I have had a number of posts already featuring our local kampung (village)-style of cooking this soupy dish that we called sayur rebus. Literally, it simply means boiled vegetables and these are the basic ingredients – some belacan (dried prawn paste), a handful of ikan bilis (dried anchovies) and chillies.
You dump all those in some water and bring it to boil and then you let it simmer for as long as you can to let the flavour of the belacan and the ikan bilis seep into the water so that you will have the most delicious stock for your soup.
The list of combinations that you can put in is endless – you may want to throw in some paku (jungle fern) and young/baby corn…or some cangkuk manis and sweet potatoes or pumpkin or perhaps, you would like some d’rian mentak or unripe durian…
I had some not too long ago that an uncle of mine in Kuching sent to me to cook for my mum as she was asking for it and there was none available around here. I followed my uncle’s way of cooking it which I thought was very nice but my mum did not really like it that way. She prefers it simple – the way we would usually cook sayur rebus.
Then the other day, I got some more from a cousin of mine. Her hubby has a kebun (garden, a fruit garden to be more precise) in his kampung and his durian trees are bearing fruits but since there isn’t anybody standing guard, by the time the fruits ripen, the people in the vicinity would “help themselves” and they themselves would not get to enjoy any. So he decided to pluck some and cook since most of us love to eat it this way.
To cook the d’rian mentak, you will have to split it open to remove the seeds…
…before throwing the flesh into the sayur rebus stock that you have prepared. Once cook, the durian would have turned soft…
…and because the belacan and ikan bilis are already salty and there is the sweetness of the durian, there is no need to add salt or msg unless you so desire…
If you love belacan and you enjoy this kind of simple but exotic ethnic style of cooking, you will love it…a lot, this much I can assure you.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Not a fan of durian, so no mantak for me. Hmm… I wonder how it will taste like if I replace it with nangka muda instead? Or maybe, rebung?
Can, can… Just as nice. My missus will cook rebung this way and eat it all herself as I will not touch bamboo shoots. I’m notcrazy about durian either…but this is different – the smell, the texture, the taste, everything…
How come u guys so early har?
The burung hantu? Dia tu belum tidur lah…
=.= Alice… I haven’t sleep.
Hahahahaha!!! Exactly what I said…
durian…hmmm i like the fresh one but not sure about mentah one when cooked
Try with sweet baby corn and paku with prawns – you may like it.
Does that mean it’s durian season soon? Maybe I’ll guard the durian trees for your cousin’s hubby.
Too bad the kebun is somewhere in Serian area…and wouldn’t that be falling from the frying pan into the fire? LOL!!! 😀
Wah, durian into savoury dish, looks good!
It is… 😉
oh, this is really something i’ve never seen or tasted before!! durian soup!!! and that actually sounds weird and disgusting, hahahahaha~~ but since there’s really such a recipe i think it should go as worse as i thought, hahaha.. anyway, i hate durians and this is definitely not for me 😀
Of course you haven’t – this is something we kampung people eat… Simple and yet nice – or to us, at least. I’m no fan of durians either… You will never catch me buying any to eat but this, I like…
I think my dad will love this. He loves eating durians (the ripe ones) with rice and sambal belacan. Durian soup will go well with that don’t you think?
Belacan lovers would definitely love this… 😉
I love my durians as durians lah.
To each his/her own…
This looks easy to prepare and looks really delicious. Now if only I could get me mittens on some durian mentak …
Not easy to get. They usually wait till ripe and the fruit will drop before they take to sell…
Ahem!!…durian, my favourite fruit. I will only eat durian as it is but if used in cooking. no matter what ways….No!!… No!!!…thanks.
Tak kenal maka tak cinta… 😉
You didn’t cook the durian seed together ah. Aiya what a waste hahaha
Ya…it may even taste nice. Why don’t you try and then let the rest of us know? 😉
Never tried any boiled durians before not given the chance in LianPunk maybe next time Bananaz go Sibu ‘God’s Willing’ ok. tQ
Of course. If durian is in season…and I can gethold of some unripe ones – not easy to get.
I’d definitely love this! It has all the vital ingredients that makes a good meal. I’m sure this is a hearty soup to be taken anytime, anywhere… I usually throw away unripe durian but now I know what to make with them 😀
Oh no! Throw it away! Tsk! Tsk! One of my cousins’ hubby calls it solid gold – he loves it so much and unless you have your own tree, it is not easy to come by. 😦
This is interesting. I didnt know you can cook unripe durian. Can you cook ripe durians.. I wonder? My dad told me our durian tree is not bearing much fruits this year 😦 no durians for me
I think it is just coming out so you should be able to buy them when you’re home, no problem at all. Nope, it will be all mushy and messy – ripe durians cannot be cooked like this. The hard unripe durians will soften in the process of cooking…so it will be like the texture of cooked pumpkin or sweet potatoes…with its own exquisite taste – different from ripe durians and very nice.
Something new, but I dont think I will like it. I bet this dish must be appetizing.
I guess I wouldn’t see you in that TLC’s Bizaare Foods show either eh…? LOL!!! 😀
OOOOHhh.. this is something new to me.. something I would love to try… would you mind cooking that for me to try when I am there next time? ahemmm…
No problem.So easy to cook… Anytime… 😉
I love durian as it is and I love pengat durian too! I’ve heard from my late Mom about how she ate durian with rice during the Japanese occupation but this is the first I’ve heard … durian soup. Unfortunately, don’t think I’d fancy this … I’ll pass!
The Melanaus here have another way of eating durian, ripe ones, that is – they call it samui… They remove the flesh from the seeds, mix the flesh thoroughly with lard and sagu’ (toasted sago pellets) and eat – my mum loves it but I don’t really fancy it.
simple, yet exotic. I wont mind trying it XD
Like everyone here, durian soup is new to me. I never seen it being sold in kopitiam, had you? I’d love to try it even though ANdrew Zimmern said it’s the worst food on Earth! My gawd! Durian are found abundantly in Kuching now. My parents bought 4 for RM10 near Lachau while on the way from Sibu this morning. My in-laws bought RM10 for a durian near the place that I stay. Mostly from Serian and Bau. Anyone here might be interested to read a post? I’ll try to take some pictures. My son is just too touchy. Pretty hard for me to take a pic.
Must be the season… My cousin’s hubby’s kebun is in Serian. Of course, it is not available anywhere. It is near impossible to get hold of the unripe fruits even. Can hardly find at the market… 😦
hmmmmmm…not my cup of tea. kekekkekeke
LOL!!! That goes without saying – you anti-belacan! LOL!!! 😀
I’m now trying so hard to how the taste of the broth goes? Does the durian add to the flavour of the broth? Never had savoury durians before. I always go for the soupy paku dish whenever I’m in front of a Malay buffet spread.
Have a wonderful weekend ahead Artie!! ^^
+Ant+
It gives sweetness to the soup/ Well, if they have tempoyak ikan patin or prawns or keli, why can’t this be a possible option?
Tempoyak is a different ball game altogether since it is fermented.
+Ant+
Yup…it has a taste unique to itself and so does unripe durian – just as nice if not nicer…and not quite like what ripe durians taste like. I have had posts on tempoyak dishes as well before. I love both…
Haven’t eaten this dish before….sound interesting…yum!
Give it a try. You may like it.
interesting dish! the only savoury dish i know that involves durian is the tempayak… this soup version looks nice! i passed by a stall that sell durians yesterday and it made me drool!!!
Tempoyak is nice too but it’s a world of ots own – the fermented taste. I like it as well.
Cooking durian…just wondering how does it taste like.Never try before. I only eat durian with rice before and it taste bit weird.
My mum loves durian with rice…or anything for that matter. I’m not so much into the fruit but I like it this way.
wow~~
sounds so gross but looks quite yummy.
Give it a try. Lots of paku and prawns where you are and who knows, you may be able to get hold of d’rian mentak from your “neighbours” – you may like it. 🙂
Okay!
…and bring some to Sibu for me if you can get any. 😉
yummy! and i haven’t seen an unripe durian before. hehhe
We seldom get to see one too.. LOL!!! 😀
Oh Arthur, I would give you my soul to try this soup!!…belacan…yum!!! Very unique recipe indeed.I will try it one of these days.
You have all the ingredients. Go ahead and try. I’m sure you’ll love it – authentic Melanau kampung cooking…