Spicy Hot Mud Creepers aka Balitung

Balitong/The Obtuse Horn Shell aka as Mud Creeper is a relatively common snail found in the muddy coastal river mouth in Malaysia and is known as ‘ siput sedut ‘ in the Malay language. It grows to around 5-6 cm. and it is one of the favourite seafood item that can found in most seafood restaurant in Malaysia. I normally buy them from the wet market in kilos and clean them myself.  They are not appetizing before clean them...covered in coastal grey mud.  After washing them clean, I have to chop off their end part so that one can suck back and front in order to suck out the mud creeper out of their shell :p   To me, this is a delicacy that I don't cooking even though it entailed a lot of work.  It is worth the effort when you bite into their juicy sweet and crunchy meat...chut chut chut and nom nom  :p  I like it cooked this way. Spicy hot with the spice mixture coating  the shell.  You can check this out too...Hot Spicy Balitung cooked with tom yam paste. 

Spicy Hot Mud Creepers aka Balitung

Ingredients:

500 gm sea snails/ balitong- washed , cleaned and chop off the end part
2 tbsp of olive oil/ vegetable oil

Spice ingredients:
1.5 tbsp chilli paste
4 shallots
4 garlic
2 tbsp of fermented bean paste/ tau cheong

Seasoning
2 tsp of sugar
¼ tsp salt

1/4 cup of water

Method:

Blend the spice ingredients in a food processor into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a wok and put in the blended spice ingredients and stir fry till fragrant.

Add the balitong and fry till well coated with the spice paste Add in the water and cover with the lid and cook for 20 mins.  Add in the seasoning and bring to a quick rolling boil. Dish out to serve.

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