Sambal Bling-Bling

N gifted us a tub of sambal bling-bling or beling-beling. The bling-bling is the sour fruit of the bilimbi or birambi tree. As a kid, my language skills were terrible- kept confusing beling-beling as belimbing. Hahahah. Both are sour fruits, but huge difference. Belimbing besi is the eeky sour-tart starfruit. If you've ever nibbled on buah bilimbi from the garden, it's also friggin sour.

Since N gave advance notice of the gift, I had time to rustle up food worthy of sambal beling-beling. The man didn't know what the heck it was. Needless to say, his father didn't either. His mother knew, but never really had it because her mother didn't totally bother about making it. But I knew. There's a specific item I want to eat it with. As a child, the family has always served up sambal bling-bling with prawns. But because prawns induced terrible allergies, I ate it with fried fish eggs all the time. In fact, even though it could be eaten with many other items, the favorite complementary dish is still fried fish eggs. The other thing I would love is perut ikan, which is probably not on any Singapore Nyonya restaurant's menu.

There was also the plainest of steamed white pomfret to go along with the gift. With brown rice, it all made for a delicious dinner at home. Sambal beling-beling should still be available in Peranakan restaurants in Penang. I don't recall seeing it on menus in local restaurants; not as sambal, but probably added to curries. Not surprising. It should still be found in many Nyonya kitchens. Bilimbi is in season now; N said the tree in her garden is still bearing fruit. She also offered another tub of homemade precious-ness. Wheeee! Happiness. Memories of childhood, fabulously re-created by generous friends whose mothers cook.