Babi Tohay Recipe: Near Extinct Nonya Dish!

Babi Tohay is one Nonya dish you don’t often see at the restaurants. I first tasted it at Peramakan many years ago and then most recently at Mama Jac’s Kitchenette. It’s one of the most moreish pork belly dishes ever and every time I eat it, I am left wondering why it isn’t more readily available?

Tohay Paste Ingredients

Fresh Krill (udang gerago) 200g
Salt 25g
Raw rice 90g
Red Yeast Rice 15g
Brandy 1 Tbsp

Method:

1. Wash Krill and drain excess water
2.  Wash rice and leave to sun dry
3.  Wash red yeast rice and leave to sun dry
4.  Pan toast rice till light brown in color and grind to powder
5.  Pan toast the red yeast rice for 1 min and grind to powder
6.  Add salt to krill and grind to paste.
7.  Mix krill, raw rice, red yeast rice and brandy together
8.  Place tohay  paste in a glass jar and leave in a cool dark place for 5 days.

Babi Tohay Ingredients

Pork belly 1 kg
Lemongrass 8 + 2 stalks
Garlic 6 + 2 cloves
Red Chillies 8
Green Chillies 8
Red Onions (medium) 8
Kaffir Lime Leaves 20 (tear leaves from stem)
Tohay paste 8 Tbsp
Brandy 2 Tbsp
Pork stock 500ml (or water)

Method

1.  Dice pork belly into 1 x 0.5 inch pieces and season with 1 Tbsp white pepper. Leave for 30mins then wash and drain excess water
2.  Slice 2 lemongrass and 2 cloves of garlic thinly.
3.  Bruise the rest of the lemon grass (bottom part)
4.  Slice the rest of the garlic
5.  Cut red onions into quarters
6.  Deseed red and green chillies and slice into inch pieces
7.  Heat 4 Tbsp oil and gently fry garlic slices till golden brown.  Set aside as garnish
8.  Gently fry thinly sliced lemongrass till golden brown and set aside as garnish
9.  Add bruised lemongrass to oil and pan fry till fragrant.
10.  Add garlic and fry till slightly brown.
11.  Add tohay paste to pan.  Add brandy and stir fry.  Then mix in lemongrass and garlic.
12.  Add pork to tohay paste and mix to coat pork with paste.
13.  Add pork stock, kaffir lime leaves and bring to simmer and cook for 45mins
14.  In a separate pan, saute red onions till slightly wilted. Set aside
15.  Saute red and green chillies till slightly charred.  Set aside
16.  Add half the red onions and chillies and cook for another 30mins
17.  Add the rest of the red onions and chillies and simmer for a further 10mins.
18.  Garnish with garlic Recipe Steps in Photos

Wash and drain krill Pan toasted raw rice and red yeast rice Tohay paste on Day 1 Tohay paste on day 5.  I have left it on the kitchen counter for 1 month and it didn’t turn mouldy or go bad.  The salt in the recipe preserves the krill from spoilage. Sliced garlic and lemongrass Kaffir lime leaves, shallots and chillies Saute garlic and set aside for garnish Saute lemongrass and set aside for garnish Saute lemongrass Saute garlic Pan fry tohay paste till fragrant Add pork belly and mix Add pork stock and simmer for 45 mins Add sauteed onions and chilli and simmer till pork is tender

Happy Cooking!

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