SINGAPORE, July 17 — An easy-to-whip-up recipe for Babi Pongteh by Chef Malcolm Lee of Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant Candlenut.

Babi Pongteh

Serves 4 – 6 as part of a meal

What you need:

20 shallots, peeled

10 garlic cloves, peeled

4 tbsp cooking oil

2 tbsp preserved soy bean paste

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 kg pork belly, thickly-sliced

1 litre water

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 red and 2 green chillies, crushed using the back of a spoon

Method:

1.  Using a blender, process the shallots and garlic into a fine paste.

2.  Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic paste and stir fry until fragrant.

3.  Add the preserved soy bean paste and ground coriander and stir fry for 1 minute.

4.  Add the pork belly and stir fry for another minute.

5.  Add the water, sugar, salt and dark soy sauce.

6.  Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the pork is tender.

7.  Dish out and garnish. Serve with crushed red and green chillies as an accompaniment.

Chef Malcolm also shares some tips for his recipe:

1.  Cut your pork belly into bigger chunks so that it does not disintegrate into the gravy. It is also nice to have chunks for bite and texture.

2.  You could add dried shiitake mushrooms to increase the intensity of the flavour. — TODAY