Stir-Fried Petai With Anchovies 臭豆炒江鱼仔

Stir-Fried Petai With Anchovies 臭豆炒江鱼仔

 

 Chinese-style stir-fried petai with anchovies

The petai, because of its overpowering odour is not a popular vegetable among the Chinese but since it is an acquired taste, the Chinese have since caught on. The Malays cook petai in sambal (a type of dry curry with a little bit of gravy) but the Chinese prefer to stir-fry it instead. The petai is believed to contain medicinal properties that can prevent diabetes from taking root in the human body.

 

 Bunches of fresh and newly harvested petai at the Selayang wholesale market.

The edible parts are the seeds within.

 Raw petai seeds

Ingredients

 

200g petai ( the seeds only )

2 big onions (sectioned into smaller parts)

3 small red chilli(cili padi in Malay)

50g anchovies

3 tbsp cooking oil

3/4  tsp salt, or to taste

1 tsp sugar

1/4 Chinese rice bowl of water

Instructions

 

1.  Remove the skin of the big onions and slice into thin sections

2.  Break open the pods and remove the seeds.Split the seeds into halves. 

3.  Slice the cili padi

4.  Wash the anchovies and drain dry

5.  Heat wok and add the 3 tbsp of cooking oil

6.  Saute the big onions until fragrant, add in the anchovies and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes

7.  Add in the petai and cili padi

8.  Stir-fry at high heat for 3 minutes

9.  Add in salt, sugar and the 1/4 bowl of water

10. Stir briskly over high heat until almost dry

11. Switch off the flame and dish up.

The petai has an overpowering pungent smell.