Clean squid gently in running water. Remove the soft cartilage on the body and head (watch YouTube to see how). Pull the head off the body gently, not to tear it. Wash away any grime or parts of fish it has eaten (body). Technique: some separate the ink sack from the squid so it mixes well with the sauce. Some cooks leave it in and cook the squid all together. Up to you. Squid in pic- they were the bigger kind so i cut it 3 slices. If it's small, you can cook it as is. Set aside after cleaning.
Saut onions, then garlic in oil in a sauce pan. When fragrant and onions are cooked, add tomatoes and lower heat. Stir a bit.
Then add the bay leaves, ground pepper, salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce and the vinegar. DO NOT STIR OR MIX. Cover and leave it alone (to cook the vinegar). Bring to a simmering point or when tomatoes have softened.
Place squid on top with sliced chilies. Do not stir yet. Cover and wait 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes you may stir. Stir in the squid ink if you separated it. Make sure the squid on top gets its turn to be in the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
You'll notice more liquid now, that's from the squid. Saute well for 3 minutes.
Test softness of the squid, spatula should easily slice through. Taste the sauce. The vinegar should have cooked thru and there should be a balance in taste with the soy sauce. If you want a hint of sweetness, you may add a pinch of sugar. For me, the oyster sauce does the trick. If you're good with the taste, remove from heat. Serve with rice. A spoonful of sauce on rice tastes gooood!
