How To Cook the Best Hong Bak...

• 3 tbsp coriander seeds
• 5 g cekur ginger root *get from the market*
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 10 shallots

Ground them all into paste and saute until aromatic. If you can't smell the aroma, walk out of your kitchen and jump back in. I can't smell them when I'm cooking. I need to walk out and then come back in again.

• 1 tbsp bean paste

While saute-ing those spice paste, throw in a tablespoon of tau cheo. When you're satisfied with your saute-ing skill, throw these in:

• Pork trotter *I usually buy the whole trotter but mi madre will just buy half of it*
• Half cup of water
• Some potatoes cut into chunk
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

You're suppose to braise this dish so half a cup of water might not be enough. Add more to cover depending how much pork trotter or pork belly and potatoes you have inside, cover and let it simmer for roughly around 30 minutes or until the water has lessen, not completely dry though. 

• Salt
• Sugar

Throw in a spoonful or two of sugar. I'm not very sure of the salt. I don't use salt in my cooking most of the time. I marinade the meat first with oyster sauce most of the time. A mixture of oyster sauce and abalone sauce would be good enough. In any Nyonya dish, the spices and time taken to prepare are of utmost importance. Have a good try... One dish of this is enough to last the whole day... no wonder I need a trotter instead of half.