Kompia @ Sibu

The humble kompia transformed into culinary delights. These were deep fried, slit and stuffed with a minced meat filling. Although a little oily they were so delicious and I had 3! 

L told us she had tried making with many other fillings and found sambal udang kering the best with these buns. For a less oily snack, better to pan-fry than deep fry. 

L said a kompia is only worth eating if it is handmade and charcoal baked. She volunteered to bring us to this place where she gets her supply of kompia. If it is of any help this shop is in front of the Rajang Park wet market. 

She told me the buns can be kept very well frozen for a month or so. It used to be RM1 for 10 but what with the price of flour rocketed sky high they are now Rm1 for 4 buns only... 

This small shop manned by two young men is only about the size of a room (10'x12'). A big table cover with stainless steel stood in the centre. A charcoal furnace (very similar to those found in shops making naans) next to it at the entrance of the shop.

They flattened, 

dimpled, (according to L, in the olden days the dimples were originally small holes so that the buns could be strung on a cord and hung around the neck of men going out to work on the farms. All they need to do when hungry were to tear off the bun from the cord and lunch was ready. How's that for fast food?!)

sprinkled liberally with sesame seeds (before this, he sprayed the dough with a fine mist of water, didn't catch that)

and then pasted more than 100 of these buns in the oven (like in this picture, look like mini naan?) 

(amazingly they didn't fall off into the red hot charcoal)

with charcoal burning.

They did all these in less than 10 minutes! I had a hard time focusing on their actions because they moved so fast.

The finished product were then fished out with this net.