Daylillies: My 'Kampungan' Dinner

When I told "B" what I'll be cooking for dinner, he msg-ed me this ---> "Wah, tonight kampung dinner seh...!" You see... I seldom cook this type of malay-ish dinner. Mainly because it'll involved fried stuffs! Which I really HaTe! Urgh...! Usually, it'll be fusion meals or one-dish meals coz they're simply easier and faster. But it beats nothing compared to authentic dishes. I was in the mood and since "B" gave his support, I was all for it. Can't wait to get off work and start pounding me mortar and pestle!

I had all if not most of the ingredients at home. I've set myself to prepare dinner within an hour. As dinner was nothing too complicated and out of the ordinary, I reckon the time limit was substantial. Of course I did no short-cuts. All ingredients are prepared fresh. Oh, I babbled too much and forgot to say what's the menu for tonight.

Our Kampung Dinner Menu
Pardon If the translation's off. It's the nearest I could come up with!
(1) Sayur Lemak Lodeh - Coconut Broth Vege Mix
(2) Ikan Cincharu Goreng Kunyit - Fried Cincharu Fish with Tumeric
(3) Stir-fry Taugeh with Dried Shrimps and Fishcake
(4) Kicap Cili Api - Sweet Black Soy Sauce with Bird's Eye Chillies
(5) Basmati Rice

To me (personally), the Sayur Lemak Lodeh sounds complicated and frying fishes aren't my best forte. The stir-fry dish was easy. Had that accompanying dip of Kicap Cili Api to go with the fried ikan cincharu. It'll you give an extra kick there. Trust me! Alright, NO TURNING BACK now! I'm going thru the mission. Charge...!!!

First thing I did upon reaching home was to open all windows and bring down the laundries. I knew I'll be frying later and don 't like the fishy smell to linger around the house. I'm particular! Then, get all the ingredients out and started sorting, peeling, soaking etc. "B" came home much earlier than usual and I hadn't even starting to cook! One thing I don't like is someone disturbing me in the kitchen while I cook and "B" was doing just that. Grrr...! I like doing my stuffs SOLO. Shooed "B" away and that already took up my precious time limit. After that, all when well and I got to set dinner a little after an hour. We ate at 2030hrs which I think is still an appropriate timing for dinner.

"B" ate with relish and slurping down the Sayur Lemak Lodeh one spoon after the other. Lodeh is "B's" most favourite dish. Me, I don't fancy dishes with coconut in them. I'll still eat them though. I was happy seeing "B" devoured his rice and went for a second helping which he hadn't been doing for quite sometime now. Every dish was eaten clean. Only a little Sayur Lemak Lodeh soup left. "B" then quietly said, "Sayang... lain kali you masak macam gini selalu lah! Sedap! I like!" which meant "Love, can you cook like this often? Delish! I like!") Huh...! But "B"..., I gotta have the mood for these kind of meals. But then, I'd love to see that look on your face again while you ate just now.

Ingredients for Sayur Lemak Lodeh
1 handful dried shrimps - soaked & pound
1 handful dried ikan bilis - soaked & pound
1 large red onion - pound
3 garlics - pound
4 red bird's eye chillies - pound
1cm roasted belachan - pound
1 lemongrass - smashed with the back of your knife
1 salam leaf
1 pkt KARA coconut milk
3-4 cups water
salt to taste
oil for frying
Fillings:
Hard soybean curd (cut into 4), tempe (cut into 2), cabbage (cut thickly), longbeans (cut abt 2cm long), vermicille (soaked) and carrot (jullienne).
Method
In a pot, heat up oil and fry the pounded ingredients till dry. Add in water and let to boil. Add in coconut milk, salam leaf and lemongrass. Then add in carrot and lonbeans first. Salt to taste. Later add in all the other fillings and let boil till the fillings are cook. Serve.

Ingredients & Method for Fried Cincharu Fish with Tumeric
Cut, clean guts and pat dry 2 cicharu fishes. Rub in 2 tbsp tumeric powder and salt to taste. Deep fry till fish cook. Drain and serve.

Ingredients for Stir-fry Taugeh with Dried Shrimps
1 handful dried shrimps - soaked & pound
2 bird's eye chillies - pound
1 onion - chopped roughly
2 garlic - smashed
salt to taste
taugeh aka beansprouts enough for 2
fishcake - sliced
oil
Method
Heat oil and fry onion and garlic. Add in pounded ingredients and fry for a couple of minutes. Add in sliced fishcake and salt. Lastly, add in taugeh and mix well fast for two minutes. Close fire. Don't overcooked taugeh as it'll be watery and less crunchy. Serve.

Ingredients for Kicap Cili Api
Pour Habhal sweet black soy sauce (red coloured bottle) into a plate. Crushed in 4 bird's eye chillies. Add in 1 roughly sliced shallot and 1 lime (limau sambal) juice. A dip great for the fried ikan cincharu.