Ingredients
3 pieces firm bean curd (tau kon)
100g small prawns
4 hardboiled eggs
1 piece soaked cuttlefish
Enough oil for deep-frying
3 potatoes
1 tsp ground chillies
1/2 tsp salt
Batter (A)
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chicken stock granules
Dash of pepper
1/2 cup water
1 egg
Hard fritters (B)
150g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
120ml water
1 green chilli, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
Garnishing
200g yam bean, shredded
1 cucumber, shredded
150g bean sprouts, scalded
Some hard fritters
Sauce
450g sweet potatoes
5 cups water
4 tbsp oil
1½ tbsp tamarind paste (asam jawa), mixed with 50ml water and squeezed for juice
100g palm sugar (gula Melaka)
Salt to taste
6 shallots
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp chilli paste (cili boh)
1 tsp belacan stock granules
100g toasted peanuts, pounded
1 tsp salt
A little thick soya sauce (for colour)
Method
1. For the batter: Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and add water gradually, mixing it into a smooth paste. Set aside for 40–50 minutes. Just before using the batter, add the egg and stir well till smooth.
2. Cut the firm bean curd into slices. Dip into the batter and press 2 prawns onto each piece. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden and crispy.
3. Clean potatoes well and boil in their jackets. Peel and rub in ground chilli and salt, then deep-fry in hot oil. Cut into wedges.
4. Cut the hardboiled eggs into quarters.
5. To prepare hard fritters: Combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and water in a bowl. Mix well and leave aside covered for 30–40 minutes. Just before frying, add in the chopped onion and chilli. Shape into a long cylinder (about 7cm long and 2cm wide). Taper both the ends. Should the dough be sticky, dust hands with extra flour when handling the dough. Deep-fry the fritters in oil until golden brown. Cut each fritter into 4–5 pieces.
6. To prepare the sauce: Boil the sweet potatoes, then blend in separate portions with half amount of water. Heat oil in saucepan and fry ground shallots, garlic, chilli paste and belacan. Add in blended sweet potatoes and remaining water.
7. Cook for 4–5 minutes. Add tamarind juice, palm sugar and salt to taste. Stir continuously over a gentle low heat for 2–3 minutes. Add peanuts and a little thick soya sauce for colour.
8. To serve, arrange all the ingredients on a platter and top up with the garnishing and pour some gravy over, or serve the sauce separately.
