My culinary journey

Passport & Plate - Nyonya Babi Pongteh

Belgium | Monday, March 10, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients 800g pork shoulder/chicken breasts (cut into cubes) 15 pieces of shallots
8 pieces of cloves
2 cinnamon sticks (approximately 4cm each)
4 tablespoons of fermented soya beans
10 pieces of potatoes (each cut into quarters)
50g palm sugar (Gula Melaka)
2 tablespoons of dark soya sauce
6 tablespoons of peanut/sunflower oil
200ml of water
10 Shiitake mushrooms
Salt to taste
Spring onions (as garnish)

 

How to prepare this recipe
This recipe serves 4-6 persons

Method:
1. In a wok, stir fry blended shallots and cloves in vegetable oil over low heat till translucent and aromatic.
2. Add fermented soya bean paste and stir fry until mixture is semi-dry, intensely aromatic, and golden brown. Reduce heat to low to prevent burning.
3. Add pork marinade with dark soya sauce into the wok. Increase heat slightly to medium. Stir-fry for about 10 minutes until the meat and mixture is semi-dry and intensely aromatic.
4. Deglaze wok with 200ml of water.
5. Add Shiitake mushrooms and potatoes. If using dried Shiitake mushrooms, they must be soaked overnight so that the mushrooms expand in size.
6. Finally, when the mix is simmering, add in the palm sugar and stir gently.
7. Cover the pot and let the stew simmer, adding more water when necessary, until pork is tender but still has some bite. This should take about 2 hours. Serve hot with rice.

 

I am a Chinese Straits born from Melaka, a sleepy hollow city, south east of Kuala Lumpur. When I was young, Babi Pongteh was one of my favorites as my Grandma was a great cook, always stirring up mouth-watering delicacies. If you are from Peranakan descent, cooking skills are most valued in a woman and it is the duty of the mother to impart these skills to her daughter. Recipes are almost family heirlooms and every family will have their own style of cooking a particular dish, and these methods are often closely guarded secrets.

As a child (at the age of 7), I was taught how to prepare the ingredients for the Peranakan dishes (just like a sous chef) but the main task of cooking was always done by the most experienced member of the family. Until I was 20 years old, I was still performing the task of the sous chef. Fast forward to 8 years later, I was given a scholarship to do a Masters in Food Science, Technology & Nutrition in Belgium, Portugal and Germany. Before I left home, I always took my culture and heritage for granted. However, being 10000 km from home made me rediscover my own culture and intricate cuisine.

Having no one who knew how to cook Babi Pongteh drove me to learn how to cook this dish. I called home every time I attempted to cook the Babi Pongteh, making it now a dish I can say that I have learnt to cook to perfection. From the cut of the meat to the intense smell of spices, every bite of this dish yields a burst of flavor so good that it triggers a flood of memories and make me remember all my childhood days with my grandmother in the kitchen. And now, Iam sharing this recipe to ensure that this food is known, enjoyed and the culture preserved for many years to come.

Italy amazes me because of its long lasting culinary history and rich food culture. As the Peranakan clan is getting smaller and smaller, I would like to explore and understand how the Italians’ traditions are preserved. In a culture where people live to eat, I am certainly intrigue to experience the various senses, marrying my mixed Peranakan culture with Southern European congeniality.