Babi Pongteh (Salted Soya Bean Pork Stew)

I like this sweet and flavorful salted soya bean dish whereby the meat and potatoes have been simmer to tender. The palm sugar or gula melaka sweetened gravy is best pour over warm white rice to enjoy :)

Cooking this dish in rice cooker is not only convenient, but also keeping the tender ingredients in good shape :)

This dish can be simmered to tender by using the energy efficient thermal cooker. 

Yield: 4 adult servings

Appliances: rice cooker, or 1.5 L thermal cooker

Ingredients 

300g pork collar, cut into 8 chunks

2 granola potatoes, quarters

1 onion, chopped, about 2 heap tbsp

2 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 tbsp salted soya bean

30~40g palm sugar, chopped 

Direction

1. Soak salted soya beans in water for 15 minutes. Drain and mash into paste. Set aside.

Soak to reduce the saltiness. This step is optional.

2. Pour boiling water to blanche the pork for 10 minutes.

3. Drain away the water and coat the pork chunks with 1/4 tsp dark soya sauce and dash of pepper. Set aside.

4. Peel and soak potato quarters in salt water for about 15 minutes.

5. Heat up a tbsp of olive oil in a medium hot pot. Stir-fry the chopped garlic till golden, then pour in the chopped onion. Stir-fry till the onion softens.

6. Add in the salted soya bean paste and contiue to stir-fry till fragrant.

7. Add in the marinated pork chunks.

7. Add in the palm sugar and stir fry till the sugar melts.

8. Add in the drained potato chunks and stir fry for about 1 minute.

9. Pour in about 50ml of water to faciltate coating of the ingredients.

If you are using stove to cook, add enough water to cover to 2/3 the ingredients's height. Bring the ingredients into a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour, or till the meat and potato softened.

>>>>>> Rice Cooker Version <<<<<<<

10. Pour all the ingredients into the rice cooker pot.

11. Pour in about 100~150ml of water enough to partially submerge the ingredients to a depth of about 2/3 the ingredients' height.

12. Select the "soup" function and set the cooking time to 1 hour. Start the cooking process.

13. About 20 minutes into cooking, give the ingredients a few stirs to faciltate uniform heating.

Subsequently, stir in every 10 minutes.

14. Towards the end of the cooking, add in starch water to thicken the gravy.

15. At the final 10 minutes, open the lid and let some of the water evaporates to thicken the gravy further.

16. After the cooking process has ended,  turn off the power, close the lid and let the remnant heat simmer the meat and potato to softness. You can let the ingredients stay in the pot for 1 to 2 hours.

17. Every things soft and tender :P

18. Transfer the dish out to a serving bowl and consume with warm rice ;)

<<<<<<<Using Thermal Cooker>>>>>>

Continue from step (9)

10. Pour the hot ingredients into the inner pot of the thermal cooker. Add hot water to cover till the top of the ingredients.

Heat over low heat till lightly boiling. Let the ingredients boils for about 10 minutes.

11. Cover with a lid and lower into the outer thermal cooker pot.

Cover and lock the lid. Let the ingredients sit inside for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

After 1 1/2 hours, check the softness of the potato chunks by poking a chopstick through it. 

12. Heat up the ingredients and add salt to your taste. 

13. Mix 3/4 tsp of potato starch to 2 tsp of water and add to the hot ingredients. Stir to thicken the gravy.

14. Return the inner pot to the outer thermal pot and keep warm till serving.

Soft and tender ~ ^^