tamban or sardines. This dish is a traditional Bruneian dish which usually accompany Ambuyat feasts. I bought a large packet of Tahai which skins were already removed, so I used some to make this. Most of the left-over Tahai were used to make "sambal Tahai". I usually cooked this dish because of the soup. We don't usually ate the fish, we gave it to our cat instead.

Ingredients:
5-10 Tahai-skin removed
1 garlic - sliced
3 shallots - sliced
1 fresh chili- sliced
lemon grass
5- 10 dried asam -preferably asam aur-aur, if you use asam keping use 1-2 pcs only.
salt to taste
water

Steps:
Add all ingredients in a pot and boil them.
once boiled, simmer for another 5 minutes
adjust seasoning and serve warm

#281 : STIR FRIED "LEMIDING": Recipe#166

Lemiding is a kind of fern growing "wildly" along the roadside or in jungles of Brunei. I've seen it being sold in Miri as well. It is similar to paku pakis but the the young shoot of this plant is reddish brown in colour. To an avid "ambuyat" eater, Lemiding is a must accompanying any Ambuyat feast. Although I've eaten several versions of Lemiding dishes, I have to say that the best of them all is always the traditional way of cooking it.... with "belacan" off course. Here's the recipe :)

Ingredients:
2 "ikat" lemiding : remove the midrib , then rinsed.
2 large chillies- sliced
chicken stock powder to taste

pounded ingredients:
5 shallots
2 garlic
1 handful dried prawns: soaked in water
1 thumb-sized shrimp paste/belacan

steps:
-heat oil in wok,
-fry the pounded ingredients till fragrant
-add in the chillies and the "Lemiding"
-add in the chicken stock powder
-stir and cook for further 2-3 minutes and dish up.

*since the leaflets are very soft , try not to overcook them.

#264:Cacah Ambuyat: binjai&tempoyak: recipe #158

Someone asked me how did I prepared my ambuyat's cacah... so here it is
Ingredients:
A)
pickled binjai
tempoyak
bird's eye chillies
shrimp paste
dried shrimps

B)
Kesturi juice
sugar (optional)
sliced chillies
soup from "lauk rabus" or "udang rabus"

steps:
blend A for about 1 minute
Add B and mix thoroughly
serve with ambuyat

Note: Bruneian dishes are usually prepared by estimation. This is to allow flexibility in the taste of the dishes. If I am preparing the cacah, I will put in more shrimp paste and kesturi juice. My dad would prefer less kesturi juice because he is not into "sour" taste. If you have extra "cacah", you can make "sambal tumis tempoyak-binjai" out of it. All you have to do is to fry sliced garlic, large onion and more chillies, then add in the "cacah" and slowly fry the mixture over small flame till the mixture thickens... see picture below :)

#62 EGG CUCUMBER SALAD : recipe#41

This recipe is one of the earliest cucumber recipe that I ate in wedding receptions and "Doa Selamat" in the ol' days .. and that was about 30-33 years back. However, this recipe is "endangered" as very hardly people served it in functions . My aunt Rosiah in Tutong, still prepare this dish and I am going to share this with you...

Ingredients:
1 cucumber
1/2 large onion ( cut crosswise)
1 clove garlic- sliced thinly
1/2 to 1 hard boiled egg ( sliced crosswise)
1 fresh red chilli- sliced crosswise
2 tbsp dilute coconut milk
juice from 2 limes
salt to taste

steps: mix everything. let it stand for about 20-30 minutes before serving. If you want to prepare this earlier, keep it in the fridge

#6 BRUNEI CUISINE RECIPE: recipe #2 and #3

When I was waiting for my A'level results , I used to stay with my 80 yrs old grandma and from her, I learnt how to cook delicious yet simple Brunei cooking. These are amongst the many recipes that I learnt simply by observing her cooking.



Tengiri rebus air
Ingredients:
4 slices tengiri/mackerel
1 tsp tumeric powder
1 dsp blended dried chilli paste
10 asam aur-aur ( see pic above. My friends in Malaysia and Indonesia said they couldn't find this there, so I assume this is native to Borneo)
4 shallots and 2 garlic
I stalk of lemon grass
salt and chicken stock to taste

Steps;
In a pan, mix tengiri with chili and turmeric, add shallots and garlic. add a bowl of water (about 500ml). Simmer at medium flame until boiling. When boiled, add in the rest of the ingredients and adjust its flavour.

Nangka Masak Air


Ingredients;
1. I bowl 3/4 ripe Nangka ( Jackfruit)
2. I red chilli ( julienned)
3. I lemon grass
4. 3 red onion
5. salt and chicken stock to taste

steps:
Put all ingredients into a pan add 1/2 bowl water , cook until tender and adjust flavour.... enjoy