COOKING WITH SOY BEAN PASTE.

PONTAY WITH CHICKEN AND PORK.
BEANS AND LEEK FRIED WITH PORK AND (fermented soybeans)



SOYBEAN PASTE.

Soybeans originated from Korea. The Chinese and Japanese learned to make soybean paste from the Koreans thousands of years ago.

The Koreans have their ‘ddoenjang’
The Japanese have their ‘miso’ and the Chinese have their ‘meen see or teow cheong’, all these paste taste similar, but looks different in colour.

Today the soybean paste is made differently but still uses the main ingredients, soybeans and salt. The soybeans are washed, boiled and left to ferment with salt. This is left in jars and is opened every day to dry in the sun.

After 40 days, the first liquid is strained out to make soy sauce. There are different grades of soy sauce and after all the straining, the remaining beans are bottled with brine and sold as fermented soy bean paste.

You can also buy fine soy bean paste. This is the Chinese way of making soy sauce and fermented bean paste.
Soy bean paste, a rich source of nutrition is liked by most Asians in their cooking.

Because of the high salt content, you do not need to add salt in your cooking if you use soy bean paste.
The Chinese also love their soy sauce; there are people who would dip everything in soy sauce before eating.

You would notice that every table in a Chinese restaurant has a bottle of soy sauce!

Today I have 2 recipes using soybean paste.

This very popular dish, “PONTAY” is cooked with pounded garlic, onions and soybean paste. You can use chicken or pork or 2 together.
There are many versions to making this dish. The Nonyas’s version, the Cantonese’s version, (they call it ‘the king’s meat’) the Japanese’s version but the base is soybean paste.

My recipe is a mixture to suit my family through the years. When ever there is ‘Pontay’ it was on a feast day, a celebration or a special occasion, so we don’t’ have this dish all the time, it was a special dish for special occasions only. Now we cook it when ever we feel like having ‘Pontay’!

PONTAY RECIPE.
½ a chicken, cut up.
½ kilo. Belly pork
3 potatoes.
½ can bamboo shoots.
8 dried Chinese mushrooms (best soaked over night)

Pound separately.
2 tablsp. Fermented whole soybeans (or fine soybean paste)
½ clove garlic.
5 small red onions.

Fry pounded garlic and onions in 3 tablsp oil till fragrant, add in the soybean paste, mix well, add in the meat, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots
Add a dash of soy sauce, dark soy sauce, just for some colour. salt to taste.

A pinch of sugar, add enough water to cover the meat, simmer for 20mins.
Add the potatoes, simmer another 15 mins.
Serve with hot steamed rice and sambal blachan.

This dish is best eaten the next day when all the flavors are well mixed.

BEANS AND LEEK FRIED WITH PORK AND SOYBEANS.

This is an easy stir fry dish.
½ kilo. Beans, long beans or round beans, cut into 2”
1 leek, use only the white stem, this is the sweet part. Cut on a slant, ½” slices.
Cut pork into strips, marinate with a dash of soy sauce, pepper, a pinch of sugar, 1 teasp. of corn flour.

In a kwali, heat up 2 tablsp. Oil, fry 4 sliced garlic, add 2 tablsp. Whole fermented soybeans (drain off the brine) add the pork, add the leek, stir till the pork is cooked, add the beans, and stir well. Add ½ cup water; cook till the beans are soft.

Serve with hot steamed rice. For those who like the hot kick, add in a sliced red chilly.

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