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Jiu hu char (dried cuttlefish and jicama stir-fry)
Shredded jicama, carrot and cabbage stir-fried with dried cuttlefish and pork, eaten in lettuce
Jiu hu char is a Penang Nyonya dish cooked in big batches for Chinese New Year, when it is passed round as a gift and kept on hand for visitors; its long, fine shreds stand for long life, and the abundance of the pot for a full year. Shredded jicama (yam bean), carrot and cabbage are fried slowly with strips of dried cuttlefish, a little pork and shiitake until sweet, soft and full of the savoury, slightly smoky flavour of the cuttlefish. Wrap spoonfuls in crisp lettuce with a dab of sambal belacan. Chef's tip: cut the vegetables into very fine, even matchsticks; this is what gives the dish its silky texture.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz dried shredded cuttlefishor 1 dried cuttlefish, cut into thin strips
- 5 ½ oz pork belly or shouldercut into thin strips
- 6 dried shiitake mushroomssoaked, stems removed, thinly sliced; keep 100 ml soaking water
- 2 ¼ lb jicama (yam bean)peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
- 2 carrotscut into fine matchsticks
- 7 oz white cabbagefinely shredded
- 6 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp salt
To serve
- 1 head lettuce leaveswashed and dried
- 4 tbsp sambal belacan (optional)
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 2 ⅛ oz dried shredded cuttlefish and soak in warm water for 10 minutes, until slightly softened, then drain and pat dry.
10 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp neutral oil in a large wok over a medium heat, add the cuttlefish and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it smells toasty and turns golden. Common mistake: frying on a high heat; dried cuttlefish burns in seconds and turns bitter.
4 minStep 3: Add 6 cloves garlic and fry for 1 minute until pale golden, then add 5 ½ oz pork belly or shoulder and 6 dried shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry for 4 minutes until the pork is no longer pink and starts to brown.
5 minStep 4: Add 2 ¼ lb jicama (yam bean), 2 carrots and 7 oz white cabbage and toss well, then pour in the mushroom soaking water, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, ½ tsp ground white pepper and ½ tsp salt.
3 minStep 5: Cover and cook over a medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the jicama is soft and translucent, the juices have mostly cooked away and the pork is cooked through.
14 minStep 6: Taste for salt, then serve warm or at room temperature with 1 head lettuce leaves leaves for wrapping, 4 tbsp sambal belacan and 1 handful fresh coriander. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days; reheat until steaming.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jiu hu char (dried cuttlefish and jicama stir-fry) take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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