Pong Tauhu Soup Recipe

Pong Tauhu Soup Recipe

(Nyonya Recipe)

Fish and Bean Curd Balls:

350 g fish paste* (see below)

200 g small prawns (shrimps), shelled, de-veined and finely ground

4 pieces firm bean curd (tau kwa), finely ground

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)

1 tablespoon crisp-fried, crushed garlic

500 ml cooking oil

Soup:

7 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

½ tablespoon preserved soy bean paste (tau cheong)

1.8 liters water

400 g turnip, peeled and cut into thin strips

2 teaspoons anchovy stock granules

¼ teaspoon salt

Garnish:

2 scallions, trimmed and chopped

1 tablespoon crisp-fried chopped garlic

Method:

Mix well all the ingredients for fish and bean curd balls, except the cooking oil.  With oiled hands, shape the paste into 2.5-cm balls.  Place the balls on greased trays.  Heat the cooking oil in a wok and fry the balls until golden brown.  Drain and set aside.  Leave 2½ tablespoons cooking oil in the wok.  Sauté the garlic until fragrant, then add preserved soy bean paste and fry until aromatic.  Stir in the water and bring to a boil.  Add the turnip and simmer until soft.  Add the fried fish and bean curd balls.  Season with anchovy stock granules and salt.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.  Garnish with scallions and crisp-fried chopped garlic.  Serve hot with spicy shrimp paste (sambal belachan - pls refer more Nyonya Recipes).

*Fish paste for otak-otak:

1½ teaspoon salt

180 ml iced water

600 g (1 lb) Spanish mackerel fillet

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

4 teaspoons tapioca flour or cornflour (cornstarch)

pinch of seasoning powder

Method:  Dissolve salt in iced water.  Pound fish fillet in a pestle and mortar or blend it in an electric food processor.  Add salted, iced water slowly until it becomes a smooth paste.  Add the pepper and tapioca flour or cornflour (cornstarch) and seasoning powder and stir the paste in one direction, using a metal spoon and continue as the recipe requires.

Note:  You can fry the fish and bean curd balls beforehand and freeze them.  Other variations include adding an egg to the paste, if desired, and using minced (ground) meat instead of prawns (shrimps).  More water can also be added to the soup, if preferred.