Babi Pongteh (Malaysian Pork Stew)

The aromatic delights of Nyonya cuisine are on full display in the wonderful Babi Pongteh, a bold, umami burst of flavour with meltingly tender pork and meaty shiitake mushrooms.

Nyonyan cuisine (also known as Peranakan) dates back to early Chinese settlers to the Malay Archipelago - namely Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The geographic inspirations are evident in the food – bold, fresh South East Asian flavours combined hand-in-hand with Chinese ingredients create a unique cuisine to the Peranakans.

What is babi pongteh?

Babi Pongteh (pronounced BABI PONG-TAY) is a type of pork stew, combining pork, usually a fatty cut like pork belly or marbled shoulder (and if you’re up for it, pig trotters), with other quintessentially Nyonyan ingredients.

The use of pork is most certainly a Chinese influence as are the dried shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce and fermented soy bean paste which gives this Nyonyan recipe its unique umami flavour.

Babi pongteh has fragrance for days, and the salty, savoury aromas wafting through the kitchen are something very special! When cooked, the sauce reduces to an intensely flavoursome gravy that clings to the juicy, tender pork.

Additional flavour comes in the form of cinnamon which imparts its unique personality through the dish. Other aromatics are often used like cloves, star anise and sometimes dried tangerine peel to offer unique flavour combinations.

The use of dried mushroom brings a wonderful flavour and texture to the babi pongteh, you can also use potatoes or fresh lotus root or whatever YOU think might work!

Why Babi Pongteh so umami delicious

The fifth flavour is in full effect in Babi Pongteh - it’s so packed with rich, complex umami-ness. Here are the key flavours that make this Nyonyan recipe so delicious!

• Pork (fatty cut like pork belly or marbled shoulder - DON’T go lean, it really needs a fatty cut!
• Shallots and garlic - to make a paste or ‘rempah’ for the base of the sauce.
• Fermented soy bean paste - the umami, salty undertones to this dish for the authentic flavour.
• Dark soy sauce - this will bring its rich, umami personality as well as deep reddy brown colour. Dark soy sauce is also less salty than light soy, which is important to use as the soy bean paste can be very salty.
• Sugar - all that salt needs a sweet counterbalance
• Cinnamon - For a floral undertone. Try star anise too!
• Dried Chinese mushrooms - These bring even more umami flavour, but most importantly a wonderful meaty texture to the finished dish.

Step by Step

Making my babi pongteh pork stew is so easy, only a few simple steps

1. Soak the mushrooms (30 minutes and they’ll be soft again)
2. Make a paste (rempah) with some shallots, garlic and soy bean paste
3. Fry the paste with the cinnamon stick
4. Add the pork and gradually the rest of the ingredients with a little water. Cook for 90 minutes or until the pork is fork-tender.

Pro tips

The success to this dish is the use of fermented soy bean paste, which shouldn’t be omitted. That said, try using or substituting some ingredients to make variations.

• Use potatoes instead of mushrooms (add In the last 30 minutes of cooking)
• Try sliced lotus root or bamboo shoots (added near the end of cooking)
• Use different aromatics like cloves, dried tangerine/orange peel and star anise
• Instead of regular dark soy, try Chinese mushroom flavoured soy sauce (be careful of salt levels, so taste before using).
• Add fresh ingredients at the end like watercress, bok choy or scatter with cilantro or spring onions when cooked.

More delicious Malaysian recipes

Malaysian food has so much to offer. Here are some of my most favourite Malaysian recipes.

• Ayam Goreng (Malaysian Fried Chicken)
• Nyonya Chicken Curry (Ayam Kalio)
• Indonesian Chicken Wings
• Malaysian Chicken Curry (Kari Ayam)
• Malaysian Chicken Kapitan Curry (Kari Kapitan)
• Malaysian Curry Powder
• Sambal Udang (Sambal Prawns)
• Malaysian Fish Curry (Kari Ikan)
• Malaysian Beef Curry
• Malaysian Curry Laksa with Prawns
• Indonesian Beef Rendang