As I pointed out in this broadcast, there’s more than one way to replicate the flavour of your favourite Asian dish, so rather than be put off attempting a recipe because you can’t find all the ingredients at your local Asian store, think ingredient substitutions.

The sauce for this is from my restaurant days, whereas the fritter recipes are from the chefs at Shangri-La Rasa Sayang in Penang, where I filmed some TV cooking segments a couple of years ago.

Pasembur

Sauce Ingredients –

• 350g sweet potatoes, diced and steamed or boiled
• 800ml water
• 100ml tamarind concentrate
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chicken powder (optional)
• 200g sugar
• 1 brown onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 large chillies
• 4 TBSP oil

• Sesame seeds, toasted

METHOD:

1. Combine brown onion, garlic and chillies in a food processor and blend.
2. Saute for 2 minutes in pan, then add oil and fry until mixture is browned and oil separates.
3. Blend cooked sweet potatoes with water until smooth.
4. Add to spice mixture along with all other ingredients and bring to a low simmer.
5. Adjust seasonings, then remove from heat.
6. Pour over salad ingredients and sliced prawn crackers and prawn fritters listed below, and serve sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Salad Ingredients –

• 100g yam bean aka sengkuang aka jicama, grated
• 1 cucumber, grated
• 2 potatoes, boiled and quartered
• 100g beansprouts, lightly scalded
• 4 pieces white beancurd (medium firm), deep-fried until brown, then quartered
• 2 eggs, boiled, peeled and halved

Prawn Crackers (flat disc-shaped fritters with prawn on top)

INGREDIENTS:

• 50g plain flour
• 50g rice flour
• 5g baking powder
• 25g tapioca flour
• 25g corn flour
• 220ml water
• 70ml cooking oil
• 4 peeled prawns
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp chicken seasoning powder

METHOD:

1. Mix flour and baking flour.
2. Add prawns and water and mix well.
3. Heat oil for deep-frying to 180C. Place wok ladle in in hot oil for about 15 seconds to heat it up.
4. Remove wok ladle from oil, place about 2 TBSPs batter with prawn on ladle, then gently lower into oil.
5. Deep-fry on high until done; about 90 seconds (the cracker should loosen from the ladle naturally; tap with spoon to help it along if required).
6. Remove and place on paper towels. Repeat with rest of batter; serve.

Prawn Fritters (dollop-shaped prawn & vegetable fritters)

INGREDIENTS:

• 100g prawns with shell on, cut into pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 egg white
• 150g plain flour
• 1 Tbsp corn flour
• 1 Tbsp rice flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• 150ml water
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 Tbsp spring onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp onion, sliced
• 1/2 Tbsp chillies, sliced
• 1/2 cup beansprouts

METHOD:

1. Mix flours with baking powder.  Add seasoning.
2. Add water followed by prawns and all other ingredients.
3. Deep-fry on low-medium heat. Remove and serve.

The post How to Make Pasembur (aka Indian Rojak) first appeared on Jackie M..