Stir-fry Papaya Flower with Cassava Leaf

Have you ever cook papaya flower.  The papaya flower is obtained from the male papaya tree (which will not produce fruit) and it has very high in nutritional value. It is believed can stabilize blood sugar levels and high blood pressure. Those who have these health problems are advisable to occasionally insert this in their daily meals for it can give advantages to their health. 

 

Papaya flower has a strong bitter taste. If you love the sensation of bitter in your food, this ingredient is strongly recommended.... It can be cooked to be a delicious and advantageous cuisine. However it may not be accepted by the throat of those who are not accustomed to eat bitter food. There are various ways to get rid of the bitter taste. Some may blanch it together with tamarind or asam keping, soak it in salty water or cooking it together with Daun Gosing (Senduduk leaves). All the methods are very effective. However, lots of nutrients content in the papaya flower may be damaged due to the blanching process. Sabahan people have their own way to get rid of the bitter taste without the boiling task. Just cook it with cassava leaf and you will find the bitter taste disappears by itself.  By this way, you are not just be able to maintain the nutrients content in the papaya flower from damaged but you are also get multiple nutrients for cassava leaf are also believed to have benefits of its own.

 
Ingredients:

• 300g papaya flower
• 300g cassava leaf
• 1 can of canned mackerel in chili sauce
• 60g sliced shallot
• 400g sliced Garlic
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt and sugar to taste
• Half cup of water

Method:

1. Pluck papaya flower from the stalk and rinse with water until the itchy latex content are thoroughly removed.
2. Wilted cassava leaves by rubbing it with both hands. Rinse.
3. Heat up 2tbsp oil in a preheated wok, saute shallot and Garlic until fragrant.
4. Add in canned mackerel, Stir briskly over high heat until aromatic.
5. Add in papaya flower and cassava leaf followed by Seasoning. Stir-fry until well combined.
6. Pour in half cup of water, Bring to boil. Toss well. Covered and allow simmering over medium heat until the gravy is nearly dry. Ready to serve.

 

 

Let's Make Bosou-Step by Step

This is another version of my Bosou Sada recipe. My last post about Bosou is about a couple years ago. I really love this food as it was also one of the KadazanDusun Signature Dish that has been a favorite of many. The look may be disgusting those who don’t really like it and it may make them turn their face away just to avoid the ‘special smell’. But for Bosou lovers, they may refer that special smell just as the aroma of the blue cheese or the Chinese smelly tofu, yet the taste is also super delicious. It may serve in many different ways...

Try Spaghetti Bolognese with stir-fry Bosou as a side dish

Or...enjoy it with Tinanok Guol (boiled yam)

Also goes really delicious when served with Linopot (Wrapped rice in special Leaves)

Also... Simply delicious when eat it with steamy rice without any other dishes. Or just give an addition to the Bosou according to your liking... you may enjoy it just the way it was or you may stir-fry it with some other vegetable to make it more aromatic.  So, to Bosou lovers... when enjoy your favorite Bosou, just prepare for an extra bowl of rice because I’m sure you would really need a second helping of it.  :)

 

Nowadays so many Bosou Lovers don’t even have an idea how it was made. They would rather buy the readymade though it cost them more. For me, homemade Bosou is always special because we can control the ingredients to suit it to our own taste.  So, let’s make Bosou.  Here I will show you step by step how to make it...

The Ingredients:

50g pounded Pangi (Pangium edule)

500g small fishes

Ginger, White Radish, Tuhau, Lesun(Chives) and White Chili 

A big bowl of Rice

The Method:

~Put all ingredients in a big bowl.

~Add in excess salt to prolong the shelf life of the Bosou. And also to give more sourish taste to it.

~Mix until well combined.

Store in airtight bottle, container or jar.  

Only to be eaten after preserved for a couple of weeks. 
So wait for the result in my coming post... :)

 

Preserved Pork (Pinongian)

Pinongian is one of the traditional foods that have been handed down from generation to generation of KadazanDusun people. This is the best way to store food for longer lasting, especially in the days before there are refrigerator. In that time, when they got more result in their hunting or fishing, they need to preserve it for not to become stale and rotten.

The preservative used is the Flesh of the seeds from the tree Pangium edule or known locally as Pangi (called buah keluak or kepayang in Malay). It widely grows in the forest. The preservative quality of the seed is very potent (contain hydrogen cyanide) that eating it raw can induce nausea, vomiting and even death. The fresh pangi need to soak for a few days and then smoke-dry before can use it flesh as preservative.

Actually Pinongian is different from Bosou even though both been through fermentation process. The difference is, bosou being preserved to get it sourish taste while pinongian preserved in order to make the meat or fish will last longer. Bosou can be eaten directly after the fermentation, while pinongian must be cooked before serving, even after preserved within a period of time.

Here I would like to show you how to make pinongian. This time I used the pork skin and some pork lard. However you can follow the same method if you want to preserve fish or other meat.

Ingredients:

• 1kg skin and pork lard
• 10-15 pangi

Step 1:

Pound pangi flesh into coarse powder

Step 2:

Clean, cut and drain the skin and pork lard

Step 3:

Sprinkle the pangi over the meat

Step 4:

Mix until well combined

Step 5:

Store in airtight bottle, container or jar

 ***We will see the results within 2 -4 weeks. More fragrant and more delicious if preserved for a longer period***

Simmered Fish

Long time ago, in the days before there are road transportation, the people of my village have to walk miles away along the Kadamaian River bank to reach the nearest town of Kota Belud. Its purpose is to exchange (barter system) goods from the highland such as forest products, vegetables, tobacco and a few other with the goods that can only be found in the town such as salt, sugar, salted fish, anchovies and some fresh fish. All of these goods are carried using 'wakid'.

wakid - for carrying various types of goods

Before starting the journey back, fresh fish should be cooked first to prevent it from becoming stale and rotten. It has to be boiled until the gravy is completely dry. The fish that cooked thoroughly are more durable and can last up to two weeks.

Today I wanna share this fish recipe... it's difficult to obtain the original ingredients here in town, so I slightly modified the recipe by replace some of the ingredients.  However, the cooking methods are still the same.

Simmered Fish

(Pinarasakan Sada)

Main Ingredients: 

Fresh Mackerel Scad @ Ikan Basung

a few slices of raw pineapple

(clockwise)
minced tuhau
sliced green & white part of scallion, garlic, shallot and ginger

Seasoning Ingredients:

~Some salt, MSG(optional) and sugar to taste.

Cooking Method:

• As a base, place the 'tintap' leaf at the bottom of the pot followed by sliced pineapple.

• Mix well fish with the seasoning, minced tuhau and sliced ingredients. Then place into the pot.

• Place the green parts of scallion on top and then cover with the excess slice of pineapple.

• Place the pot lid, cook with hard fire until boiling and then bring to simmer until the gravy is almost dry.
• Transfer the fish to a serving dish and garnish with chopped green onion. Ready to serve.

simmered fish @ pinarasakan sada

* More durable if cooked until the gravy is completely dry, but I prefer to leave a little because it's very tasty and the aroma is so tempting *

Sabahan Highlander Pickled Salad (rinawal golombon)

This is another way of serving golombon. This method is called rinawal by the KadazanDusun. The point is made the golombon as a pickled salad.  Squeezed lime juice will make the pickled salad tastier and can be served as side dish with other dishes.

Sabahan Highlander Pickled Salad
(rinawal golombon)

Ingredients:

1. A bunch of golombon (take leaves only)
2. 2 young mango (finely sliced)
3. 1 red pepper (finely sliced)
4. 1 red onion (finely sliced)
5. A handful of fried anchovies
6. 5 tbsp lime juice
7. 5 bird eye chilies (optional)
8. Salt, sugar and MSG(optional) to taste

Methods:

• Add in all the ingredients (except the lime juice) in a large bowl and mix well.
• Pour in the lime juice and mix again until well blended.
• Marinade for 5 minutes. Ready to serve.

Stir-fried golombon with Anchovies

Actually it is a type of edible grass that grows wild and abundantly especially at the highland area. Some call it 'sakot gipun' (Japanese grass). I'm not very sure about the relevance of this grass with Japan. But according to the elderly in my village, it's found growing in this area after the arrival of Japanese colonialism in the past. Supposedly it was brought accidentally through their pillow that’s filled with the flowers of this grass.

Golombon @ sakot Gipun

I prefer to call it vegetable because it can be cooked and  eaten. I really like it because it's free from pesticides and fertilizers. Very suitable when stir-fry with salted fish, dried shrimp or anchovy. Also more appetizing when served as pickled salad(see complete recipe in my coming post).

Stir-fried golombon with anchovies
(Golombon sinamayan do bilis)

Ingredients:

1. A bunch of golombon
2. 1 red pepper
3. 1 shallot
4. 1 white onion
5. Some ginger
6. A handful of anchovies
7. Some salt
8. A little oil

Methods:

• Wash and drain golombon.  Take only the leaves and shoots. 
• Clean the anchovies, chop coarse red pepper.  Finely slice shallot, garlic and ginger.
• Heat oil in a wok and stir-fry anchovies until slightly crispy. Set aside.
• In the same pan, saute shallot, garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add in golombon and stir rapidly over high heat.
• Then add in pre-fried anchovies, red pepper and salt. Stir until well combined and the gravy turn a little dry. Ready to serve.

Stir-fried golombon with anchovies
(Golombon sinamayan do bilis)

Tapau Special...

Wrap Rice by 'Tintap' Leaf
(takano liopot roun tintap)
KadazanDusun people have a unique traditional rice dish. This rice is wrapped by a leaf of tree called 'tintap’. This leaf has been used since the time of our ancestor to wrap rice and other food. I'm not sure if this tree grows in other places but it's easily found in my area. This wrap rice is not just ideal to serve with traditional food but also suitable with modern cuisine. My kids really love this rice but they always ask me to wrap it with their favorite dishes.

Ingredients for dish (A):

1. 1 / 2 salted fish
2. 1 tomato (chopped)
3. 1 / 2 large onion (chopped)
4. some oyster sauce
5. some sugar

Methods:

• Cut salted fish into sections and then fry until crispy. Set aside.
• In another pan, heat oil, add onion and saute until fragrant.
• Enter the chopped tomato and stir again until slightly crushed. Then add in oyster sauce and sugar.
• Enter the fried salted fish again and stir until well combine.

Ingredients for dish (B):

1. 5 French beans
2. 1 sausage
3. some cauliflower
4. 1tbsp garlic (chopped)
5. 1tbsp tomato sauce
6. salt
7. sugar

Methods:

• Heat oil in a wok and fry garlic until fragrant.
• Enter the sausage and stir briefly. Then add French beans and cauliflower.
• Finally pour in tomato sauce, salt and sugar. Stir until well combine.

How to Wrap the Rice:

• Firstly, wrap the hot rice with the 'tintap' leaf. Set aside for a few minutes.
• Open the wrapper and put the side dishes on top and around the rice. Wrap again.
• Wait for a moment to let the aroma of the leaf absorb into the rice.

Bosou (KadazanDusun signature dish)

Bosou is a signature dish for KadazanDusun. There are various types of bosou such as bosou Sada (preserved fish), bosou nangko (preserved jack fruit), mix vegetables bosou (preserved mix vege) and many more. The smell is strong, yet the taste is uniquely delicious.

In the past, it has become a practice by postnatal mother to eat bosou because it's believed can increase the production of breast milk (should be heated first with a little water and some ginger).

Current generations are more creative, they have different ways to consume bosou to suit it with their tastes. Some may stir-fry it with onions, red chillies, sabahan white chillies, tuhau and any other ingredients. Some even eat it with western food like spaghetti. Usually it is served as a side dish.

photo credit to http://zenoed.com - Spaghetti Bosou Bolognese

Bosou Sada

(preserved fish)

Ingredients: 

1. Fresh water fish
2. Hot cooked rice
3. Buah pangi (keluak fruit)
4. salt

pangi @ keluak fruit

Methods:

• Clean the fish and drain off the remaining water.
• Pound pangi fruit into a powdery substances.
• Put the hot rice and fresh water fish in a bowl. Stir briefly and let to cool.
• Once cool, add pangi fruit and salt. Mix until well blended.
• Put inside bottle or airtight jar.
• Only to be eaten after fermented for a couple of weeks.
• To enhance the fragrance and its sour flavor, warm it or stir fry before serving.

The bosou - after stir-fried with tuhau, shallot, and sabahan white chili

Sambal Tuhau

tuhau

Tuhau included in the category of ginger. It is widely used in Sabahan dishes especially by the KadazanDusun community. Like other food ingredients, tuhau also can be mixed in any type of cooking such as soup or stir-fry. One of the most special and famous recipe is the sambal tuhau.

Sambal tuhau is a KadazanDusun traditional side dish. Its very flexible and can be served with various type of food, no matter traditional or modern dishes. Some people doesn’t like it due to the strong smell, but for sambal tuhau’s fan like me… that’s what make it really special... believe it or not… it’s also goes really well with the famous instant mi in Malaysia .. Maggie mee... yummy!

Sambal Tuhau

Ingredients:

1. 5-8 stems tuhau
   
2. 5 bird eye chili
3. 1 lime
4. Shrimp paste (optional)
5. some salt

Methods:

• Peel the hard skin of the tuhau’s stem, take only the soft inside. Then chop finely.
• Mash the bird eye chili. Mix together with the chopped tuhau.
• Add in salt and lime juice. Stir until well combined.
• Marinate for a while. Ready to serve.
• To be more durable, marinate with vinegar instead of lime juice and store in airtight jar. Refrigerate.