Malaysian Rojak

Serves 8-10


Ingredients:

4 yellow beancake, fried crisp & sliced
125g long beans, cut & blanched
250g kangkung (water convolvulus
1 large cucumber, sliced into thin strips
1 turnip, sliced into thin strips
4 fermented soya-bean cake, fried & sliced
125g bean sprouts, tailed & blanched
250g half-ripe papaya, thinly sliced
4 eggs, hardboiled, shelled & sliced

Prawn-cake:
250g fresh prawns, shelled, deveined & chopped
90g wheat flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
1 tsp salt, sifted
90g rice flour, sifted
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup (250ml) coconut milk
cooking oil for deep-frying

Gravy:
250g groundnuts, fried, skinned & ground
10 dried chillies, fried crisp, ground
2.5cm piece shrimp paste, dry-fried, ground
3 cloves garlic, ground
6 shallots or small onions, ground
salt to taste
1 cup (250ml) coconut milk
2 cups (500ml) tamarind juice
2 dsp brown sugar


Method:

1. Pick kangkung leaves and blanch in some bicarbonated water. Plunge in cold water then roll up neatly. Arrange all rojak ingredients separately on a large platter.
2. To prepare prawn-cake: Mix together all the ingredients except coconut milk and oil. Then add coconut milk gradually, stirring to obtain a smooth thick batter. Heat oil and deep-fry by spoonfuls till crisp and brown. Remove and drain. Arrange with other ingredients.
3. To prepare gravy: Mix together all the ingredients. Stir on medium heat till well-cooked and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat. Dish up.
4. Serve rojak with the gravy.