Pongteh Paste

$8 – 150g
$26 – 1kg

You will probably never go to a Peranakan restaurant that does not have Ayam Pongteh (stewed chicken in fermented soy bean sauce) or Babi Pongteh (braised pork) on the menu. It’s a Nyonya classic, full of delicious umami flavour, and recipes are handed down through generations.

The rich, thick, savoury sauce and mild sweetness of this dish goes perfectly with rice. Of course, if you’re vegetarian, it will take your mock meat to new heights too.

This paste really is a must-try. You can’t say you’ve eaten Peranakan food until you’ve enjoyed a good Pongteh.

You’ll need:

500g chicken, beef, mutton, pork or mock meat
1 stalk cane sugar (or rock sugar to taste)
10 small shitake mushrooms
150g bamboo shoots (optional)
500ml water

This paste is a blend of soybean oil, salt, garlic, shallots, cinnamon, preserved bean paste, dark soya sauce.