Belimbing Buluh (Averrhoa bilimbi)

When we were walking the market of Satok in Kuching, Sarawak there were so many questions to be answered from my two girls and so many new things to be introduced to them, among the many vegetables that I was most interested in was the Belimbing Buluh (Averrhoa bilimbi). It has been a very very long time since I, not mentioning my two girls had the opportunity to taste it.

My late grandmother used to plant the Belimbing Buluh plant in her garden. Each tree bears a lot of fruits that she will harvest and sell them too. Besides bringing some income to the family, my grandma will cook a lot of wonderful dishes using the Belimbing Buluh. Most of the dishes will be cooked using coconut milk, except when the Belimbing Buluh is used to make sambal belacan then it will be eaten raw.

In the normal wet market that I usually go to, I do not see the Belimbing Buluh being sold. Someday I hope I would be able to cook one of the dishes for my girls, so that they will remember this fruit and not be surprised when being served with it.

To make sambal belacan with Belimbing Buluh, here you go:

Ingredients:
5 red chili
3 bird’s eye chili
2” roasted shrimp paste (Belacan)
5 Belimbing Buluh
Salt to taste

Method:
Just pound all the ingredients together and serve with hot steamed rice or baked fish.
Must try if you come across the Belimbing Buluh