How to Prepare Dabai

Written by Mrs. Money

Dabai is known for Chinese-Sarawakiens as Iban-Olive, some people would call dabai as Sarawakiens' black olive. Its botanical name is Canarium Odontophyllum and family name is Burseraceae.

Many people don't like after-pickled sour taste of this Sarawakiens' native olive, but after I returned from overseas, I tried to teach my old stubborn mom my way to preserve its orginal fresh flavour but she still prefers to clean and pickle in her traditional ways!

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil

Warm water

Dabai

Procedure of Preparing and Cleaning Dabai:

The secret of preserving dabai for a week without turning into much sour taste after oxidation, I would use extra-virgin olive oil to rub the skin of dabai (as when they dropped to the ground I kind of worry what they would accidentally touched something we called "chicken shits"); after that I would use the cold water to get rid of any suspicious dirty dirts, finally use boiling water to give a quick rinse. Some people would give dabai a sunbath, but I would prefer to dip my dabai for a warm bath.

Traditional (Chinese) Ingredients and Procedure:

After dabai become soft by soaking in warm water, take dabai out of water and mix with salt, soy sauce, sugar

Money Taitai Recipe 1

Ingredients and Procedure :

After the dabai went through olive oil massage and warm bath, take soften dabai out of water to mix with salt, soy sauce, sugar and cincaluk (or use minced dried prawn as alternative) fried with sesame oil (or olive oil) and minced garlic (Optional: Chili)

Money Taitai Recipe 2

Ingredients and Procedure (Western Ways of Pickling):
Prepare pickled solution: Boil water with garlic cloves, vinegar, sugar, salt, chili and mixed herbs of dills and black pepper corns, transfer into a sterilized container
Clean the dabai with cold water after went through olive oil massaging

Transfer the dabai into the container of pickled solution, qive a quick boil.

Let it cool down and store in refrigerator for 2 months.

Money Taitai Recipe 3

Ingredients and Procedure:
Clean dabai with cold water after went through olive oil massaging
Transfer dabai into a small bowl
Top up with sliced pork (non-halal) or beef (preferrable with a bit of fat) and fried smashed garlic and cincaluk with sesame oil
Steam it (can steam together on top of rice)

You will eat until you only see seeds remained!