Kelly Siew Cooks

Sabah MFF: Tuaran Mee

Posted by kellysiew on May 17, 2013 in Chinese, Hakka, Malaysian, Noodles, Pork, Recipe

The first time I’ve ever heard about Tuaran Mee was through a random conversation with my band’s keyboadist, who’s from Sabah. One thing that I’ve always been proud of is that our band represents 1 Malaysia, though that’s a story for another day I guess. Anyway, I did a little research and found Terri’s recipe and I was fascinated by the unique cooking process.

Tuaran Mee originates from Tuaran (obviously), a small town in the Northwest of Sabah, not at all far from the state capital Kota Kinabalu. Tuaran mee to Sabahan is pretty much like the Kolo Mee to Sarawakian. Though so far it hasn’t made its way out of the state yet, so unfortunately I could only drool on the pictures or make it myself.

From what I gathered, Tuaran mee uses egg noodles and the stall owners usually make their own noodles. The closest substitute would be fresh wanton noodles which I used in my version. I have tried it with dried kampua noodles too but they don’t work as well. You’ll know why in a minute.

There are two ways to serve Tuaran Mee: Fried in egg, or Kon Lou (Kolo) style where the noodles are just boiled and tossed with seasonings. Personally the fried version appealed to me more, so that’s what I did. The noodles are then topped with Char Siew, Choy Sum (Sawi), Hakka Egg Roll (Chun Kien as how the locals call this) which is another item that is apparently unique to Sabah. So here I will include the recipe for Char Siew (the same recipe I used for the Sarawak Kolo Mee) as well as Hakka Egg Roll.

Tuaran Mee

Recipe adapted from A Daily Obsession

2 nest of Tuaran noodles (substitute with Fresh wanton noodles)
1/2 cup Char Siew (Recipe to follow)
6 slices of Hakka Egg Roll (Recipe to follow)
1 large handful of Choy Sum
1 large egg, beaten lightly
2 teaspoons Light soy sauce
White pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Chicken Stock Powder
Chopped Spring Onions

Heat a large pan and add some vegetable oil. When the oil is just below smoking point, add the noodles, spread them out and fry until browned. The browning gives a toasty aroma and that’s what makes the dish so appealing.

You can already smell the lovely aroma at this point.

When the noodles are in the pan, bring a pot of water to boil. Once the noodles are brown, hopefully the water will also be boiling at the same time. Now it’s the time to add the noodles into the pot and cook until just soft enough. Drain well and move to the next step immediately.

Heat the pan/wok with about 3 tablespoon of oil (you’ll need this dish to be greasy otherwise it won’t taste good). At this point (just before the noodles are ready) I also lightly fry the choy sum for a minute then push to the side. Crack in the egg and lightly beat it with chopsticks, then add the noodles (just dump on top of the half cooked egg), followed by soy sauce, sugar, pepper and chicken powder. The trick is to let the egg coat the noodles so timing is very important.

To serve, dish the noodles out onto the plates, arrange the toppings accordingly and sprinkle some chopped spring onions. Serve with chili sauce or cut chili.

Char Siew

200g pork
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking Chinese wine
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon 5 spice powder
1-2 drop red food color
honey for brushing

Combine all seasoning with pork in a large container. Marinate pork for a few hours or overnight in fridge.

Heat oven to 180 degree Celcius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place marinated pork on the baking tray,bake pork for 20 minutes,then turn the other side,bake for another 20 minutes.

Brush pork with honey and then change setting to grill at 200 degree Celsius,roast the pork for another 5-10 minutes or so each side (brushing the other side too) until it is charred around the edges. Let cool, and cut to serve.

Close up of the Pork Egg Roll.

Hakka Egg Roll

Recipe adapted from A Daily Obsession

200g Minced Pork (fattier cut would be better)
Pinch of Salt
Large pinch of White Pepper
1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 large Egg

Mix the minced pork with salt, pepper, soy sauce and cornstarch until the meat feels sticky and paste-y.

Beat the egg well (I didn’t season the egg though). Then fry it in a square pan to form a thin sheet. I don’t have a square pan, so I adapted by using a square baking dish greased with some oil, then bake until just set.

Spread the meat paste on the egg sheet, covering nearly the whole sheet, leaving a bit space for the end bit to stick. Then, roll the egg sheet carefully to form a log. Steam over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes and let cool until ready to serve.

Another look at the delicious plate of noodles. Yum!

It sure was a lot of work, but now my curiosity has been satisfied. The noodles are full of flavours from the toasting and egg coating, they go really well with the meat toppings. I’m aware that the wanton noodles might have a little more of a bite than the original tuaran noodles but I don’t think that’s such a bad thing. I would never have been motivated enough to cook this dish if it wasn’t for the Malaysian Food Fest. So thank you Wendy and Mary!

Mmmmm…. I want more!

I am submitting this to Malaysian Food Fest Sabah Month hosted by Mary Of a Pepper’s Love.

Tags: Hakka Pork Egg Roll, Chun Kien, Tuaran Mee, Char Siew Permalink

10 Comments

Sony’s Wet Party, Aloft KL

Posted by kellysiew on May 16, 2013 in Outings/Events, Sponsored

To celebrate the launch of the new Sony Walkman Sports MP3 Player, Sony Malaysia threw a “Wet Party” at the Aloft Hotel, KL Sentral. You might remember my post on Mai Bar, Aloft KL from not long ago where there is a lovely infinity pool. Well, that pool was definitely well utilized during this event.

The New Sony Walkman Waterproof Sports Mp3 Player

What does a MP3 Player has to do with a pool, you might wonder. This ain’t no ordinary MP3 player, my friend. For the first time, Sony has designed a device that is also waterproof, thus taking it out of the comfort zone of your bed, gym, training track; plunging straight into your bathtub (well for the lazy ones like me) and swimming pool. Though don’t start bringing it to dive with you as it only tolerates up to 2m of water depth. So Louise you can abandon your genius idea of letting the fish listen to your music.

Mai Bar’s gorgeous Infinity Pool.

But what really grabbed our attention were these mermaids. We were eagerly waiting for them to jump into the pool (they did). It must have been rather difficult to swim in that outfit though.

So cute, right? You can see that they are wearing the Sony MP3 Players.

So, back to the MP3 player. The General Manager of Sony Malaysia’s Brand Activation Management Division Ivy Goh said “For many people, music is a vital component in their daily lifestyle. People listen to music when they are commuting to work or doing vigorous activities like a gym workout, cycling and running. The new NWZ-W273 not only lets you enjoy powerful music on the go, now you can even bring it to swim, which was something swimmers can only dream of until now.”

The evolution of entertainment devices over the last few decades.

We were also fascinated by the display of the various Sony music devices, as old as 1979 (the cassette walkman on the top left). How many of these do you own?

With MHB’s Jiayeen and Andy Kho.

Apart from Hunky dudes in just their board shorts and the mermaids. Malaysia’s very own synchronised swimming team also gave us an uplifting performance to the tune of Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman”

Gold Medalists of the recent ASEAN games.

I guess since I mentioned the hunky dudes, I must have a picture to prove right?

Here you go! The muscles with S. Hatano (new boss of Sony Malaysia) and Ivy Goh

Bit more on the new NWZ-W273 device: It is designed with intuitive controls to easily adjust volume to play, pause, or change songs on-the-go. It has a rather large (4GB) on-board memory (approximately 1000 songs), users can easily drag and drop DRM-free music files and playlists from iTunes® for Mac or PC, Windows® Media Player, or Windows Explorer. In terms of battery life, the NWZ-W273 delivers up to eight hours of audio playback on a full charge. Here’s another exciting feature: if you are the type of person who forgets to charge your devices until the last minute, you can just charge it for 3 minutes, and it will last for up to 60 minutes.

Pretty Models posing with the NWZ-W273

Sony has always been known to provide extraordinary audio performance, and the NWZ-W273 player is no exception, with its crystal clear highs and deep bass. The design of the tension band provides a supportive and comfortable fit, perfect for any sports activities. There’s no slowing down when you exercise with this device without the worries of the earpieces falling off, and they come with small, medium and large sizes. Available in blue, pink, white and black, the NWZ-W273 player is priced at RM299 (SRP) in Malaysia, coming to a store near you.

Last but not least, thank you Sony Malaysia for our gorgeous pairs of the headphones. :)

Just Louise and I mucking around with the Sony Headphones on display

Picture credits: Sony Malaysia, Tim Chew, Andy Kho

For more information check out http://www.facebook.com/SonyMalaysia

More photos on http://www.facebook.com/myhotbloggers

Tags: Mai Bar, Sony Malaysia, Sony nwz-w273 player Permalink

8 Comments

Awesome Wholesome Vanity Trove (May)

Posted by kellysiew on May 14, 2013 in Reviews, Sponsored, Vanity

First of all, I want to say a big thank you to Vanity Trove for their wonderful idea to collaborate with bloggers. It sure has added some element of excitement to my life knowing that I’ll get to try something new every month (third one, so far). You can check my my reviews on the March and April Edition.

I can tell you this month’s box is the best yet. The theme is “Awesome Wholesome”, and the focus is inner peace vs outer beauty. Well I’m all for skin care and beautiful glowing skin. A quick look at my daily regime you’ll know I spend a lot of time caring for my face and body, rather than piling on cosmetics on my face (except for events and performances, that I can’t really avoid). So this is definitely right up my alley.

Vanity Trove May Edition

Before I opened the box, I detected a pleasant scent telling me that I will like this very much. Initial thoughts: The products have bulked up as compared to the previous boxes. I guess I’ll start with my favourite products, which would be the Pure South Organic Body Lotion with Fresh Goat’s Milk, followed closely by the Tilley Goat Milk Soap.

Tilley Goat Milk Soap (RM12) and Pure South Organic Body Lotion (RM59 for 255ml)

My preferences for products has always leaned towards the creamy side. Think shea butter, cocoa butter, milk and honey. Which is why this duo of products ticked all the right boxes. The body lotion contains plant extracts and pure essential oils, perfect for dry skin (in my case, “aircond” skin). The rose oil and rosella extracts made the lotion smell amazing while boosting skin cell renewal.

I normally opt for shower gel for quicker shower, but occasionally using a bar soap can be a treat to my skin. This soap is wonderfully creamy and great for sensitive skin. Keywords: Organic Shea Butter, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Cocoa Butter. Love it! I think I might actually stick to this product for the long term.

Heaven on Earth Essential Oil - Lavender (RM50 - 5ml)

Heaven on Earth Essential Oil – Lavender (RM50 for 5ml)

Of all the essential oils available on the market, my favourite has to be lavender. Lavender is extremely versatile and the Heaven on Earth preparation can be used directly on the skin, inhaled (the vapor of course not the oil itself, best in a hot bath). As a chronic poor sleeper, my favourite way to use this is to apply a few drop on my pillow to help me sleep better. Apart from its well known relaxing/calming effect, it can also soothe insect bites.

EAU Thermale Avene Thermal Spring Water (RM19 for 50ml)

Eau Thermale Avène Thermal Spring Water (RM19 for 50ml)

I’m actually using the Eau Thermale Avène Very High Protection Emulsion (SPF 50+) as my sunscreen. The KL weather is brutal and this Thermal Spring Water is great for the cooling effect on skin especially during super hot days. Besides, it’s great for sunburn skin (although best to avoid sunburn in the first place), setting make up, soothing all sorts of skin irriation etc. This 50ml bottle is perfect for my handbag and will stay there from now on.

Schwarzkopf Essensity Natural Shine Serum (RM56 for 50ml)

I can never pronounce Schwarzkopf properly but I do like their hair products. Fizzy hair is never a problem for me but it doesn’t hurt to add extra shine to my hair with organic essences of sesame and olive oils from the Essensity Natural Shine Serum. The citrus scent is rather refreshing too.

Great job for putting together such a fabulous box this month, Vanity Trove! Looking forward to June already.

Vanity Trove is also going to have a special booth at the Market, Jaya One this Saturday and there will be many exciting activities for us all. I guess I will see you there!

To order the June Edition of Vanity Trove, sign up and subscribe at www.VanityTrove.com/my for monthly subscription fee of RM50 or choose the 3, 6, 12 months subscription options.

For more information, visit

www.facebook.com/VanityTroveMalaysia

www.vanitytrove.com/my

Tags: awesome wholesome, pure south body lotion goat's milk, schwarzkopf essensity natural shine, thermal spring water, tilley goat milk soap, vanity trove may Permalink

31 Comments

Simplot Food Blogger Cooking Competition – Baked Eggs with Mini Hash Browns

Posted by kellysiew on May 12, 2013 in Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Vegetarian

Simplot, the major potato grower, manufacturer and supplier in the world is holding a cooking competition for food bloggers in Malaysia. The rules are simple: we have to use any of the Simplot hashbrown products in a recipe and then blog about it. It’s also a bonus to use any of the Leggo’s sauces to make the recipe more interesting. The main criterias for the judging process is 1. Ease of Preparation and 2. Creativity.

I had a few days to ponder on the recipe and I decided to stick with what I love to eat that is also easy enough to make. We often see Hash browns being thrown on a plate as a big fry up breakfast and it can get rather boring. Well, my favourite breakfast (you might already know this) is something that’s packed with vegetables but also tastes amazing: Baked Eggs. Not only it’s visually appealing, it’s also fun to eat.

Of course, instead of serving it with toast, I used the mini hash browns to scoop up the delicious sauce. This also means I get to utilize a Leggo’s sauce in my recipe for the base. Strangely enough, someone must have stocked up all the pasta sauces because my local grocer only seems to have one variety left: The Napoletana. Luckily it’s versatile enough for me to play with.

This will be a picture-heavy blog because we are required to use step-by-step pictures and it certainly wasn’t easy for me to cook and take pictures at the same time without getting the camera dirty. So I guess I’ll skip my rambling and present to you my creation for this challenge:

Baked egg with zucchini and Capsicum served with Simplot Mini Hash Browns.

Ingredients (serves 2):

12 Simplot Mini Hash Browns
Half an onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
Half a zucchini, cut into small dice
Half a capsicum, cut into small dice
Leggo’s Napoletana Sauce
Handful fresh Parsley, chopped finely
1/2 teaspon Dried Oregano
1 Egg per person (or more if you prefer)
Handful Shredded Cheese (Mozzarella is perfect)

Preheat oven to 180C, arrange the Simplot Mini Hash Browns on a baking tray lined with baking sheet. Baked for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Get all the vegetables prepped. You want the zucchini and capsicum to be about the same size.

Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of Olive oil. Add onion and cook until soft, then throw in the minced garlic.

Continue to stir for a minute or two until onion is starting to brown. Then add zucchini and capsicum.

Cook for about 15 minutes until vegetables are soft, then add about half a jar of the Leggo’s sauce (about 300g). Basically just enough to cover the vegetables.

Add fresh parsley and dried oregano and cook for a few minutes more. Check for seasoning (I found mine already salty enough so I didn’t add anything else but a pinch of sugar). Turn off the heat.

Fill a mini cast iron skillet with the vegetable mixture, making an indentation in the middle. Crack an egg into a ramekin and carefully lower it into the indentation. Do the same for the other portion.

Sprinkle on some cheese. And bake in 180C oven for about 15-20 minutes until the egg is just set. Sprinkle more fresh parsley on top and serve with the mini hash browns. Consume immediately for the best runny egg yolk.

Tada!

I took a little too longer taking pictures so had let the egg to continue cooking in the skillet. So unfortunately no eggporn shot this time, but you can always take a look at my previous posts.

Dig in and enjoy!

This is the first time I’ve ever use a ready made sauce for baked eggs and I’m not surprised that it was a much quicker process and just as tasty as the made-from-scratch version. I polished the whole thing within 15 minutes.

Would this recipe get your vote?

Permalink

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Chicago Rib House, One Utama

Posted by kellysiew on May 11, 2013 in American, Pork, Reviews, Sponsored

One thing that is immediately apparent in KL is that the amount of Pork-free (Halal) outlets probably far exceeded the Non-halal eateries. Apart from looking after our Muslim countrymen, the difficulty of obtaining the license is also another factor. Nevertheless you can probably count the places that serve good pork ribs with your hands. I’m pleased to say that Chicago Rib House is one of them.

Few of us were invited for a tasting of their new menu this week, and I was glad to have Evelyn coming with me. Michelle was another delightful company too. As usual, I did my little research before heading there and found the menu reminding me of Tony Roma’s, just with pork (beef ribs will never be as good IMO). All the more to look forward to.

Classic Mojito (RM19.90) and Kiwi Mojito (RM25.90)

We started with their signature cocktails, the Mojitos. Confronted with many interesting choices (Banana, Lychee, even a frangelico one), I opted for the classic for fear of overly-sweet concoction. Although I must say that Evelyn’s choice (Kiwi) was a good one too.

Beer Battered Fried Mushrooms (RM19.90)

I have a weakness for fried mushrooms, and these beer battered babies were crispy with delicate savoury flavour. Good with the slightly tart ranch dressing. I couldn’t stop eating them.

Pigs in Blankets (RM18.90)

After having Pigs in Blankets in Sid’s Pubs, I find very few places can rival their version. But with the Bourbon-fueled sauce (possibly a little too much Bourbon, not that I’m complaining), these tasted very good indeed. The sweet sauce balanced out the saltiness of the bacon wrapped morsels. The only thing I didn’t like was the mouth feel of the sausages as they were of the cocktail variety, thus the skin is a bit thicker.

Some Porky goodness for you?

Because we are girls (and we like our veges), we also insisted upon an order of salad to fulfill our vege intake.

Oriental Salad (RM14.90)

Consisting of Lettuce, Tomatoes, Carrot and Almond flakes tossed with a lime and peanut dressing, this was very refreshing and had us going for seconds (and thirds).

Time for some main dishes! The signature Pork Pizza made its grand entrance.

Pork Pizza (RM25.90)

Topped with marinated pork pieces and Italian cheese, the pizza sure hit the right spots. The flavours were rich and they were generous with the cheese. I would prefer the crust to be firmer though, as these were falling apart as we pick them up.

New York Strip (RM51.90) which comes with 2 sides.

Our New York strip came with fresh vegetables and mash potatoes. The beef was cooked to medium (we forgot to ask for specific doneness). As it is a leaner cut of meat, it was slightly on the tough side. I felt that it would be better if served with some kind of jus/sauce, as the meat itself was pretty ‘au naturel’ in taste. I liked how they mix the potato skin in the mash but it could be creamier (I guess I’m just spoilt with really good mash at home).

How could we dine at Chicago Rib House without trying their Pork ribs? We were recommended the new flavour: Caramelized Plum, and this beauty appeared on our table.

Famous Pork Ribs (Whole Rack) RM49.90

Oh, so glorious looking! On the side there were some coleslaw and beer battered fries. Well, I can tell you that the ribs tasted even better than it looked. Wonderfully smoky, with the sweet and sour plum glaze waking up our taste buds. The meat was as superbly tender too. Very well-executed. I enjoyed the fresh coleslaw, though I’ve had better fries elsewhere.

Chicago’s Portillo Dog (RM15.90)

The Portillo dog is another new item on the menu. That fluffy bun was stuffed with toppings: Hot dog, the addictive chili-esque mince, lashings of mustard and finally some spring onions. There’s a mild heat to it owing to the mustard and jalapenos. I’m not usually a fan of hot dog but this was pretty tasty in its own right.

We were fully stuffed by then but you know what they say about desserts right? We couldn’t resist and ordered 2 of them. First was another new menu item: Bread Pudding.

Bread Pudding (RM9.90)

I found their version very different to the usual bread and butter pudding with distinct bread layers and custard. Don’t be fooled by the cakey appearance though, as the taste of bread and custard was still prominent. Very comforting dish.

Banana Split (RM14.90)

You can’t really go wrong with Banana Split, and I remember this being my favourite childhood treat. Banana slices with ice cream and hot chocolate fudge, simple but quick to please the little kid in me.

So as their motto says, we had a porky good time!

Ch-ch-check out their current promotions (there are quite a few):

Collect 3 stamps and get your Free pork ribs at next purchase!

Want afforable and great tasting lunch? Make use of their weekday specials. That Pasta Carbonara is calling me name.

Lunch specials: The Soup of the Day and Bottomless Soft Drinks are actually FREE right now for a limited time. You can get the voucher at the door I believe.

Check out their facebook app for free vouchers

For more information, head over to http://www.facebook.com/CRHMalaysia and their official website http://www.chicagoribhouse.com.my/

Chicago Rib House

F346, First Floor Rainforest,
1 Utama Shopping Centre (New Wing),
Tel: 03-7727 3210
Hours of Operation: 11am – 11pm

L2-52, Level 2, Cheras Leisure Mall,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 – 9134 6120
Hours of Operation: 11am – 11pm

170-G-43, Gurney Plaza,
Persiaran Gurney, 10250,
Penang
Tel: 04-2290763
Hours of Operation: 11am – 11pm

Tags: banana split, bread pudding, chicago portillo dog, chicago rib house, fried mushrooms, gurney plaza, leisure mall, mojito, one utama, oriental salad, pigs in blankets, pork pizza, pork ribs Permalink

6 Comments

HiShop Beauty Ambassador Welcome Pack

Posted by kellysiew on May 10, 2013 in Reviews, Sponsored, Vanity

Sometimes, writing a blog comes with interesting perks. Receiving beauty products certainly wasn’t on my agenda when I started this blog. Since the bloom of Beauty Boxes, many of us have enjoyed the delight of receiving beauty products at home. Well, HiShop takes it even further and have introduced a Beauty Ambassador Programme where we get to receive monthly delivery of goodies to review and share with our readers.

HiShop is an online beauty and cosmetics store, a sister company of MilkaDeal and White.my. They only carry Genuine Products and they believe that beauty should be made accessible for everyone. Well, especially for lazy shoppers like me. I think I receive an average of a parcel per week of various products, that’s how much I love online shopping. The postmen probably don’t like me so much though.

So a bright hot pink box came to my doorstep a week or so ago, and it is a heavy one too.

Eyecatching box used for all their deliveries.

Not wasting any minute I opened it up and this is what I see.

Some goodies in there.

The big bottle you see there is the Scent Affair Fragrant Bodywash – Pomegranate (725ml). I can never have too many types of body wash for choice of delicious scents. This one has a very refreshing fragrance that is good for the mornings to perk me up. It’s moisturising with aloe vera and natural pomegranate extracts and it also has antibacterial properties.

Beside the body wash there are also couple of samples: Nature & Co Pure White Lotion Light & Pure White Milky Lotion Light (in green) which is brightening and hydrating at the same time, and the Nature & Co Vital Purity Lift Mask which is a clay mask containing organic plant extract essence (moisturizing), organic lavender extract essence and, and organic chamomile extract essence, great for night time use as relaxation.

Baviphat Sharp Liquid Eyeliner

Hiding in the corner of the box is the Baviphat Sharp Liquid Eyeliner, an ultra black smudge proof eyeliner from Korea. Just as well my Sephora eyeliner is near finished.

Love the sharp felt tip

I tested it on the back of my hand and it looked pretty good. Rich colour and clean line.

Smudge free after a few hours too.

I’ve been trying all sorts of things: rubbing it, running water over it and it still stayed. But it does come off easily when I tried to rub it off under the water.

I’ve actually bought something (which I’ll talk about soon enough) from HiShop and was happy with the service. You get free delivery for purchase over RM50 and they also give you the option to choose up to 3 samples. Best of all, I received the item just 2 days after I made the order.

Last but not least, good news for all of you: HiShop is giving away RM20 off discount for any purchases above RM100. Use this discount code: LOVEHISHOP (expires on 30 June 2013)

Do subscribe to HiShop’s newsletter for exclusive offers: http://www.hishop.my/subscribe

For more offers and promotions, check out these websites below:Official Website
Facebook: HiShop Malaysia
Twitter: @hishopmy

Tags: baviphat sharp liquid eyeliner, hishop beauty ambassador, scent affair pomegranate Permalink

11 Comments

Sabah MFF: Hinava (Kadazan Dusun Fish Salad)

Posted by kellysiew on May 9, 2013 in Fish, Malaysian, Recipe, Salad

This month, the Malaysian Food Fest takes us to Sabah, the other Malaysian state on our beloved Borneo Island. Although we were pretty much neighbours, the only experience I’d had with Sabah was a brief stopover at Kota Kinabalu airport many many moons ago. So unfortunately I haven’t had authentic Sabahan cuisine yet.

What I do know though, is that Sabah and Sarawak share some similarities in food preparations. When I saw the recipe for Hinava, a fish salad commonly prepared by the Kadazan people, I can think of another dish very similar in Sarawak: the Umai by the Melanau people. Both recipe calls for white fish flesh and lime juice as the main ingredients, and the citrus cooked the fish flesh, just like the Spanish ceviche. In fact it is possible this dish has Spanish influence, even.

Hinava is usually consumed during the Kaamatan Festival (rice harvest festival), there are some variations in recipe but many uses thin slices of raw bitter gourd. I love bitter gourd and this was the main attraction for this recipe to me. The authentic version of Hivana will usually have grated “bambangan seed”. I have no idea where to get this in KL so I’ve omitted that, apparently it doesn’t make much difference anyway.

You have to get the freshest fish available for this kind of salad because the lime juice doesn’t kill all the bacteria. I chose to have the fish ‘shocked’ by boiling water before curing it because I bought my fish from my supermarket. Even though it was cut on the same day, I thought I’d take extra precautions. Terri, a Sabahan food blogger also does it this way.

Hinava (Sabahan Ceviche)

Recipe adapted from A Pepper’s Love

200g raw Mackerel (tenggiri) fish
Juice of 5-6 calamansi lime
Salt to taste
Small amount of Ginger, cut into fine strips
2 Shallots, peeled and slice thinly
2 Chili Padis, finely chopped
Thin slices of Bitter Gourd
Coriander for garnish

Raw ingredients

Preparing the fish by removing skin and bones, then cut into bite size pieces.

This is an optional step. I poured boiling water (to remove any funky taste) over the fish, and drained immediately. The fish was then set aside to let it cool completely. You can certainly omit this step and just cook it with lime juice instead, but you’ll probably need extra limes.

Add lime juice and salt to the raw fish and mix well. Then toss with ginger, shallot, chili and bitter gourd. Set aside for at least 15 minutes in the fridge or longer, until ready to serve. Garnish with coriander. It’s great as an appetiser, or even served with rice, but guess what I did with it?

Crazy fusion dish, but super delicious!

Since it’s pretty much a variant of ceviche, I ate the fish salad with some homemade tortilla and guacamole in conjunction with Cinco De Mayo! On its own, it’s super refreshing with all that lime juice. As the bitter gourd has been treated with salt, it wasn’t bitter at all and gives a lovely textural contrast to the dish. I’d love to try this with other types of fish next time (salmon, tuna, other fresh white fish, possibilities are endless). For those who dislike fish, you can also make this with prawn or squid.

So are you a fan of fish salad like this?

I am submitting this post to MFF, Sabah month, hosted by Mary Chey of A Pepper’s Love.