Here’s a recipe to help you recreate Balado Eggplant Pete at home!
Balado Eggplant Pete Recipe
Ingredients:
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2 medium-sized eggplants (cut into bite-sized cubes or slices)
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100g petai (stinky beans), peeled
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying)
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Salt, to taste
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Sugar, to taste
For the Balado Sauce:
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10 red bird’s eye chilies (or adjust to your spice preference)
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4 cloves garlic
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4 shallots
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2 medium tomatoes, chopped
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1 tablespoon tamarind paste (optional, for tanginess)
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2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
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1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce (for depth of flavor)
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1 tablespoon oil (for frying)
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Eggplant:
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Cut the eggplants into bite-sized cubes or slices. If you’re using larger eggplants, you may want to salt them and let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out bitterness. Rinse the salt off and pat dry with a towel before cooking.
2. Fry the Eggplant:
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Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
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Add the eggplant pieces to the hot oil and fry them until golden and soft (around 5-7 minutes). Once done, remove them from the pan and set aside on paper towels to drain any excess oil.
3. Prepare the Balado Sauce:
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In a blender or mortar and pestle, blend the red chilies, garlic, shallots, and tomatoes until you have a smooth paste.
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Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat.
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Add the blended paste to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and the oil begins to separate from the paste. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes.
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Add the tamarind paste (if using), palm sugar, fish sauce (or soy sauce), and a pinch of salt. Stir everything together and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add Petai and Eggplant:
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To the cooked Balado sauce, add the petai (stinky beans) and fry for another 3 minutes, letting them absorb the flavors of the sauce.
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Add the fried eggplant pieces to the pan and toss them gently in the sauce. Make sure the eggplant and petai are evenly coated with the Balado mixture. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, allowing everything to heat through and the flavors to meld together.
5. Final Adjustments:
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Taste the dish and adjust with salt or sugar to balance the tanginess and sweetness to your preference. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a splash of water to loosen it.
6. Serve:
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Once everything is well combined and heated through, transfer to a serving dish and serve hot with steamed rice.
Optional Additions:
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Fried shallots: Add some crispy fried shallots on top for extra texture and flavor.
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Chili paste: If you like it even spicier, you can add some extra chili paste or sambal to the sauce.
Serving Suggestions:
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This dish pairs beautifully with steamed white rice or fried rice.
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You can also serve it as part of a larger meal with other Indonesian or Malay dishes, such as Ayam Penyet (smashed fried chicken) or Sambal Terasi.
Notes:
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Petai (stinky beans) has a very distinctive, strong taste. If you’re new to petai, you might want to start with a small amount to see if you like it. It’s an acquired taste but is loved for its unique flavor.
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Balado sauce can vary in spiciness, so feel free to adjust the number of bird’s eye chilies based on how hot you like your food.
Enjoy making this Balado Eggplant Pete! It’s a delicious, spicy, and hearty dish that brings a lot of flavor to the table. Let me know how it goes or if you have any questions while cooking!