Kacangma or Motherwort Chicken
(益母草姜酒鸡）a dish unique to Sarawak or so I thought when I was much younger. However I have since found that this herbs, Motherwort (益母草) is a herb that is NOT only indigenous to Sarawak but have been used in traditional medicine for centuries in China, Greece and North America.

I consider myself a greedy foodie as I love food and I love eating. Every time I travel I must ask the locals where they eat, I must visit their bookshops and find cookbooks on local cuisines and local history.

I have since introduced Kacangma to a few friends and I am happy to report that they all loved it. Maybe it’s the entire bottle of sherry I used?

Just a few simple ingredients, not hard to cook and yet so good to eat. I am so lucky that my Mat Salleh hubby enjoys it too.

One can consider this dish a Chinese version of the French Coq Au Vin. In fact my girl friend in France cooks this with white wine!

Kacangma is normally given to women as a confinement dish after giving giving birth. It is to prevent post-natal depression, reduce anxieties, regulate menstrual cycle, and promote heart health.

We were told not to take this during menstruation as it can make the bleeding heavier and also not to eat this during pregnancy. Kacangma herbs also interact with some heart medication like sedatives so if you are in this bracket please don’t take too often or use less herbs.

In Sarawak the Teochews and Hakkas cooks this with tons of ginger to restore physical health and improve circulation.

I am eating this today to errr…..for physical health, to restore circulations and to keep me warm but as for the hubby………

Updated 5th November 2022

Today I used a combination of Harvey Bristol Cream, Ginger wine and a cup of D.O.M.

TIP – Frying your chicken pieces with a touch of sesame oil first before braising and a pinch of salt, taste a lot better. It sealed in the taste.

TIP – D.O.M. was added just before serving because I like the taste and I did not want to ‘lose’ it through boiling.

When I lost my old blog this dish is one that I missed the most. I promised myself I must put this recipe back onto my blog but I have been a bit lazy due to the Chinese new Year celebrations.

This is also the dish that made my very British husband fell totally in love with spinach and I often only need to serve him this one dish and plain boiled rice. He often tell me don’t cook other dishes if I cook this one. Funny mat Salleh!

Recently I was chatting with a friend and she requested this recipe of mine so I cooked it the other day and took some pics.

Stir Fried Chicken with Black Bean Sauce (豉汁干葱爆鸡球) This is one of the recipe which was lost in my old blog and one that I want to replace. In UK all Chinese takeaway will offer all manners of protein in black bean sauce. I do not know why either. I am actually not as huge a fan as hubby and daughter.

Chicken breast fry in black bean sauce is one of hubby’s favourite dish. He will complains that the black bean outside is all minced up finely and have no taste. Thsi is because I normally soak mine dry black beans whole in rice wine or sherry before using.

Like most men he likes his food saucy. Thu I often cook with a bit more sauce because he will be looking for some more sauce for his dinner.

I sometimes add in mustard vegetables (kiam chai) and toufo. This is entirely optional and up to you.

Taste and season to your liking at the end before serving. Enjoy.

We are having a heatwave in the UK and it’s hard to cook or put the oven on during the day as the temperature has been reaching the 30’s Celsius! So I have decided to make pâté last night and just un-mould, into the fridge to chill this morning. Later I will just slice to serve for lunch. It’s an easy enough dish and it only needs to be in the oven for about 50 minutes. 

Terrine of chicken, pork and sausage meat pâté is a recipe I made up because hubby is not a huge fan of chicken livers so I omitted using them. Most pâté of course contains chicken livers. I make this once a year during the summer months. Not sure why really as it can be served throughout the year.  I have also added a touch of brandy and sherry. This  terrine of chicken, pork and sausage meat pâté is very easy to make and keeps well in the fridge for at least a week wrapped well. Once you have started making it you can of course add spinach, mushrooms or anything else you fancy. 

It also makes a good starter dish for a party and the bonus is that you can make days ahead. Another terrine I like to make is smoked salmon and cheese.