Braised soy sauce pork

The second dish that I cook for the lunch was braised pork in soy sauce.  This is a very popular dish that my mother used to prepare for we Hokkian people during festive seasons when we were young.

the ingredients

600g pork belly or thigh meat
2 whole garlic
6 Chinese dried mushroom(pre-soaked)
4 eggs pre-boiled
some sea-cucumber (optional)
1 tbs dark soy sauce
3 tbs light soy sauce(special for cooking this dish)
1 stick 2 inc cinnamon stick
1 pcs of dried mandarin peel
dash of pepper
1 tbs of dark brawn sugar(or gula melaka)
1 tbs oil

Wash and cut the pork into bite sizes, par-boiled and drained.  Marinate the meat with the dark and light soy sauces and pepper.
Clean the garlics and make a slight smash on them.  Heat up the oil, fry the garlic, cinnamon and mandarin peel, add in the meat and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Add in sugar before transferring to the pot for braising. Add in enough water to cover the meat in the pot. Add in the eggs, mushrooms and sea-cucumber.  Braise for an hour or until the meat is soft and tender.  Serve hot with rice.

This is the result of my braised pork but where are the mushrooms? I was out of the dried Chinese mushrooms, so I have to cook without them. 

Assam fish head curry

My son came back for the weekend from Kuala Lumpur.  I was prepared to cook Assam fish head curry and black soy sauce pork and garlic fry  organic sweet potato shoots from my friend back yard.  I had a red snapper fish head which I bought from Pantai Remis fishing boat a week ago, and its still very fresh.

The ingredient

red snapper fish head about 600g
300g prawn(optional)
6 fresh chillies(sliced)
3 stalks lemon grass(sliced)
10 dried chillies(soaked)
6 shallots(sliced)
3 gloves garlic(sliced)
2cm piece of dried shrimp paste
2 tbsp fish curry powder
5 pieces of young daun kesom(kaffir lime leaf)

1 stalk bunga kantan(ginger flower) split into 4
2 medium tomatoes
1 bombay onion
10 lady fingers
4 tbsp tamarind paste mix with 250ml of water.
2 tbsp oil
salt and sugar to taste

Wash and steam the fish head for about 8 minutes, discard the liquid from the steamed fish, leave aside. Steam the lady fingers for 3 minutes. Leave aside.
Pound or blend together the fresh chillies, dried chillies, shallots, garlics,curry powder,lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves,shrimp paste until fine.
Heat up oil, fry the blended ingredients until fragrant, add in the cut tomatoes, wild ginger flower and onion, the tamarind paste water and cook on low fire for 5 minutes.  Add in the prawns and the steamed fish.  Cook for another 3 minutes.  Add in sugar and salt to taste.  Lastly add in the steamed lady fingers and mix well. The Assam curry fish head is ready to be served.  Yum yum... my son love it very much.