You see pasta and clams. So where does the soybean come from? Well, read on till you find out why this make a soybean Asian-style pasta. :)
Soybeans are ubiquitous in Asian foods. Tofu, soy milk, fermented bean pastes, tempeh and soy sauce are an integral part of Asian cooking. The Chinese, Koreans and Japanese have developed their own styles and processes (different fermentation time, amount of salt or the type of grains added etc.) for fermenting soybeans to get different end-products such as Japan's misos, tempeh and taucheo from Southeast Asia, Korea's toenjang -- all with distinct flavors and colors. Soybeans is a major ingredient in Szechuan sauces and marinades, as well as Southeast Asian soups, sambals, stir-fries and braising.
Can you see it? Can you see bits of yellow soybeans in the pasta? I have used taucheo - a salted fermented soy bean - a yellow soybean paste to uplift the flavors of this dish. Not that the clams are tasteless, where in fact they are full of unami. But in some Asian cooking, sauces can enhance the flavors of your ingredients(提 鲜) and make the ingredients stand out even more.
Taucheo is used prominently in stir-fry dishes, and braising. This bean sauce is used throughout East and Southeast Asia to season vegetables, noodles and fish. It is usually added whole to recipes, or pounded before use.
Clam Spaghetti in Bean Sauce
Ingredients:
-1tsp taucheo (preserved/fermented soy beans)
-2tsp crushed ginger
-2cloves garlic, minced
-2tsp sambal belacan
-water
-green onions
-1/2 lb spaghetti, cooked to al-dente, set aside
Directions:
1. Stir fry ginger and garlic at medium heat till fragrant
2. Add tauceho and sambal, and mix well. Add in 2tbsp water so that the paste mixture does not dry up
3. Add in clams to simmer and when the shells open up, add in green onions
4. When ready to serve, add in the pasta, mix well and serve immediately
This dish is a total savory enjoyment - the sauce and the fresh clams, they are IT!
Tune into Ruth's Presto Pasta Night for more scrumptious noodles and pasta dishes in the round-up!
Tag: seafood, clams, fermented soybeans, pasta
Sounds and looks good!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of clams and a big fan of fermented beans, black and yellow! Unfortunately Hubby and Sonny won't eat clams.
that's a great idea! Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeletehehe. just realised u didn't put in the amount of clams in the recipe. Nevertheless, this looks like delicious!!
ReplyDeletehey, I have some taucheo in the pantry, too! Will be making this during the weekend when I can buy some seafood. I reckon taucheo + sambal belechan will make anything tasty. ;)
ReplyDeletetiger, your pasta reminded me of laksa goreng. popular stir-fried noodle in spore. instead of pasta, we used the white laksa noodle and fry with tauchu and other ingredients, minus the clams. anyway, your pasta looks great and already make me drools :)
ReplyDeletei saw you use sambal belacan as one of the ingredients. is it the sambal or the belacan itself that u use?
Lau nuah liow.
ReplyDeleteDid you buy those clams frozen or fresh?
What a fantastic dish and such gorgeous photos. Thanks so much for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights. I really am going on a hunt for taucheo.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a Meri Kerismas and Hapi 2008.
ReplyDeleteWow, looks so delicious!
ReplyDeletenow we know lots more about soya and asian sauces( other than eat ) TQ !
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe.. ;)
ReplyDeleteI have tried Soybean Lala but it's a good idea to put in spaghetti too so that won't waste the sweet gravy hor? Well done!
ReplyDeleteI've only had fermented black beans, not these yellow beans. Looking forward to trying them.
ReplyDeleteGreat looking clam pasta. I have tried and like miso, gochujang and dengjang. I will have to look for some taucheo.
ReplyDeletethis is gorgeous..... so fusion...so lovely....gosh....compliment to you!
ReplyDeletepasta with taucheo! hmmmm.... worth a try.
ReplyDeleteHow's the food in Taiwan? Your city's food probably not as varied and good as the capital's.
Well, this is good stuff. I'm such a noodle junkie!
ReplyDeleteWah, I like your fusion idea! Never knew what to do with taucheo, so only eat it "outside", heh heh! hope you're adapting well to taiwan! when you going home for a visit??? :)
ReplyDeletenice! you call it taucheo, we call it tauco :) back in indonesia, there's a soup dish using tauco with sea turtle, very yummy!
ReplyDeletehttp://fooddiary.blogsome.com
Looks so totally yummy with a fusion of eastern tastes with western ingredients. Mama mia!!
ReplyDeleteI love clams... and pasta too. What a great combo :)
ReplyDeletebeautiful. will definitely make this. it sounds delish and looks smashing.
ReplyDeletedp, then you can have all of the clams without sharing. Hahah!
ReplyDeletelyrical lemongrass, you are welcome :D
daphne, i go by agaration :P
anh,woo ye....plus sambal belachan....in heaven!
lipz, never heard of laksa goreng :O
I use bottled sambal belacan.
judy, fresh. Frozen clams where got fresh :P
ruth,hope you find taucheo. Also known as salted soybeans (brownish yellow) if you see bottles around.
kopi soh, you too :D
little corner, yum yum.
team bsg, me too! LOL!
mamabok, welcome welcome :)
pea, nothing comes to waste. Hee hee...
lydia, both are nice. They taste different.
kevin, hope you find it.
big boys oven, tank-kew :D
ECL, food not bad lah. Not as ex as US. So weekend we usually eat out.
No time to go to Taipei yet. must must go sometime.
wmw, me noodle junkie too. Makes us friends :)
shilpa, maybe CNY?
eliza, soup dish of tauco with turtle. I only have herbal turtle soup before! :O
cool insider, sometimes East+ West turns out good.
christine, clam and pasta really work well together. Coz one is seafood with natural salt and pasta is usally bland.
So they match!
maybahay, thks for visiting. Do try it and see if you like it.
Lovely. I haven't had clams and spaghetti in a long time.
ReplyDeletewhat's the difference between yellow bean, brown bean and black bean sauce? do they use different kinds of soybeans?