Stink beans, bitter beans, twisted cluster beans😊the names are enough to put people off. BUT, wait, these beans are so called bcoz of their distinct taste and odour, (A bit strong, but similar to raw asparagus which I admit is an acquired taste.) The bean it self has a buttery bite to it. And the beans healing properties are many. They are very good in cleansing the kidneys., so don’t shy away…do try them😊 Very very popular here in Indonesia. Petai (pronounced Ptai) is mostly added to sambals or served as a side dish with rice, fish, chicken etc. Its truely delicious. Its normally just added in the last stage of cooking or eaten fried.
In India Its called YONGCHAK, (I googled this, and saw its found in MANIPUR.) Pls do enlighten me if you know more about this in India. Normally a single stalk will have about 10 to 12 beans, the outer covering is disposed and the beans are used. Every vegetable vendor who passes around will surely have many petai hanging on his cart. These bright green beans surely brighten up a dish.
Ikan kembung is a distant cousin of the mackerel😊. Its not very fleshy, and has many tiny bones. But it fries very well and tasty to eat. Use any other fish if you want. Its the sambal which is so tasty..spicy, a little sweet and slightly tangy. Do try this recipe. Photo was a bit difficult to take..😊pls excuse the photography.
Ingredients
- 500 gms of ikan Kembung (chubb mackerel)
- Lime juice and salt (for rubbing)
- Corriander powder and turmeric
- Oil (for deep frying and sambal)
Sambal (Step 1 grinding):
- 7 red chillies
- 5 bird eye chillies
- 6 shallots
- 3 garlic pods
- 1 tsp salt
- 50 ml or 3 tbsps water
Step 2 (for cooking):
- 1 stalk of lemongrass (slit and bashed)
- 3 torn kaffir lime leaves
- 10 whole bird eye chillies
- 1 big tomato sliced
- 1 tbsp jaggery or brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 50 ml or 3 tbsps water
- Petai (stink beans), removed from stalk, white membrane removed, and slit into 2
Method
1. Prepare the Fish
- Make slits over the fish.
- Wash well, rub lime juice and salt over it and let sit for half an hour.
- Next rub some corriander powder and turmeric into the fish.
- Heat some oil in a pan and deep fry the fish till crispy (you can cover while frying to avoid spluttering).
- Keep the fish in a serving dish.
2. Make the Sambal
- Blend all the “Step 1” ingredients together and keep aside.
- Heat 6 tbsps oil in a pan.
- Add the blended paste, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves.
- Cook this till oil separates.
- Now add the whole bird eye chillies, sliced tomato, jaggery/brown sugar, sugar, and water.
- Add the prepared Petai beans.
- Cook all this for 10 mins till the beans lose their rawness.
3. To Assemble
- Put the fish in a platter and pour the sambal on top.
- Garnish with cucumber and thai basil.
- Eat with hot white rice and some stirfry vegetables.
