Stuffed Tofu Puff 酥炸豆腐包

This is one of the sides we like. It's juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

The tofu puff helps to trap the oil during deep-frying so the inside is not oily and at the same time, the outside is crunchy.

I usually deep fry it twice so the outside is more crunchy. I will fry it before hand and when it's time to serve, I will deep fry it for just a little while again to make it more crunchy on the outside.

Ingredients:

• 10 small Tofu Puff
• 100g minced pork
• 100g fish paste
• 200g prawn, smashed
• a dash of Pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

How to do it:

1. Cut on a side of the tofu puff and gentle separate the inside.
2. Carefully turn the tofu puff inside out and set aside.
3. Mix all the ingredients together.
4. Stuff the inverted tofu puff with the mixed meat.
5. 'Tear' out some of the dried tofu on the tofu puff to cover the opening so the meat will not be exposed.
6. Deep fry till golden brown.
7. Drain on paper towel.
8. Serve.

Note:

• If you want the outer tofu puff to be more crispy, deep fry it again. This time deep fry it it in a shorter time to dry it.
• I didn't minced the prawn into paste-like as I like to still bite into it. It makes the filling has more bite to it.
• You can add in chopped waterchestnut in the filling for crunch.

Curry Vegetables 咖喱菜

Curry Vegetables is one of my favourite dish. I love it with rice, noodle, even on it's own. I stopped having it so often when my cholesterol level increased. :p I tried replacing the coconut milk with other alternatives. It just doesn't taste as good.

Ingredients:

• 600ml Water or Stock
• 150g Yam Bean aka Jicama Bang Kwang (豆薯), skinned and cut into sticks
• 100g Cabbage, cut
• 1 large Carrot, skinned and cut
• 5 Long Beans, cut into section
• Dried Beancurd (豆包) or Firm Beancurd (豆干)
• 500ml Coconut Milk
• Salt to taste

Grind into paste:

• 1/2 tablespoon Dried Shrimp, soaked to soften
• 5 Dried Chilli, soaked to softened before hand
• 10 Shallot
• 3 clove Garlic
• 1 stalk Lemon Grass (white part only), sliced thinly
• 3 Candlenuts aka Buah Keras
• 7g Turmeric aka Kunyit
• 15g Galangal aka Lengkuas

How to do it:

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil and stir fry paste till fragrant.
2. Add in stock and bring to a gentle boil.
3. Add in all the vegetables.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Gradually stir in the coconut milk.
6. Continue to simmer till the vegetables are cooked and softened to your liking.
7. Add salt to taste.

 

Deep Fried Tua Pok Balls 炸豆包球

I haven’t been blogging about the stuff I cook for a while. Since I did this for yesterday's dinner and it's still fresh in my mind, better blog it first before I forget again. I’ll blog about the rest next time.

Ingredients:

• Tofu Puff aka Tua Pok
• Minced Pork
• Fish Paste
• Onion, diced
• Oil for deep frying

Sauce (optional):

• ½ tablespoon Apple Cider
• ½ tablespoon Sugar
• 2 tablespoon Tomato Sauce

How to do it:

1. Open one side of the tua pok and invert it.
2. Mix the minced pork, fish paste and onion together.
3. Filled the tua pok with the mixed fillings.
4. Close up the opening by folding the tua pok.
5. Deep-fry the tua pok balls.
6. Remove when turned golden brown.
7. Heat the ingredients for the optional sauce.
8. Serve.

Note:
I did not put any seasoning for the fillings because the fish paste already adds the saltiness. You can choose not to add fish paste. Try mixing minced pork and prawn. Then a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to it. And substitute onions with water chestnuts for the extra crunch. I like onion because it adds aroma.