Sambal Petai

Parkia speciosa, sometimes known as bitter beans but more commonly known as the Stinky Beans (臭豆), is one of those food that evokes extreme reactions from its consumers (e.g. Durians). Either you love them to bits, or you hate them to its core. I've heard people relating its smell/taste to a sewage drain, dried T-shirt previously soaked with sweat, and fart. The last one is the most interesting and I think it was my sister who thinks so. Haha... To petai lovers like me, its pungent smell/taste is unique, the more I chew, the more "fragrant" it gets. Due to the pervasive smell, there is little wonder why the nickname. And this does not stops here. Thanks to Petai's amino acids and complex carbohydrates, it will taint your breath and bodily excretions for the next few days. Ironically, this includes your fart. XD

If you manage to get past (or come to terms with, rather) the peculiar smell/taste, Petai beans actually have loads of health benefits for us. Just do a Google search and there is a whole long list. I'm not sure if it's the sambal or the beans themselves but I've always experience smoother bowel movement after consumption. Hahaha... 

Petai beans are just one of the many acquired taste "trained" by my grandfather (阿公 - Ah Gong) and grandmother (阿嬤 - Ah Ma). Apart from Petai, they kick-started me with things like Coffee, Beer (ssshhh.... >.<), weird parts of a chicken (chicken feet, Parson's nose, chicken neck), pig's blood & brain (sadly, cannot consume them in SG anymore), Tempeh, Tapai Pulut and a whole load of other things you won't normally feed a toddler. My Ah Ma was a wonder woman, she speaks Hokkien, Teochew, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil! She loved hanging out at Geylang Serai market, and I always tagged behind as she did marketing. She loved this dish as much as I love it. Without her, I probably wouldn't even like or know about this dish. All credits for this recipe goes to my beloved grandma.

Sambal Petai
(Please credit if you've enjoyed it. Thank you!)

200g     Petai Beans
  20g     Ikan Bilis
  50g     Sambal, homemade or store bought
125g     Minced Pork (may omit or substitute with other meat)
  40g     Water (adjust accordingly)
  Salt to taste
Preparation work:

• Deep fry the Ikan Bilis until crispy. Drain on paper towel and reserve.

• Split each bean into half, check for germinated or bad seeds. Mum did told me to remove the tiny shoot as it induces bitterness when eaten (just like Ginko nuts) but it never bother me so I left them on. The real thing to look out for is big fat worms that might have burrowed into the seed and gorged itself on the nutritious bean. Wash the beans to rid of the white sap after splitting. 

This is the main reason why I've never wanted to cook this dish on my own. Preparing the seeds are quite tedious and time-consuming. And the fact that I have Vermiphobia doesn't help at all. Everytime I get a "kinder surprise" inside, I'll involuntarily throw the seed and fling my knife, takes a short while before I "recover". LOL! Rest of this dish is easy peasy. =)

1. Heat a tablespoonful of oil over Medium High heat, stir fry the Sambal till fragrant and colour has darken slightly.

2. Add in the minced pork and stir fry till meat is no longer pink.

3. Add in the Petai beans, drizzle in the water accordingly to how "wet" you want the dish. Season with salt to taste. Stir fry for about 3mins for 'al dente' beans.

4. Return the crispy Ikan Bilis to the wok. Mix evenly and serve immediately.

All the elements are adjustable, add more or less according to preference. This dish is like hay bee hiam to me - spicy, salty and fragrant. I can eat 2 bowls of rice with this alone. Then I'll reek of it for 2-3 days. Hahaha!

All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.