So Much Yet So Little

Would you believe it, if I tell you all these ingredients....approximately 20+ of them and 4 hours preparing and cooking.... 

....this is all you get !!??? Imagine all the hard work, and gone within seconds into the stomach !!???

....so why cook it ? 

This dish is getting rare these days, eventhough you can find in some of the nyonya restaurants,...it no longer has the authentic taste anymore. I have xplore most of the nyonya restaurants in Klang Valley and not to my liking. Furthermore, for this small bowl you see will cost you about RM 15.00 to RM 18.00....now you know for all the hard work this is the price you pay for. 

Why so expensive ? Well, it's like chicken and egg story ! Because it's time consuming and the ingredients are hard to find,...the price is high,....so when the price is high,....people might not want to eat this....so where does this lead to....extinction !...of it's kind ! The new generation don't even know what is this !

So, before this dish disappear from our menu, I start to learn the recipe, introduce to all my food connoisseurs....and pass the recipe around. 

Try it out and share with your friends the recipe Perut Ikan.

Trust me,...no regrets !   

Perut Ikan (Fish Stomach with Herbs & Vegetable Curry)

Presenting

......The mother of all nyonya dish,
.....The most time consuming,

....The most authentic,

...with The most vegy, & herbs which many have not seen,

..The ultimate Nyonya Dish

The PERUT IKAN....huh ?!!!!!

This is most answer I get from my fellow colleagues...huh ?

3 main parts when comes to preparing this dish

The Vegy: pineapple, aubergine, 4 angle bean, long bean, tomates, red chillies, pea aubergine (if you can find)....cut into small pieces

The Herbs: Tumeric leaves, kadok leaves, kaffir lime leaves, cekur leaves, ginger flower, basil & mint leaves....slice finely

The Paste: Red chillies, tumeric, lemongrass, shallot, galangal, belachan, garlic....blend & saute under medium heat for 15-25 min till fragrant

Combine the paste and tamarind juice in the pot, add in the preserve fish stomach and the vegy bring to boil and allow it to slimmer for 15 min

Add in all the herbs and let it boil for another 20 min before the coconut milk & prawn goes into the pot

Sugar & salt to taste (go easy on the salt coz the preserve fish stomach will be even more salty the next day) Best serve with white rice !

I would say the most time consuming dish in the nyonya cooking...3 hours straight no stop...then you get this.

Well,.. but it's definitely worth it,..especially when you are cooking for your best friends.... again some of the ingredients have to get it in Penang only.

Imagine one small bowl for a person cost approximately RM12- RM16 in some of the nyonya restaurants in KL

The whole pot for 20 people only cost RM 60,....but +++ 3 hours cooking !!!??? with a Nyonya Chef (Original Penang Aunty) all the way from Penang & a hongkong maid to wash plate????....it's PRICELESS

Serving 10 pax

Ingredient

Paste (Blend & Saute)

200g Red chillies

30g Turmeric

150g Shallot

30g Lemongrass

20g Galangal

20g Belachan

Vegy (Cut into small pieces)

500g Long Bean

500g Aubergine

300g Tomato

200g 4 Angle Bean

100g Pea Aubergine

100g Red Chillies

Herbs (Sliced Finely)

100g (2) Ginger Flower

50g Mint Leaves

50g Basil Leaves

300g Kaduk Leaves

20g Turmeric Leaves

10g Kaffir Lime Leaves
100g Cekur Leaves

500g (2btls) Preserve Fish Stomach

1kg Prawn (shelled)

80g Tamarind Pulp

100ml Oil

100ml Coconut Milk
4 tbsp Sugar, to taste

1 tbsp, Salt, to taste