This is an Eurasian dish that can only be found in Eurasian homes or at an Eurasian food festival. The ingredients are rather simple and easy to prepare but it is really big in flavours and hits the spot perfectly. There are different versions to this dish and each family prepared it in their own way and style but the one constant is that it has a nice tangy flavour due to the use of tamarind in the recipe.
Babi Assam
Ingredients
- 300 g pork belly cut into chunks
- 3 stalks stalks lemongrass cut into three sections
- 6 cloves cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 2 red chillies seeded and sliced
- 2 green chillies seeded and sliced
- 5 shallots coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste (assam jawa)
- 230 ml water
Instructions
- Soak the tamarind paste in 100ml of hot water for 10 minutes.
- Squeeze the juice out with your hands and remove the seed. Do not strain it as the pulp will add more flavours to the gravy.
- Pour water into a wok and add all ingredients including the tamarind juice.
- Bring the mixture to a boil for two minutes, stirring occasionally, and lower the heat.
- Cover the wok and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
- Remove the lid and turn up the heat to bring to a slow boil. Let it boil for another 5 minutes while stirring continuously.
- Remove from heat and serve hot.
