I recently introduced you to some exotic greens and beans, including previous articles on Asian veggies. Give them a try – many are packed with vitamins and minerals.
A reminder about the Fuzzy Melon: Slim and hairy and thought to originate from Japan. These look a little like fat zucchini clothed in fine hairs. Peel and then slice and cube for cooking. Sometimes the pith is removed and stuffed with minced pork and steamed or tossed into stews, soups and curries.
Recipes are from A Cook's Guide to Asian Vegetables by Wendy Hutton (Periplus).
FUZZY MELON WITH BLACK MUSHROOMS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp dried prawns, soaked to soften
- 1 thinly-sliced medium onion
- 2 dried black mushrooms, soaked to soften and sliced thinly
- 1 fuzzy melon, peeled and cut into thick slices
- 1-inch ginger sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water
- white pepper to taste
METHOD
Heat oil in a wok and add the dried prawns, onion and mushrooms. Stir-fry until the onion softens, then add the melon, ginger and salt. Fry for another minute, pour in the water and cover the wok. Cook until the melon is tender. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
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Now, moving onto a Malaysian recipe. I've presented Malaysian cuisine previously, as it is the food of my homeland. Malaysian food is a beautiful mélange of Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines. Deep in flavour and broad in variety.
Malaysian cuisine uses fragrant herbs and roots such as lemongrass, ginger, shallots, coriander, fennel, kaffir limes and fresh and dried chilies, usually ground into a sambal, or chili paste. Most importantly, there is belachan (pronounced "blah-chan"). It's prepared from fermented, sweet baby shrimp, fried and hard-pressed into blocks. Add some fresh chilis and lime, and it's a topper for all meals. Mix it with minced garlic, chilis, shallots and sugar and you have sambal belachan.
MALAYSIAN-STYLE CABBAGE STEWED IN COCONUT MILK
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 1 chili, sliced
- 3 cups thin coconut milk
- ½ a small head of round cabbage, halved lengthwise and coarsely sliced
- 2 tsp dried prawns, soaked in warm water and ground in a blender
- salt to taste
METHOD
- Heat oil in a saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic and chili and stir-fry over low-medium heat until soft. Add the coconut milk, increase heat and bring almost to oil, stirring constantly. Do not let it boil!
- Put in the cabbage, dried prawns and salt, mixing well. Bring almost to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer uncovered until the cabbage softens, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste to add more salt if desired. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with steamed rice.
