Beef in Soy Sauce (Malay-style)

This dish is known as Daging Masak Kicap in the malay language.  It is one of the many delicious malay dishes which are cooked in every malay household.  It is normally served with a side vegetable dish, sambal belacan and rice.  This time, I am serving this dish with fried french beans and omelette.

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6):

1 kg beef meat, to be cubed

2 cm fresh ginger, to be slightly crushed

2 tomatoes, to be halved

6 potatoes, to be cut into wedges and deep fried until golden brown

2 big onions, to be sliced into rings and deep fried until soft (not brown)

½ cup dark salty soy sauce (kicap masin)

1 tbsp vinegar

4 tbsp sugar

white pepper powder

a bit of grated nutmeg (buah pala)

1 stalk green or red chillie, to be halved and deseeded

Dry ingredients:

1 pc cinnamon stick

1 pc clove (bunga cengkih))

2 pcs cardamom (buah pelaga)

2 petals star anise (bunga pe’kak)

Blended ingredients:

1 tbsp (level) coriander seeds (ketumbar biji), to be soaked in water

1 tsp (level) cumin seeds (jintan putih), to be soaked in water

3 cloves garlic, to be sliced

1 small onion, to be sliced

5 stalks dried chillies, to be cut into small pieces and soaked in warm water

1½ cm fresh turmeric (for fragrance)

Method:

Boil meat and ginger with little water in a pot until meat is tender.  Then, cut meat in cubes and save the stock.

Heat some oil in a wok and fry the potato wedges until golden brown.  Remove to a plate.  In the same oil, deep fry the onion rings until soft.  Remove to a plate and keep aside.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a big pot.  Add in the blended ingredients and stir-fry till fragrant.  Then, add in the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add in the cooked meat together with its stock (about 3 or 4 big ladles).  Add in sugar, vinegar, dark salty soy sauce, pepper and grated nutmeg.  Mix well and then season with salt to taste.  If necessary, more sugar can be added to taste.

Add in the fried potato wedges & onion rings, halved tomatoes and green or red chillie.  Stir well.

Serve hot with rice, a vegetable side dish and fried omelette.

Fried French Beans (or Kacang Bonces Goreng)

Ingredients:

500 g  french beans or long beans, tips removed and cut into 5 cm lengths

1 big onion, to be finely sliced

2 cloves of garlic, to be finely sliced

1 red chilli, to be finely sliced

2 tsp instant vegetable stock granules

salt & pepper to taste

oil

Method:

Heat a little oil in a wok.  Add sliced onion, chilli & garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Then, add in the french beans and stir well.  Add instant vegetable stock granules and season with pepper.  Cook until the french beans are almost cooked.  Season with salt to taste.

Fried Omelette

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 big onion, to be finely sliced

1 red chilli (optional), to be finely sliced)

salt & pepper to taste

oil

Method:

Beat eggs in a bowl and add the rest of ingredients.  Heat a little oil in a pan and pour in mixture. Fry omelette until the underside is slightly browned.  Then, turn omelette over and cook until the underside is browned.  Remove to a plate.

Bon Appetit!