These days when I get bored or homesick, I cook. I live alone so whatever I cook also gives me a reason to invite people or my boyfriend over. This is the version that I came up with following the recipes of a number of blogs. Hope you like it as much as I do.
1 tablespoon cooking oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 kilo squid, cleaned (remove the plastic-like strand from the body and the teeth in the middle of the tentacles. Pretty disgusting, I must say)
1 tablespoon fish sauce or patis
1/2 tablespoon peppercorn
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 chili powder (skip if you can't handle heat)
Procedure:
1. Heat a cooking pan over medium heat. Add the cooking oil and when it is hot enough (it should make a crackling sound when you add a drop of water), saute the garlic, onion and tomato, adding it to the pan one after the other.
2. Add the squid, fish sauce and peppercorn.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes (or until squid is done). DO NOT overcook the squid as it will become tough. You'll know it's done when you can easily poke a fork through it (as the saying goes).
4. Add the vinegar, soy sauce and chili powder and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Test the taste and be reminded of your mother's cooking.
6. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!
