Ipoh Bean Sprouts

 A recent trip to a Malaysian restaurant inspires me tonight. A pot of beef rendang bubbles away, low and slow. I slice and dice red peppers and snap peas and toss them with Chinese sauces. The third dish is a classic.... Ipoh bean sprouts. Ipoh being a small town on the Malaysian peninsula, not too far from our favorite town Penang. 

We were first introduced to this simple dish at Penang Restaurant in Flushing, Queens. This authentic repository of all things Malaysian, is long gone but not forgotten. We have tried many others, but none of them have quite lived up to the original. Tucked away in a strip mall, the place was beloved for its brusque service and delicious food. We remember the menu fondly, the many pilgrimages we made with dear family and friends so often that Victor, my husband's brother, nicknamed our experiences there as Penangish!  He loved the place as much as we did, having lived in Kuala Lumpur. Very often, we took him to the restaurant the moment he got off the plane! 

I always marveled at the plate of crisp bean sprouts dowsed in soy sauce and crisp garlic chips. Not too hard to make right? It really isn't. All you need is to have everything ready. So lets start. Make a sauce with soy, sugar, water and pepper. Crisp up sliced garlic and browned onions. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Dunk the bean sprouts in the water for thirty seconds. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place them in a bowl and pour the soy sauce over the sprouts. Scatter the garlic over sprouts. Then sit down and enjoy this simple but flavorful dish.

IPOH BEAN SPROUTS

Serves 2

2 cups Bean Sprouts

2 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon Sugar 

2 tablespoons Water

1 teaspoon White Pepper Powder

1 teaspoon Roasted Sesame Oil

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

6 Garlic Cloves

1 tablespoon Birista or Browned Onions

Cilantro Sprigs

Place soy sauce, sugar, water, white pepper and sesame oil in a saucepan. Heat till bubbling and the sugar melts.

Heat oil in  small pan and fry garlic and onions for a few minutes till crisp.

 

Heat 2 cups of water in a pan.

When it boils, drop sprouts into water and cook for 30 seconds. Drain the sprouts and run cold water over sprouts. 

Drain well and place sprouts in a bowl.

Pour soy sauce over sprouts. 

Top with crisped garlic and onions. 

Garnish with cilantro and serve.

 

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