Hae Bee Hiam by Vanessa Tay


Ingredients

600g Dried Shrimp "Hae Bee" - soak for 10 mins, rinse, set aside
500g Pork Belly - blanch, rinse, cut into thin strips
400g Shallots - peel, rinse, set aside as whole
100g Garlics - peel, rinse, set aside as whole
200g Red Onions - peel, cut, set aside 50g for stir fry
Dry Chilli - around $1, wash and soak for 10 minutes. Squeeze dry , remove as many seeds as possible
250g Chili Padi - remove stem, rinse
25g Belachan
3tbsp Raw/Brown Sugar
1tsp Sea Salt
300ml Water
250ml Cooking Oil

Method

In a blender, grind Dry Chili, Chili Padi, Shallots, Garlics, Red Onions and Belachan by batches into smooth paste with abit of water. Transfer blended paste to a large bowl.

In a blender, grind Dried Shrimp with a little water. Do not grind till too fine. Transfer blended dried shrimp to a large bowl.

Heat oil in wok till smoking, deep fry Pork Belly to force out some fat, remove Pork Belly from oil, set aside.

In the same wok, heat oil on medium heat, fry Red Onion for a few minutes, leave red onion in wok.

Add in blended spice paste, stirring constantly until mixture mix well with oil. Add the minced dried prawns, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Last add in Pork Belly, keep frying the shrimp paste until dry and fragrant . It takes about 30 - 40 mins. Season with Sugar and Salt.

Store in air-tight container once cool completely. Can store for weeks in the fridge or freeze it for up to a year.