Blend together finely:
dried chillies, soaked till soft & drained
cloves garlic, sliced
medium onions (200g), sliced
tbsp dried prawns, soaked till softened and drained
cup water
cup oil
Whole spices: 5cm cinnamon, 2 star anise, 6 cloves, 3 cardamom
stalks lemongrass, bruised
tender beef, thinly sliced
PREGO® Traditional Pasta Sauce
litres water
tbsp sugar
tsp salt
eggs (poached separately – see tips below)
medium prawns, shelled
mustard greens (sawi), plucked into 6cm lengths
cabbage, thickly sliced
PREGO® Spaghetti, cooked according to packet directions and drained
Garnish:
stalks spring onion, thinly sliced
stalks celery leaves (daun sup), thinly sliced
red or green chillies, finely sliced
cup crisp fried shallots
limes, cut into wedges
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and fry whole spices for 30 seconds before adding the blended spice mix. Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture is fragrant and oil starts to separate (about 15 minutes). Add sliced beef and lemongrass and cook, stirring for 10 minutes. Add PREGO® Traditional Pasta Sauce, water, sugar and salt. Bring to the boil and simmer gently 10 minutes. Add prawns and vegetables, cook 3 minutes and turn off heat.
To serve, place a portion of cooked spaghetti and a poached egg in a shallow bowl. Ladle hot gravy over spaghetti and egg, and top with garnish ingredients and a wedge of lime. Serve immediately.
GOES WELL WITH … other Raya favourites like ketupat and rendang.
Poaching the eggs separately makes serving easier as it can be done ahead of time. To ensure success, eggs must be super fresh. Bring water to boil in a medium size pan (water should be at least 5cm deep). Crack one egg into a small bowl. Swirl water to create a “whirlpool” in the centre of the pan and slip egg into the simmering water. Leave egg to cook, undisturbed, for about 4 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and transfer into a plate. Cook all eggs this way.