Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Stew Arrowheads with Pork Belly in Hakka Style

stew stew


Arrowheads can only be found in the market during the months from November to February or near the Chinese New Year period.

When I was young I remembered the arrowheads  my mother cooked were the smaller species.  But now they are not so commonly seen in the markets.

 I used to help my mother to clean the arrowheads by using a piece of cloth, rub off the skin and mud , and then used the flat side of the chopper to lightly pat the arrowheads, so that during the process of cooking the sauce is easily absorbed by the arrowheads.

Recipe:

Ingredients:
300 g pork belly (cut into 1 cm thick matchsticks)
1 + 1/2 pieces fermented red bean-curds (南乳)
15 g Black fungus (soak and clean)
4 stalks Chinese Leeks (clean and remove the older parts and cut into pieces)
14 pieces Arrowheads (peel the skin and cut into 3 to 4 thick slices)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon diced garlic
750 ml water

Method:
1) Marinate pork belly with 1/2 piece of fermented red bean-curd for 30 minutes.
2) Coat belly meat with corn flour, deep-fry until cooked. Dish up and leave aside.
3) Heat up wok with 1/2 tablespoon of oil and saute garlic until fragrant, put in 1 piece of fermented red bean-curd (mashed) , stir-fry for a minute and then pour in arrowheads, continue to cook for a minute.
4) Add in deep-fried belly meat , sugar, salt , light soy sauce and water until boiling. Turn to low heat and  simmer until meat and arrowheads are soft (cover lid).
5) Add in fungus and leeks, cover and simmer for further 10-15 minutes.Serve.

TIPS: You can replace Pork Belly with Roast Pork(烧肉)instead.

Fermented  red bean-curd
Black fungus
 Arrowheads and marinated belly meat
Chinese Leek







8 comments:

  1. 这也是我很喜欢的年菜之一,因为只有过年才能吃到,所以每一年我都会狠狠地吃它一顿,哈哈哈。。。

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  2. Cass @ 揾到食, 我也是很喜欢吃。我已经吃了3次。哈。。。。真的很奇怪,一过了年巴刹也买不到。

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  3. Veronica, I know this must be very delicious! I have only just become acquainted with arrowheads - in the form of chips hah! hah! I must try cooking them with meat too.

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  4. Phong Hong, the arrowhead chips taste better than potato chips. That is one of my favourites too. Now I am having problem to lose weight liao.

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  5. Veron, I must have this dish every CNY. This is a special dish because my late brother in law used to cook this for me and my family when he was alive. Each year when I cook this dish, I cannot help but think of him and miss him.

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  6. Hi Veron @Quay Po Cooks, you know what, I totally agree and understand with you. This is a dish that also reminds me of my family, during my younger days when my siblings and I would be busy in the kitchen helping my parents out with preparation of the CNY dishes. Since we are doing food blogs, let's aim to leave a 'food recipe legacy' behind to our children so they can keep the flavour of the CNY dishes for many generations to come :)

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  7. Hi Veronica, wishing you and family a very happy new year. Gong Xi Fa cai.

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  8. I love arrowhead :)
    Happy CNY to u and family :)

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