Daun Ubi Masak Lemak

It is difficult to keep to a regimented diet when there is so much good food out there. Nevertheless, I have faithfully kept to the prescribed dos and don’ts in order to maintain my deteriorating kidneys’ health. Tasteless foods have never tasted better. Meats have never been so appreciated.

Today I got to eat a dish that I have been craving for. It is one that I should eat very little of because of the coconut milk and dried prawns. I had to forgo some of the ingredients to suit my needs. It tasted quite as nice. Its spiciness was just right and the lack of saltiness did not affect the flavour much.

Daun Ubi Masak Lemak (Sweet Potato Leaves in Coconut Milk) is one of my Peranakan favourites. Sweet potato leaves and sweet potatoes are simmered in a potage of chilli paste and coconut milk. The potato leaves can be substituted with spinach and it will taste just as delicious. It is easy to prepare and cook.

This by itself can make a one dish one rice meal which was what Wuan and I had for lunch. We did not cook anything else. Wuan has been here since Wednesday and will be going back tomorrow. After this, it is back to days and days of insipid food again.

Daun Ubi Masak Lemak

Ingredients:
500g young sweet potato leaves
6 medium sized sweet potatoes, cubed

Paste:
4 red chillies
6 dried chillies
3 cloves garlic
6 shallots
thumb-sized turmeric
100g dried prawns

3 tbsp cooking oil

2 tsp chicken stock granules
2 cups water

milk from 1 coconut

Heat oil. Fry paste until fragrant. Add water and chicken stock granules. Add sweet potatoes. Let simmer until potatoes are soft. Add coconut milk and bring to boil. Add potato leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

4 thoughts on “Daun Ubi Masak Lemak”

  1. Sounds yummy Peter.. but i like you .. can’t get to eat all those good food.. not by choice.. but because it ain’t available here.. where i am…:) So be like me.. and just think . .that you are in a foreign country..and an ulu town.. like mine.. 😉 Cheerio..!

  2. MrsT,
    But surely there are other good recipes suited to the ingredients that you can buy where you are, not necessarily Malaysian recipes that will tastes just as good?

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