Spicy Chang/Nasi Kunyit/Sambal Hae Bee

The 5th day of the 5th Moon this year will be June 8th and of course, the 'Chang' festival. Yes, i just found it to be so and it is too late to make any 'chang' for my friends - sorry. In desperation, have to scratch this old brain as to what should done to keep up with tradition. Viola, found a bag of frozen 'nasi kunyit' and 'sambal hae bee' and this is the product of the find.

Posted are the recipes for 'Nasi kunyit' and 'Sambal Hae Bee/dried prawns'


Ingredients:

Nasi Kunyit:

500g glutinous rice
1 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
2 pieces dried tamarind skin (asam keping) or 1 tbsp lime juice
1 can 400 ml coconut cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white peppercorns
2 pandan leaves, knotted

Method

Wash and soak glutinous rice in water. Add turmeric powder and dried tamarind skin or lime juice for several hours or preferably overnight.

Remove the cream from the can of coconut milk.

Put rice in a steaming tray and add thin coconut milk. Make steam holes in the rice , add peppercorns and pandan leaves.

Steam rice over high heat until nearly cooked for 20 minutes.

Combine salt with thick coconut milk.

Remove rice from steamer. Stir in thick coconut milk and continue to steam for another 8 to 10 minutes.

Sambal Hae Bee/Dried Prawns

250g dried prawns, soaked and pounded finely
2 tbsp tamarind pulp combined with 100ml water (squeeze, then strain the tamarind juice)

Oil for frying

Spice ingredients – to be blended

3 stalks lemongrass(grate the white parts with a microplane)

4 candlenuts (buah keras)
1 inch piece fresh turmeric (ground/powdered turmeric can be used)
1 inch square piece belacan /shrimp paste 8 fresh red chillies
10 dried chillies, soaked and seeded
10 pips garlic
1 cup shallots

Seasoning

Sugar and salt to taste

Method:

Heat a little oil in a large microwaveable bowl for 1 minute, add blended spice ingredients and microwave on high until fragrant(3 minutes at the time, stir)

When the spices are fragrant, add dried prawns and continue to microwave for another 2 minutes.

Mix in tamarind juice and microwave until dried prawns are almost dry. (Keep stirring to distribute the heat as the microwave will cook the outer ring of bowl more).

Adjust seasoning to taste.

Leave to cool completely.

To wrap dumplings:

Soak bamboo leaves in cold water.

Cook bamboo leaves in hot boiling water for 10 minutes.

Cool, then wipe dry.

Take 1 broad or two leaves and fold from the centre to form a cone.

Take a fistful of nasi kunyit and line the sides.

Put 2 - 3 tbsp of sambal hae bee over rice and cover neatly with more nasi kunyit.

Fold bamboo leaf over.

Tie tightly with string .

Tie dumplings in groups of ten and steam for 1/2 hour.

Serves