I loved
this dish as a kid but I didn’t get to eat it often. In fact, I don’t even eat
it often nowadays. What put me off from eating and cooking it? I don’t really have
an answer.
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| Photo by Mark Ong |
Suffice
to say, Sambal Udang Kering or Hae Bee Hiam has always been one of those dishes
in my “out of sight, out of mind” list. Still, it is a well-loved dish that
appears, in some form, in the cuisine of the Malays, Peranakans, and Chinese.
Each ethnicity -- even each household -- had its own version.
The
ingredients are simple; what is needed in buckets is patience and tolerance of
heat, because you need to stir-fry the rempah for at least an hour! For those
in the mood to indulge, you can even drop in a few lard crisps before eating.
Best of all, Sambal Udang Kering tastes delicious even when it is eaten simply,
like sprinkled over a bowl of rice or on buttered bread.
This is
how I cook my version of it …
Hae Bee
Hiam or Sambal Udang Kering
Peanut
oil ½ cup
Sugar 3 tbsp
Shallots 300 g, chopped
Red
chillies 300 g, chopped
Dried
shrimps 200 g, minced
Garlic 500 g, finely chopped
Salted
fish 25 g, deep-fried
and crushed (optional)
Pork
crisps 25 g (optional)
Salt 1 tsp
Rempah
(ground into paste)
Dried
chillies 25 g, soaked in
warm water for 30 minutes and drained
Belachan 25 g, toasted
Lemongrass 2 stalks, white part only and bashed
Candlenut 50 g
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| Hae bee hiam is so versatile that it makes a great condiment for pan-fried radish cake. |
Method:
1. Heat oil in medium heat. Sweat
sugar, shallots, chillies and rempah for 20 minutes.
2. Add dried shrimps and garlic.
Continue to sauté the mixture for another 8 minutes.
3. Add salted fish and pork crisps
(optional). Season with salt.
4. Continue to fry until mixture is
dried out.
5. Let it cool and store in a
bottle.
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