Galloping Horses (Ma Haw) , 骏马旺来~~欢喜过马年



I have never prepare an appetizer for CNY eve dinner before. This year I got this idea to prepare this Thai appetizer "Ma Haw" for CNY eve dinner after first tasted this yummy appetizer at the Erawan Tearoom Bangkok on my short visit to Bangkok last month. And the English name "Galloping Horses" also perfect for this Horse year. I also give a nice and prosperous Chinese name for this appetizer as  骏马旺来. 骏马 refer to a fine horse whereas 旺来 for Hokkien people like me refer to "Ong Lai" or pineapple which also one of the ingredient in this appetizer.

 

Ma Haw (ม้าห้อหรือม้าฮ่อ) , A thick ground pork paste which heavily seasoned with fish sauce and palm sugar and also toasted peanuts is added to the mixture, placed on top of pieces of tart pineapple or orange or etc.The sweetness and nuttiness of the pork-peanut mixture perfectly complement the tartness of the fruit. Each bite offers various flavors and textures that are perfectly combined.

 

 

This awesome Thai appetizer is perfectly to serve in any party or gathering..

 

Galloping Horses (Ma Haw)  骏马旺来

Ingredients

100g minced pork
1tsp chopped coriander stem
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 shallots, sliced 

1 and 1/2tbsp fish sauce

1 and 1/2tbsp palm sugar (gula Melaka)

1tsp dark soy sauce

White pepper

1tbsp ground roasted peanuts 

1/2 pineapple, peeled, cut into segments

To garnish

 coriander leaves

 1 red chilli, very finely sliced 

Method

 1. Pound together chopped coriander stem, garlic, and shallots in a mortar until you get a smooth paste.

 2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat, then add the No 1 and cook for 1min until lightly browned. Lower to medium heat, then add the minced pork, add in the seasoning with fish sauce, palm sugar and pepper. Fry until the meats are done. Use your spatula to break up the meat until it has separated.

 3. You want the mixture to resemble loose jam at this point. Adjust seasoning with more fish sauce and palm sugar as needed. The flavour should be sweet, “candied meat” sweet, and a bit salty. Don’t be surprised if you end up needing more palm sugar than you thought.

4. Once the seasoning is corrected, add the ground peanuts and continue to fry the mixture until it becomes thick and sticky.

5. Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool completely.

6. Right before serving time, form the pork mixture into small balls and place each one on top of each pineapple segments. Top each bite with one cilantro leaf and a slice of red chili .Serve immediately.

Note: The pork mixture can be frozen and thawed for later use, but it’s imperative that you assemble this appetizer no longer than half an hour before serving time. The pork mixture tends to draw out excessive juice from the fruit when they are in contact for too long. 

Reference: refer to Here and Eat Your Heart Out, by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

Just like to share with you few photos I captured during our visit to Thean Hou Temple KL on CNY day 1