Masak - masak Melayu ~ Taugeh Masak Kicap @ Stir – fry bean sprouts in sweet soy sauce

This is a very easy one to cook, for all beginners because you don’t have to think much on how to clean and chop the vege and whatever fuss associated with cooking. Heck, I can even cook this with my eyes closed.




Ingredients:

1. Taugeh as much as you want, I think roughly 200g? Or simply, RM0.30 worth of taugeh.
2. Kucai, also as much as you want, or maybe 100g. Just buy 1 bunch of the already packed one. (chopped up about 4 cm length)
3. Tomato, 1 – 2 (chopped in quarters)
4. Shallot, 3 cloves (chopped)
5. Garlic, 2 cloves (chopped)
6. Red chili, 1/2 (chopped)
7. Prawns, maybe 4 – 5 depending how much you’ll like. Can be substituted with 100 g chicken fillet, diced
8. Sweet soy sauce: preferably Cap Kipas or Adabi


Preparation:

1. So, start with cleaning up the prawns but no need to shell it unless you want to.
2. Heat up 2 tbs oil in the wok, then stir – fry the prawn first till they turn reddish (which is, pretty fast)
3. Then stir in the shallot and garlic till it’s aromatic, but not till brown.
4. Toss in the taugeh and kucai
5. Add 5 tbs (or the amount you prefer for its gravy, but no need too much as the water from the vege will suffice this) of sweet soy sauce to this, give it a taste.
6. Season with salt, and some sugar if it’s too bitter since kucai sometimes have that effect
7. When you’re satisfied with the taste then toss in the chili, then the tomatoes) when you’re about to off the gas (too early and you’ll have shrunken tomato.


Done. Just make sure that the prawns are well – cooked. Serve 3 – 4. This very, very easy recipe takes less than 30 minutes preparation time.

May I add that do not use the Sabah soy sauce, to me it didn’t taste quite right, in fact bitter, when I experimented. If you are using the rice cooker to make this, be careful not to overcook the taugeh and kucai.

Like I said earlier, if she knows that I’m putting this up my mom’s gonna really laugh the roof off. But this is simple enough for beginners. Nice with fried fish, I may add.


By the way, just a side… er… recipe for frying fish:
1. Clean and gut the fish, try to pat dry if you can, then lather up the fish evenly with some (maybe 1 – 2 ts) tumeric powder and a pinch of salt on them while you leave 1 – 2 cups of oil (just enough to submerge your fish) heating up in the wok.

2. Make sure that the oil is VERY hot prior putting in your fish or your fish will end up peeled off and in pieces. Carefully, use the spatula to slide in your fish and back off before the explosion hit you.

3. Fry till the fish turns golden or by your judgment, done up.

I like ikan kembung and bawal to go with my taugeh, plus these two are easy fishes. With a plate of rice, I’m settled.