Popiah with prawns

“Popiah is a delicious and healthy snack that is loved by both locals and visitors to Malaysia. It's the perfect example of the country's diverse and flavorful cuisine,” says Justine Schofield of this recipe, shared with her by Penang chef and cookbook author Pearly Kee.

Popiah with prawns. Credit: Malaysia Gourmet

• serves

  8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 1 jicama
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 500 g firm tofu, cut into strips
• 1 bulb garlic, roughly chopped
• 500 g prawns, deveined and deshelled
• 3 tbsp soy sauce, plus a little extra for jicama
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups thinly sliced green beans (French beans)
• 2 cups bean sprouts

To assemble

• 1 packet popiah wrappers, or spring roll sheets
• 3 tbsp sweet sauce (see Note)
• 3 tbsp black sauce
• 3 tbsp chilli sauce
• 1 cos lettuce, torn into pieces
• 1 large cucumber, cut into sticks
• 5 stalks spring onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch coriander, torn into sprigs

Instructions

1. Peel and thinly slice the jicama. Place in a small saucepan and boil until tender.
2. In a wok heat the oil and deep fry the tofu strips until golden brown. Remove tofu and place on paper towel to drain.
3. Add garlic to the remaining oil and fry for 30- 60 seconds, or until fragrant and golden. Remove a scoop of the garlic and add to the jicama (still in its cooking water).
4. Fry the prawns in oil with remaining garlic. Add soy sauce, salt, beans and bean sprouts. Add a splash of soy sauce and a pinch of salt to the jicama. Fry for 2 minutes before adding the tofu back to the pan. Cook for a few more minutes until the liquid reduces.
5. To serve, place the stir-fried prawn mix in a bowl and the jicama and its liquid in another. To assemble, spread ½ teaspoon each of sweet sauce, black sauce and chilli sauce on a popiah. Add a piece of lettuce, some cucumber, a teaspoon of the jicama (drain as you lift it out), a generous tablespoonful of the stir-fry mixture and some spring onion and coriander. Fold the edges over and wrap tightly. Cut into bite sized pieces to serve.

Note

Sweet sauce is a popular condiment used in Malaysia for popiah and many other dishes. You can use hoisin sauce in this recipe instead.

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.