MANI CHAI OR CANGKUK MANIS

This is called" Mani Chai".Translated from hokkien to english is money vegetables.The malay called it ''Cangkuk Manis".It means sweet shrub.
In chinese it is called "Shu Cai".

Above picture is the raw "'Mani Chai".One stalk of this "Mani Chai" can be share with 4 persons.Before cooking,this vegetable have to be wring small first so that it will taste sweet and delicious.The smaller you can wrng the better.It's like wringing your clothes to take the water out or squeeze/crush
as some said.The stalk you can put to the soil to grow in your backyard or it can also be grown in a pot.If you grow it near the bitter gourd,it will be bitter.So,do not grow near to the bitter gourd.
                   





We got a habit of ordering for Mani Chai whenever my family and I went out to eat in the restaurant,or any dining places.It is one of the popular dish of Sarawak.It is often cook with eggs.

We have now try to eat less of this vegetable.It is long believe to have cause headaches when eaten too much.Parts of the reasons too is because Mani Chai need to be cook with a lot of oil and add in
monosodium glutamate(MSG) so that it is palatable.It eats up a lot of oil.If the oil is fewer,it won't be that nice.The MSG enhances the dish making it sweet and appetizing,though nowadays people
opt out the MSG and substitute with chicken stock or some even oyster sauce.I totally opt out both.
One more thing is "Mani Chai" have to be cooked dry and not too moist and watery.The plenty of oil made it moist a bit and not too dry.

INGREDIENTS;

1 stalk mani chai/cangkuk manis
2 eggs
1 tbsp onion/garlic
1-11/2 tsp(adjust to your taste bud)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp aji-no-moto(monosodium glutamate

METHOD;

1.  Heat up oil in a wok.When smoke comes out,saute the onions/garlics until fragrant.

2.  Add in the vegetable together with the access bits of water.Stir.

3. Make a hole in the center of the veg.Add in the beaten eggs.

4. At this stage don't do anything,Wait for the eggs to turn dry,then quickly stir-fry the eggs and
    the vegetable.You can even fry the eggs first then the mani chai.Both ways will do.Add in the
    salt and the msg.

5.  Continue stir-fry for another 2 minutes then dish it up to serve with warm rice.