Bak Kuet Teh

Bak Kut Teh is a Chinese soup popular in Malaysia and Singapore. The name literally ranslates as "Pork Bone Tea". It consists of meaty pork ribs in a succulent broth consisting of herbs and spices boiled together.

It is usually eaten with rice and often served with you tiao (strips of fried dough) for dipping in to thsoup. Dark soy sauce is preferred as a condiment with which chopped chilli padi and minced garlic is taken together.

Bak Kut Teh improves blood circulation and reviltalize the body. It retains your youthfulness, strengthens your body and is good for the liver. It is suitable for all ages.

Don't ask me how to prepare the soup from scratch. I usually purchase a soup mix. After tasting many types of soup mixes, Seah's Spices is still the best option.

Preparation

1 packet of spices

1 kg of port ribs (cooked for 5 minutes in boiling water and drained

8 pieces of small garlic (cleaned with skin intact)

6 bowls of water (1500 ml)

8-10 pieces of dried Chinese mushrooms (soaked in water with stems removed)

Direction

1. Boil 1500 ml water

2. Place packet of spices and pre-prepared pork ribs in boiling water

3. Cook for 30 mins using low fire

4. Add garlic and Chinese mushrooms and continue to cook for another 15 mins. Serve hot.

Note

Requires no additional seasoning

Nakji Bokom

Nakji Bokum is a very spicy octopus dish enjoyed by many Koreans. Octopus tentacles are cut into bite-sized pieces then pan stir-fried with spicy gojujang paste along with chili powder, sesame oil, red or green chili peppers, green onions, carrots and onions. Different variation of this dish do exist as the octopus can be substituted with squid for less chewy texture and taste. Non-Koreans may find this dish too spicy even diluted with rice that accompanies this dish.

Ingredients

300g octopus

300g dried wheat noodles (somyeon)

1.5 tbsp oil

10 fresh or canned button mushrooms, halved

1 green onion , cut into short lengths

1 red chili pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips

1 onion, thinly sliced

Sauce

2 tbsp gojujang

2 tbsp Korean chili powder

1 tbsp crushed garlic paste

1 tbsp minced green onion

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp sesame paste

Directions

1. Clean the octopus by removing the eyes, mouth area, viscera and ink sac. Rinse the octopus well, rub thoroughly with salt, then rinse again. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, immerse the octopus in the boiling water and simmer until it begins to curl, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well. Slice the body and tentacles into 1x2.5 inch strips. Set aside.

2. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and blanch the noodles, stirring to prevent the noodles from sticking together, until soft, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, rinse in cold water and drain well. Divide the noodles equally among 4 serving platters.

3. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

4. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the vegetables for about 1 minute. Add the sauce, mix well and bring to a boil. Add the octopus and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and spread equally over the noodles. Serve immediately.

Serves 4