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