I’ve never really had sardines in my life until my mother-in-law cooked up some sardine curry one night. It blew my mind because the fishiness of the sardines was entirely eliminated by the richness of the tomatoes and the complex tanginess of tamarind, kaffir lime leaves and lime in combination. We normally have it with some rice and Greek yoghurt, which really lends a creaminess to the dish. That dish is one of my favourite home-cooked meals.
One day, I had some leftover beehoon (rice vermicelli) in the house and thought, why not turn mix it up? It’s fast and convenient because I don’t have to cook the rice separately. A one pot dish—my favourite. This one’s a keeper. I hope you enjoy it too.
Did you know that sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids? Even canned sardines! Check out the nutrition information panel on the can for yourself. In this recipe, each serving will give you 4.3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from the sardines itself (daily requirements: 1.1 grams a day for females, 1.6 grams a day for men).
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Tangy Sardine Fried Beehoon
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 medium onion, finely minced
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 6 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 425g can sardines in tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 220g dried beehoon, soaked in water to soften, drained
- ¼ cup coriander, coarsely chopped
- 1 lime, quartered
Methods
- Heat up a wok over medium heat, add in canola oil.
- When oil is hot, add in onion, garlic, and chilli powder. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until onion has softened.
- Add in tomatoes, kaffir lime leaves, and black pepper. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, pressing down on the tomato pieces as you go to mash them slightly.
- Add in sardines and tamarind paste, and bring the mixture to a boil. Pour in eggs, reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid, and let simmer for 4-5 minutes until eggs are fully cooked.
- Remove lid, add in beehoon, and stir to mix. Keep stir frying until beehoon is cooked through.
- Add in coriander and stir to mix in.
- Divide into 4 portions and serve immediately, each with a quarter of a lime.
Tips
At step 5, If the beehoon is cooked but the mixture still looks wet, turn the heat up and fry until it dries up. However, if the mixture has become dry but the beehoon is still not cooked through, add a quarter of a cup of water at a time and continue stir frying until beehoon is cooked through.
