Marrying seasonal jungle produce with fermentation is an age-old practice that’s as delicious as it is practical. When kurat situtuk (splitgill mushrooms) come into season in the region, there are many things you can do with it. Also known as cendawan kukur, it’s commonly stir-fried by those in the know over in the peninsular. Maynard’s family in Sarawak cook it with fermented durian—aka tempoyak—lending it a creamy sauce perfect for rice.
Kurat kasam dihan (Splitgill mushrooms with tempoyak)
by Maynard Keyne LangetMarrying seasonal jungle produce with fermentation is an age-old practice that’s as delicious as it is practical. When kurat situtuk (splitgill mushrooms) come into season in the region, there are many things you can do with it. Also known as cendawan kukur, it’s commonly stir-fried by those in the know over in the peninsular. Maynard’s family in Sarawak cook it with fermented durian—aka tempoyak—lending it a creamy sauce perfect for rice.
Servings: 4
Prep time: Quick
Servings: 4
Prep time: Quick
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 stalk lemongrass
1 tbsp cooking oil
100g fresh kurat situtuk (splitgill mushrooms), cleaned
125ml water
60g fermented durian (tempoyak)
Salt to taste
MSG to taste
Directions
- With a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic into a coarse paste. Add the lemongrass and bruise it gently with the pestle.
- In a skillet, heat cooking oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and lemongrass and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the mushrooms and water and stir well. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes to soften the mushrooms.
- Stir in the fermented durian. Season with salt and MSG. Let the ingredients simmer on low heat until the gravy thickens slightly to your preferred texture, about 3-5 minutes.
- Serve warm with hot rice.
Tips
- You can purchase splitgill mushrooms online (hello, Shopee) or at certain wet markets. We’ve also seen them at the night market in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
- For this dish, it’s best to use fermented durian that has aged which has a more tangy profile. But a younger and sweeter fermented durian works fine as well.
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 stalk lemongrass
1 tbsp cooking oil
100g fresh kurat situtuk (splitgill mushrooms), cleaned
125ml water
60g fermented durian (tempoyak)
Salt to taste
MSG to taste
Directions
- With a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic into a coarse paste. Add the lemongrass and bruise it gently with the pestle.
- In a skillet, heat cooking oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and lemongrass and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the mushrooms and water and stir well. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes to soften the mushrooms.
- Stir in the fermented durian. Season with salt and MSG. Let the ingredients simmer on low heat until the gravy thickens slightly to your preferred texture, about 3-5 minutes.
- Serve warm with hot rice.
Tips
- You can purchase splitgill mushrooms online (hello, Shopee) or at certain wet markets. We’ve also seen them at the night market in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
- For this dish, it’s best to use fermented durian that has aged which has a more tangy profile. But a younger and sweeter fermented durian works fine as well.
