My magic pot

I have a new toy - a magic pot. This thermal pot is not new in the market but it sure took me a long while before getting one. I was skeptical to say the least. I mean, does it really do the job it proclaims to? Just bring the pot of ingredients to the boil and then without any electrical device, leave it for a couple of hours and it can cook on its own? It sounded too good to be true.

I paid S$49 at OG. It's a great buy really, and worth every cent of it, except that it is kind of bulky. It's a most wonderful aid for a mum like me on the go. Why didn't I invest in it earlier... I often wonder??!! Well, it did cost an arm and a leg till replicas started flooding the market. The Made in Japan ones still cost S$200-300.

In actual fact, I did pick up a pot last month from a shop in the Marina area but as their stocks were not moving quickly enough, it turned out that there was mildew on the carton box as well as within the pot itself and I only discovered it after coming home. I couldn't use it and thus had to return it to the shop. The guy who first attended to me was reluctant to take it back. He said I could just wash it off. Oh come on, use your brains a little. I couldn't possibly wash the insulation in the outer pot, could I? In any case, our health comes first and I won't jeopardize my family's health with that. However, beside him was a lady who understood perfectly and she took over him to attend to me. I told her she was very nice and understanding and she said being a female, she knew exactly how I felt. So I got my money back.

I couldn't wait to try it out the minute I got it. So I made a pot of soup for last night's dinner, using a quarter of a sharksfin melon which J had given to me.

This is what I put in the soup -

a quarter of a sharksfin melon, cut into smaller cubes
pork ribs
ikan bilis
8 red dates
3 pcs of dried scallops
1 carrot cut into cubes

I cooked that for approximately 5hrs in the pot as I was out. I came home to steaming hot soup and I added in some fishballs and meatballs, before bringing it to the boil again on the stove and then returning it to the outer pot to keep warm till dinner. The flesh was falling off the pork bones and very tender. I'm convinced. :) And the plus point was that the soup turned out to be really light and flavourful as no flavours were sacrificed in the process of constant boiling on the stovetop.

I then steamed a fish as well, (not in the pot of course) but I believe it can be done as it comes with a 2l and 5l inner pot.