Rojak---My style

This craving for Rojak suddenly strike me one day. Since my bottle of Har Gou (black prawn paste) still sitting in my cabinet, I might as well make good use of it. Searched the net for a Rojak recipe and 2 caught my attention. I will combine what I see in this 2 recipes and come up with a sauce I like. I prefer a sweeter version of the sauce. I will add more Har Gou for that sweet and rich taste.


I remember the hawkers selling rojak, just splash a thick spoonful of har gou than add some chilli sauce if you prefer spicy version, sugar and some water (which now I think it is assam water) and stir the sauce hard to mix well. Than he add in the ingredients : pineapple, bung kuang, bean sprouts, cucumber, you tiao, tou pok, banana flower. For some stalls will add jellyfish which i like. Last but not least he will sprinkle a generous amount of peanut. Woo thinking of it my mouth starts to water. Miss the famous Toa Payoh rojak. I remember I will go with my colleagues to that stall just to eat that rojak for late lunch.


For my version, my boss aka my hubby says he only like the you tiao and tou pok in rojak. Therefore got to cater to his taste. I remember there are also stalls selling tou pok stuff with bean sprouts and cucumber and they will add the cuttlefish and kang kong. Can't remember the name of the dish. I shall follow that but without cuttlefish (don't have at home) and kang kong (my boss also don't like kang kong)


This time, I have toasted my own peanuts and pound it with my mortar. I think the peanut will taste nicer. Those bought in supermarket doesn't have that strong toasted peanut flavour. If you have the time should try it. Those that you can't finish can store it in a bottle and use it for other dishes.

Peanuts after toasting on a pan

Ingredients:
1) 1 cumber shredded
2) Bean sprouts 1 packet
3) Raw peanuts 1 cup, dry toasted and coarsely grounded using blender or mortar
4) 2 You Tiao
5) 10 small tou pok (I can only get small ones here)
6) 6 tablespoons of Har Gou (Black prawn paste)
7) 1 tablespoon of tamarind pulp soaked in 2 tablespoons of water
8) 1 teaspoon of belachan, toasted
9) 1 tablespoon of shaved gula melaka (you can use sugar or brown sugar too)
10) 1 teaspoon of sambal chilli


Steps:
1) Blanch the bean sprouts for 10 seconds, remove and drain.
2) Pour the raw peanuts into a saucepan. Toast them using medium heat. Toss them around until they turn slightly brown. Must be careful not to burnt them. Than ground them in a blender. For me I use the mortar.
3) To prepare the Dressing, mash and strain the tamarind and discard any solids to obtain juice. Combine the tamarind juice and all other Dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well. I will not add all the dressing ingredients in one go. I will add some of the dressing ingredients and mix and taste as I go along to suit my taste. 
4) Put the tou pok and you tiao in a baking tray and placed them in the preheated oven of 200 degress C and bake them until crispy (around 15 min).
5) When the tou pok and you tiao are done, cut the you tiao into chunks. Make a slit in the tou pok and stuff the bean sprouts and cucumber inside. 
6) Placed the stuff tou pok and you tiao on a large plate. Than pour the dressing on top of the tou pok and you tiao. Last but not least, sprinkle the peanuts on top generously!

Before adding peanuts

After adding peanuts

The verdict: The dressing is very yummy. But the tou pok's "meat" is too thick. They don't sell the tou pok which have less "meat" and more porous like in Singapore. Therefore, it gets pretty dry. I think next time I would dig out some of the "meat" inside the tou pok first than stuff my things inside. Oh and also I can't get calamansi juice here, something seems to be missing. But overall I am pretty satisfied ;p