Pasembur (Malaysian-Indian salad)

This Malaysian-Indian (Mamak) salad is an eclectic mix of prawn fritters, hard-boiled egg, cucumber and deep-fried tofu, topped with a thick sauce made with potato and sweet potato.

Pasembur (Malaysian-Indian salad) Credit: Georgia Gold

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:30 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• vegetable oil, for pan-frying
• 250 g firm tofu, sliced in half horizontally
• 5 Prawn fritters, each cut into 6 pieces (recipe below)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
• 2 long cucumbers, julienned
• 1 sengkuang (jicama/yam bean), julienned (optional)

Pasembur sauce

• 1 russet potato (about 200 g), peeled and roughly chopped
• 300 g sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 large red onion, roughly chopped
• 2–3 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp Basic chilli paste
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 80 g (⅓ cup) soft brown sugar
• 200 g ground dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• salt

Prawn fritters

Makes 12

• 300 g (2 cups) plain flour
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp instant dry yeast
• 1 tbsp air kapur (limestone water) (see Note; optional)
• 115 g kucai (Chinese chives), trimmed and snipped into 1.5 cm lengths
• 1 large red onion, finely sliced vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 12 large banana prawns, peeled and deveined, tails removed

Resting time: 30 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the prawn fritters, combine the flour, turmeric, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the yeast, add 435 ml (1¾ cups) water and mix well. Stir in the air kapur, if using, kucai and sliced onion. Allow the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes to yield a crispier fritter.
2. Heat the oil for deep-frying in a wok over medium–high heat until hot and a little smoky.
3. When the oil is ready, dip a stainless-steel spoon into the hot oil and leave for 15–20 seconds, then lift it out and pour about 2 tablespoons of the batter into the spoon. Place one prawn on the batter, then gently lower the spoon into the hot oil. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the batter has firmed up and started to separate from the spoon, then push the fritter off the spoon into the oil to finish cooking over medium heat until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Once the fritter is in the oil, start on the next one. Remove the cooked fritters with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining batter and prawns. These can also  be served warm with your choice of dipping sauce.
4. To make the pasembur sauce, place the chopped potatoes in a large saucepan of cold water (they should be completely submerged). Bring to the boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until they are tender enough for a fork or skewer to easily pierce through them. Drain and transfer to a bowl, then mash with a potato masher until smooth. Set aside.
5. Place the onion, garlic and chilli paste in a blender or food processer and blend to a smooth paste.
6. Heat the oil in a wok or a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the chilli paste and cook for a few minutes until aromatic and the oil has separated. Stir in the brown sugar, then add the mashed potato, ground peanuts, tamarind paste and up to 400 ml (14 fl oz) water and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15–20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
7. Meanwhile, heat a splash of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pat the tofu dry and add to the pan, then cook for 3–4 minutes until golden on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towel, then cut each piece into eight bite-sized chunks.
8. To serve, arrange the prawn fritter pieces and deep-fried tofu in shallow serving bowls, along with the hard-boiled egg halves. Ladle over the pasembur sauce and top with the julienned cucumber and sengkuang, if using. Serve immediately.

Note

• Any left-over pasembur sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

• To make limestone water, blend 1 teaspoon limestone paste with 1 tablespoon water. Limestone paste can be easily purchased online or from Asian grocery stores specialising in Southeast Asian ingredients. It is added to the batter to make the fritters super light and crisp, but you can omit it if you are unable to source it.

Penang Local by Aim Aris and Ahmad Salim, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $39.99). Photography by Georgia Gold. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.