Stir-fried Asparagus with Belachan 峇拉煎炒芦笋

This is a 'personal dish' because everyone at home hates belachan. So I eat it alone. :(

Belachan is made from fermented ground shrimp and the smell of belachan is very strong. I have to use 3 ziploc bags to store it to minimize the smell. My daughter says I cook 'smelly' vegetables each time I use belachan. And each time after cooking any dish with belachan, I have to open all the windows and spray air-freshener so my husband will not make too much noise when he returns from work. =_="

I guess Belacan is the durian in cooking. The smell is so pungent that you either hate it of love it. And I love it. :P

Ingredients (for one person):

• 6 Asparagus, skinned and sliced
• 2 clove Garlic, minced
• 2 Shallot, sliced
• 1 Chilli, seed and julienned
• 1 teaspoon Belachan, chopped
• 2 teaspoon Ground Dried Shrimp, previously soak to soften before grinding (optional)
• 1/2 tablespoon Cooking Oil

How to do it:

1. Saute garlic and shallot in oil till fragrant.
2. Add in chilli, belachan and dried shrimp, if using.
3. Stir fry for about a minute.
4. Add in asparagus and stir fry quickly till cooked.
5. Dish and serve immediately.

Quick Shroom

This dish takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and less than 5 minutes to cook. You can't get any quicker than this.

Ingredients:

• 12 Fresh Button Mushroom (I used Brown-cap here), sliced
• 6 Fresh Shitake Mushroom, sliced
• 2 clove Garlic, minced
• 3/4 tablespoon Cooking Oil
• A handful of Spinach or other Leafy Veggie (optional)
• A squeeze of Lemon Juice
• Ground Black Pepper and Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Add oil and garlic into wok.
2. Saute till fragrant but not brown.
3. Add in all the sliced mushroom.
4. Stir-fry quickly till mushroom are all softened.
5. Add in Spinach if using.
6. Season with lemon juice, ground black pepper and salt.
7. Toss it quickly to mix well.
8. Serve immediately.

Note:

• Do not heat the oil first before adding the garlic. This way, the garlic won't get burn so easily, making it bitter.  It can also bring out the flavour and aroma of the garlic better.
• The quantity of each mushroom used depends on individual. Use only one type of mushroom only if you like.