Chicken Rendang and Fried Cabbage

I received a call from my brother one afternoon.

Brother: "Hey, are you coming back to dinner?"

Me:"Ya, why? Is mum cooking?"

Brother snigger:"Got cook, but I am cooking instead. Quick place order, what do you want to eat today?"

Me laugh jokingly, pretending in horror:" Huh... You cooking? Erm... I think I am working late today..."

Brother stresses:"I am cooking. See you at home ! Bye~"

Me: Gulp~

I went home early that day at about 7 pm. He had only start to marinate the chicken and was only started cutting the cabbage... We waited till 9.30 pm before dinner is served. There were two dishes - Chicken Rendang (he likes curry stuff) and Fried Cabbage.

The rendang is still edible (LoL), ok wasn't as bad as I thought it will be. The potatoes were stewed till mushy and acted as thickener for the sauce. He used packet rendang sauce, so the taste is ok, not really wonderful. My mum thought that it was a bit too salty.

As for the fried cabbage, there is a story behind this dish. This dish was 'invented' by our late grandmother. We don't know how she come up with this combination of frying white cabbage with lunch meat! I saw her cooked the dish once and I thought it was quite a clever dish. She would first cut the lunch meat into small pieces and then fried it without any oil as the meat itself has a lot of fats. After the much of the fat had been forced out the meat, add the cabbage which was cut into thin strips. Mix the cabbage and ensure that it is evenly coated with the meat, add a little water to it and stewed.

I can never forget the taste. The sweetness of the cabbage would neutralised the saltiness of the lunch meat (in fact she would not add anymore condiments to the cabbage) and together created this very harmonious balanced taste. It was sadly one of the last dishes she cooked for us. Even though, we cooked the dish almost the same way as her, the taste was never quite the same. Her's always tasted way much better than ours...

It would taste better if left to stew longer. :) Btw, the dinner is not free. I have to pay for the ingredients...