Bandar Seri begawan - It has been challenging this past fortnight to try all the traditional and rich food that has been on the table since the Hari Raya festivities began.
Not just for those who had observed the full month of fasting but also for those who have been invited to the numerous open houses.
For some of us, a day or two of rich food and we are already stretched to the limit. Just two days into the festive period, my family decided to forgo the delicious rendang (that took some six hours to prepare), ketupat palas, lemang and the rich meat dishes.
While some are still enjoying the festive dishes, a minority has begun the encouraged but not compulsory six-day fast or puasa sunat.
This six days of fasting is aimed at bringing the body back to sync after a month of fasting. It gives the tummy a rest from having to process all the heavy and creamy rich food.
This week, we will look at a traditional dish that has endless possibilities: the Nasi Air or Special Porridge. To enhance the nasi air, you can add some light, clear soup, delicious condiments such as fried anchovies, salted vegetable cooked with dried chilies and dark soy sauce, meat floss, salted egg and fried kangkung.
Although the dishes are really only minutes on the fire, this is one meal where more hands make light work and and it‘s easier to have many stoves going at the same time.
For the uninitiated, this is really a lot of work but I assure you that the effort is well worth it as you will not only be appreciated for the hard work and for standing over the fire for slightly less than two hours. To reduce the cooking time, soak the rice in water for at least half an hour before cooking. Having minced chicken or beef on hand to make the stock is also helpful. When putting the rice to cook, add the salted egg into the pot so that it can be cooked at the same time.
Nasi Air
Porridge:
Ingredients:
2 cups rice, washed and soaked in 4 cups of water for half an hour
A pinch of salt
Stock or soup:
200g minced meat or chicken
2 cabbage leaves, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon oil
Salted Vegetable
1 packet of salted kale, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon cooking oil
3 cloves garlic
3 stalks dried chilies, broken into three pieces each
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Fried Kangkung
300g kangkung, cut into 3cm long pieces, leaves only if possible
1 tablespoon cooking oil
A handful of dried prawns, soaked
3 shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 red chillies
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
1 salted egg, boiled
Meat, chicken or fish floss
Fried anchovies
Preserved kale stalks in brine, chopped
Fried onions
Chopped spring onions
Sesame oil
Method:
Put the rice to boil over a medium flame until it is simmering, then turn down the flame, stirring to ensure it does not stick at the bottom of the pot. Meanwhile, in another pot, heat the cooking oil and sauté the garlic until aromatic. Add the minced meat and cabbage, browning the meat. Add salt to taste, then top up with water and cover the pot and let it simmer for about 10 minutes over a small flame.
In a wok, heat up the cooking oil and sauté the dried chilies and garlic, When aromatic, add the salted vegetable, the sauces and fry over a high flame. When simmering, season to taste and dish out.
For the fried kangkung, pound or grind the dried prawns, shallots, garlic and chilies. In a wok, heat up the cooking oil and fry the pounded items until the oil surfaces. Add the cleaned kangkung and the sauces and fry until the vegetable is softened and a little gravy remains. Serve.
Put the garnish in individual bowls to serve at the table.
To enjoy Nasi Air, put about 2 large spoons of the soft rice in a large bowl, add the soup, and a little of every ingredient until you cover the top of the bowl. Mix well before eating. FARIDAH BEGUM
Source: http://thestar.com.my (October 12, 2008)