Brunei traditional dishes

Bak Kut Teh
(Spicy Sparerib Consomme)

Ingredients

• 1 lb 6 oz beef/mutton sparerib (cut into bite-size pieces)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cloves garlic (bashed)
• 1 teaspoon preserved brown soya beans, pounded
• 1 teaspoon dark soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 piece of cinnamon bark (1 inch)
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 2 segments star anise
• 3 pints of boiling water
• some crispy Chinese crullers ("Yu-Char-Koay", sliced)
• 1 tablespoon crispy shallots.

Directions

1. Rub salt on spareribs.
2. Heat pan till very hot. Add 2 tablespoons of shortening. Fry spareribs till well-browned. Set aside for later use.
3. Using a clean pan, heat 1 tablespoon shortening. Add sugar and caramelize until light brown. Add soya beans. Stir-fry for 1/2 minute. Then put in the fried sparerib and peppercorns.
4. Let the consomme boil on high heat for 10 minutes. Then turn down the heat, let simmer for another 1.5 - 1.75 hours (or until the meat is tender). Discard excess oil from the surface before serving.
5. Serve hot with cruller slices.

Murtabak
(Meat Crepes)

Ingredients

• Clarified Butter (or substitute with cooking oil)
• 4 Eggs
• 1 lb plain flour
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Meat Filling

• 20 oz minced mutton
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 20 oz onions (diced)
• 20 cardamoms, seeded
• 2 heaped tablespoons roasted coriander seeds
• l level tablespoon aniseed

Directions

Meat Filling 1. Fry turmeric in a little oil. Set aside for later. Cook mutton with rest of ingredients and add turmeric. season to taste.
Dough 1. Mix flour and baking powder together into a bowl with 12 fl oz of water. Kneed into a smooth dough. Cover bowl and leave dough overnight.
2. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll out thinly on an oiled marble top (or glass cutting board). Spread liberally with butter/oil. Fold and shape into balls. Cover dough with a damp cloth. Set aside for 1/2 hour.
3. Roll out each dough piece into a thin rectangle. Place filling evenly in centre of dough. Pat lightly beaten egg over meat. Wrap dough over meat to form a square. Fry in hot butter/oil till brown on both sides. Serve hot.

Beriani

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, about 900gms ( beef/mutton )
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup shallots - sliced
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 2 -- 3 tsps salt
• 2 chillies
• 1/2 coconut - grated
• 5 cm piece ginger
• 4 tbsps ghee
• 5 cloves
• 5 cm cinnamon stick
• 10 cashew nuts
• 10 almonds
• 450 gms long-grain rice

Directions

• Cut chicken into 6 -- 8 pieces
• Grind together garlic, ginger, chillies, poppy seeds, cashew nuts and almonds.
• Heat ghee and fry cloves, cinnamon, shallots.
• Add in the chicken pieces, 1 tsp salt, ground ingredients and curry powder.
• Stir to mix and cook covered for 10 minutes.
• Extract 1 - 2 cups coconut milk from coconut. Add in salt. Mixed with washed rice and cook it.
• When the rice has absorbed all the milk, make a well in the center and put the chicken mixture.
• Cover and allow rice to cook over very low fire.

Rendang

Ingredients

• 1 tsp shrimp paste
• 1 kg rump steak ( beef/chicken/mutton )
• 1 stalk lemon grass
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 3 stalk lemon grass - sliced thinly
• 120gms grated coconut - fried and pounded
• 4 slices galangal
• 5 candlenuts, Ground
• 2 tbsp curry power - blended with 2 tbsps water
• 30 dried chillies
• 120 gms shallots
• 4 red chillies
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cm piece ginger
• 1/2 cup thick coconut milk - extracted from 1/2 grated coconut
• 8 tbsps oil

Directions

1. Heat oil and fry ground ingredients and curry powder until fragrant
2. Add in half of the coconut milk and fry until the oil separates
3. Add in the soya sauce mixture and steak.
4. Add in also the fried grated coconut and lemon grass. Stir fry for 10 minutes.
5. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and simmer until the meat is tender, for about 1 hour.
6. Increase heat to reduce gravy until it is thick and oily.

Kurma

Ingredients

• 600 gms chicken
• 1 cup thick coconut cream
• 2 cup thin coconut milk extracted from 1 grated coconut
• 1/2 cup oil
• cardamoms
• 2 star anise
• 2 red chillies
• 3 cm piece cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 3 cm piece ginger
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 tbsps kurma powder
• 6 shallots

Directions

1. Pound 3 shallots and 2 cloves garlic together.
2. Mix with kurma powder and 1 tsp water. Blend well into paste.
3. Slice finely the remaining shallots and garlic.
4. Heat oil and fry the sliced shallots and garlic with the spices until fragrant.
5. Add in the blended kurma powder and fry further until oil separates.
6. Add in the chicken and 1 cup water. Cook until the beef is tender.
7. Pour in the thick coconut milk, bring to boil and pour it in the thin milk.
8. Season with salt to taste and cook further over a low flame until the gravy is thick.
9. Add in the large onion and red chilies. Stir once and remove from rice.

Gulai Daun Singkong Tumbuk
(Grilled Fish with Greens)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 Piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 sm Onion, sliced
• 1 or 2 fresh, hot red -chilies, seeded, sliced
• 1/2 ts Salt
• 1/4 ts Sugar
• 1/4 ts Turmeric
• 2 c Coconut milk
• 1 Whole red snapper or-similar fish, about 1 pound
• 1 sl Laos [Galangal S.C.]
• 2 Stalks lemon grass or two -slices lemon
• 1/4 lb Spinach or Swiss chard,-coarsely chopped

Directions

Process the ginger, onion, chili, salt, sugar, turmeric and 1/4 cup of the coocnut milk into a smooth paste. Set aside

Grill fish over charcoal or in a gas or electric broiler for 2 minutes on each side.

Put the remaining coconut milk and the spice paste in a large skillet and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Add the laos and lemon grass and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the fish and greens, cook for 15 minutes basting occasionally. Serve warm.

Serves 4 with rice and other dishes.

Brunei Cutlets

Ingredients

• 2 x 170 g flaked light Tuna
• 1 small Onion chopped
• 1 green Chili chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
• 1 piece Rampe (Pandamus) (optional)
• 1 piece Cinnamon
• 1/2 inch Ginger root (crushed)
• 4 cloves Garlic (crushed)
• 2 tbs Vegetable oil
• Salt, Pepper and Cardamom powder (optional) to taste.
• 4 medium Potatoes boiled, skinned and cut into pieces.

THE COATING:

• Two Eggs (beaten)
• Toasted bread crumbs (grounded)
• Oil for deep frying

Directions

1. - Drain the two cans of tuna.
2. - Heat the oil in a skillet (frying pan).
3. - Add crushed ginger and garlic, stir, add onions, green chili, curry leaves, Rampe and cinnamon.
4. - Cook until the onions are tender light brown.
5. - Add drained tuna, stir all together.
6. - Allow to cook for a few minutes.
7. - Add the drained tuna liquid.
8. - Stir and allow to cook until the liquid is dry.
9. - Add salt, pepper and cardamom powder.
10. - Stir until well mixed.
11. - Turn off heat.
12. - Add potatoes and mix well.
13. - Seperate the mix and shape in to small (2 inch diameter) balls or thick discs.
14. - Coat the balls with beaten egg and then with the toasted bread crumbs.
15. - Deep fry in hot oil until light brown.

    - Cutlets (made in to thick disc shapes) are great with rice & curry.

Malu Abulthiyal

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Fish (Halibet, Salmon or Tuna)
• 10-15 pieces Goraka
• 1 1/2 tbs Salt
• 1 1/2 tbs ground black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 sprig Curry Leaves
• 1-2 pieces Rampe (Pandamus)
• 2 pieces Cinnamon
• 2 cloves Garlic (crushed)
• 1/2 tsp roasted Curry powdersaws
• 1 cup water

Directions

Wash and cut the fish into 15-20 pieces. Place the goraka pieces in a saucepan, add a little water to cover and simmer for about 5-10 minutes (until the goraka is soft). Add salt, pepper, chili powder, tumeric, curry powder to the fish pieces and mix well (until all the pieces are well coated). Drain the goraka pieces and crush into a coarse paste. Mix the paste with the drained water and add to the fish, mix well. Arrange the fish in a shallow pan and pour the liquid over the pices. Wash the mixing bowl with 1 cup water and pour over the fish. Swirl the pan to coat the pieces with the liquid. Add the curry leaves, rampe, cinnamon & crushed garlic. Cook over slow heat until the fish is done. For a completely dry dish, transfer the fish and thick gravy into an oven proof container and leave it in a warm oven until completly dry.