Sotong Masak Hitam & Belebat Keledek

I hate Mondays. Never looked forward to it. It always meant bye-bye Sunday and welcome work day... No more waking up late, no more lazing around, no more casual wear, no more afternoon teevee, no more late nights and no more many more... "Eeeeks!" Even "B" sounded weary when I called him mid-morning. Sheeesh... I guess, today's Monday's 'blue-er' than usual. Even Little Baby was moving non-the-stopping. I almost broke fast at noon coz I couldn't stand the 'wind' in my tums. I just wanted to have that Twix chocolate in the vending machine! But I endured! Breathe in... Breathe out...

Amidst the blue-blue Monday, I had planned my breaking fast menu in the office to break all the blues away. Tonight's break fast menu's are Sotong Masak Hitam (nearest translation Squid Ink Sambal) and Belebat Keledek for dessert. "B" had been asking me to make any belebat but I didn't had a steamer. So yesterday, off we went to Geylang Joo Chiat and he bought me one. FINALLY I got a steamer! Yipppeee!!! It's the non-electrical version. I rather have this type coz (1) It's cheaper, (2) you get a wider width with lesser cost, (3) it's versatile - the most bottom can be use as a pot and you can add the steamer racks by buying additionals and (4) it'll never breakdown unless its totally broken or you're out of gas.

We broke fast with Kurma Safawi and a cup of warm water each. After maghrib we had the sotong with rice, raw cucumber, cherry tomatoes and potato omelette. All these are washed down with ice cold homemade bandung. The Belebat Keledek was eaten later in the night. "B" said it was delicious! Yeah, I thought so too.

Ingredients for Sotong Masak Hitam
Blended Ingredients
10-15 dried chillies - soak and de-seed
1 large onion
2 garlic
1 inch fresh tumeric
1 inch baked belachan
a little water
Other ingredients
fresh sotong - washed & cut into 1 inch round thickness
leave the 'black' blood sac intact to colour the sambal
1 lemongrass - bruised
salt to taste
oil
Method
Heat oil and fry the blended ingredients till split oil. Add in lemongrass, salt to taste and sotongs. Stir well and close lid on medium fire. Let cook for 10 minutes or till sotong turned white. Don't overcook the sotong or it'll become rubbery. You don't want that! Seve hot with rice and some raw veges or salad.

Ingredients for Belebat Keledek
2 medium keledek (sweet potatoes)
water for boiling
4-5 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp milk powder or coffeemate
some water
1 cup AP flour
banana leaves
Method
Skin sweet potatoes and boil till soft then mashed them. Add in sugar and milk powder. Add in water if the mixture's to thick. Add in flour little by little to create a paste like mixture. Cut banana leaves about 6 inches in width. Bring the banana leaves over fire to soften them for easier folding. In malay you called it "salai daun pisang". Take a dollopful of the paste mixture and lay in a banana leaf. Wrap the paste mixture by bringing both length-to-length then bring the left and right wings to the bottom. Steam for 20 minutes. Let out to cool before serving. It ought to be chewy yet soft to the bite.

Pssst... my Sotong Masak Hitam ought to be more hitam (black) but it didn't. I should've used all the squid ink but out of 5, I managed to salvage only 3. The others burst when I tried to pull the guts or head out. Even the 'salvaged' ones aren't all intact. Thus more red than black sambal here. Gotta be gentler.