So fine…

This is a simple Chinese dish which, I suppose, everyone would have cooked sometime or other…

When I was growing up, I used to help my mother in the kitchen and I was asked to do all the cutting, peeling, slicing, chopping, pounding – you name it, I had to do it…but I never ever got to cook. My mother would do that herself and to the most, she would ask me to keep an eye on what she was cooking to make sure it did not overflow…and perhaps to stir it occasionally. But whatever that I had to do for her, I would have to do it properly – the way she would like it and not in any way I liked. If I had to slice or chop anything, it would have to be really fine.

That is why even today, whenever I cut long beans for the above dish…

…I will make sure that it is very thinly sliced/cut and not too choe lor (coarse or kasar) and so bay kau kui or tak senonoh (doesn’t look great/not presentable).

I remember in one of the schools where I taught before, we were rather free after the Form 3 students had had their public examination and we would use the Domestic Science Room to cook for everybody to enjoy. There were laksa or popiah parties…and of course, I also chipped in and tried to lend a hand in whichever way I could. Once, I was asked to peel and chop the garlic…

…and when I was done, a female colleague saw what I did and commented, “We usually do not chop till so fine!” Hmmm…I wonder if that was  a compliment or she would prefer it a bit coarse like this so she could bite into the bits when eating and enjoy the garlic taste.

Anyway, to fry this dish, you will have to heat up a bit of oil in the wok and throw in the garlic. Once, it has turned golden brown, add the long beans. Fry till cooked – it will look a bit greener and will be a bit softer, not hard like when it is uncooked. A pinch of salt and msg (or any other kind of seasoning that you may prefer) may be added to enhance the taste…and lastly, spread out the beans evenly and pour in the eggs, beaten…

…so that you may get something like an omelette.

Once the egg is cooked to a nice golden colour, dish it out and serve…

Unfortunately, it did not turn out too well that day – the egg did not come out in one nice big piece but it was no big matter, really. The most important thing was that it tasted really great!

So? Is that how you usually cook this as well? Come, tell me all about it!