SARDINE AND SWEET PEPPER FRIED RICE

It is very difficult to get sardines in oil in KL. Apparently Malaysians prefer their sardines in tomato sauce. So with the disappearance of the Waitrose brand of sardines in oil from the Cold Storage supermarket some time ago I had a hard time looking for another brand of sardines in oil. It was only on a visit to The Village Grocer's at Bangsar Village recently that I finally came across a can of sardines. In oil. It cost ringgit 7.90 which I think is expensive especially for a small can of sardines. The Waitrose brand cost only about four ringgit and is much tastier than this one.

However, with that in hand I was able to at last fry a plate of rice with sardines and sweet pepper. A dish I stirred up one day a long time ago when I was very hungry and nothing else convenient was available in the kitchen cupboard. It turned out quite delicious and tasty and I have been cooking it intermittently since.

I don't really like sweet peppers with their skins on so I peeled a sweet red pepper with a potato peeler and then cut it into strips. It tasted really sweet upon having been sauted and I did not get the taste of the skin which I really don't like.

2 small bowls of freshly cooked or overnight rice
1 can of sardines in oil
1 sweet red pepper, peeled and cut into strips
A handful of sliced cabbage or any veggie that you like
2 cloves of garlic pounded or chopped finely
1/2 tsp of dark sweet soy sauce
A few dashes of fish sauce
salt
black pepper
1 teaspn of chillie paste, or more if you like

Saute the garlic in about a tablespoon of oil. Add the chillie paste if used (which I always use) When garlic has softened throw in the sweet red pepper that have been skinned and cut into strips and the sliced cabbage. Stir fry until the veggies have softened a little. Add in the rice, soy sauce,a few dashes of fish sauce, a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add the drained can of sardines. Stir and toss well and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Serves 2

TIP : My mother in law used to seperate clumped up refrigerated overnight rice with wet fingers before frying. Saves a lot of elbow grease while frying and prevents clumps of white rice in the final dish.

This was the can of sardines that I used. I much prefer sardines with bones as they somehow taste better and the pieces of fish did not disappear into the rice so easily as did this one.