Hakka Pestle Cereal Rice/Ham Cha Farn/Looi Cha Farn

This is my shortcut version to this dish, no pounding involved. I was discussing this dish with amy friend, Matilda, who is in Sydney, Australia and she told me about this Hakka Pestle Cereal and she send me a huge packet to try. Thank you, dear Matilda and Nancy, who took this packet back to Malaysia when she viisting Sydney. Through their generous and kind gesture, i am able to try the cereal and i should say they make a good, delicious and easy meal.

I have included the recipe for pounding the ingredients to make the broth for anyone who is interested and also for myself to pound when the packets of cereal run out.


Ingredients:

To make the broth:

Thai basil (九層塔)
Mint (薄荷)
Coriander / cilantro (香菜/芫荽)
Laksa leaf / vietnamese coriander/daun kesum (越南香菜/叻沙葉)
Perilla
Sawtooth herb/saw coriander
Tea leaves (茶葉)
Ikan bilis (dried anchovies)
Peanuts (花生)
Sesame seeds (芝麻)

Blanch all the herbs and grind them in your blender, along with the rest of your ingredients for the broth/soup base. then pour the entire thing into a huge pot and add water. bring to boil and voila, the soup is ready.

The essential ingredient

Farn(Cooked Rice), which can be puffed rice (mee chang) or rice grains fried with garlic and a little oil, prior to cooking
Hakka Pestle Cereal - follow the instructions at the back of packet (i diluted it more with another cup of hot water)

The accompaniments :

It does not have to be seven types but these three are the must-have accompaniments.

Dried beancurd (豆乾 – diced and deep-fried)

Dried shrimps (虾米)

Preserved radish /choy poh(菜仆干- diced)(The chopped up sweet variety will do too)

These trio is stir-fried with garlic until fragrant.

Suggested vegetables:

Long bean (长豆)

Leek (蒜)

Garlic chives (韭菜)

Kai choy/ bok choy / choy sum (菜心)

Cekor manis

Other suggestions:

Fried Ikan Bilis

Roasted Peanuts

To serve:

Put cooked rice in a bowl and top with a nice scoop of all the accompanying vegetables, together with the fried dried-trio, add some roasted peanuts and ikan bilis, before pouring the broth/soup over everything.

Mix well and enjoy