Sunday 29 July 2012

Rojak Puteh


This is the rojak my grandparents used to make when I was a child. They did not make this very often as there is quiet a bit of work involved in the preparation. On rojak day, the mood at home would take on a carnival like atmosphere. Grandpa would be busy frying the peanuts, peeling and then pounding them. Then there's the sesame seeds that need to be toasted.

Grandma would take care of the bulk of the work - making the sauce, frying the beancurd, and peeling and cutting the vegetables. My grandparent's version of this rojak also had hard boiled eggs and boiled potatoes. Did I help out ? Oh, yes I did. Little me would help grandpa pound the peanuts. I remember grandpa telling me that if I pounded the peanuts fine enough, I would get peanut butter.

I eyeballed the recipe below as that's how it works with my family recipes (always "agak-agak"). Please feel free to make adjustments according to your personal taste.

Rojak Puteh

Sauce :
- 500 ml tamarind juice
- 10 fresh chillies
- Belacan (2 heaped tablespoons if using granules)
- Gula Melaka (palm sugar)
- 1 tub prawn paste
- Crushed peanuts
- Toasted sesame seeds

Vegetables :
- Cucumbers
- Sengkuang
- Beansprouts 
- Pineapple
- Kangkung (blanched)
- Potatoes (boiled till tender and cut into chunks)

Garnishing :
- Crushed peanuts
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Hard boiled eggs (cut into wedges)
- Fried beancurd (taukwa or taupok)

To make the sauce :
1. Blend chillies and belacan.
2. In a saucepan mix tamarind juice, blended chillies and belacan and prawn paste.
3. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until sauce is slightly thick.
4. Add peanuts and sesame seeds to futher thicken the sauce. Take off the heat and cool.

To assemble the rojak :
1. Put all cut vegetables, beancurd and boiled potatoes in a mixing bowl.
2. Pour rojak sauce over vegetables and mix,
3. Garnish with hard boiled eggs and sprinkle crushed peanuts and sesame seed.
4. Serve with keropok.

My preferred brand of prawn paste.
Rojak Sauce.

Veggies ready to be mixed.

All tossed up.
My childhood rojak dreams come true.
You can't take the Terengganu out of  me, I must have this with keropok!



24 comments:

  1. Looks good. Seems like a fusion of rojak, gado-gado and Thai salad. Bet that tastes real good...

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    1. It is quiet good actually. Brings back childhood memories :)

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  2. My D loves rojak very very much! He likes to make rojak during the weekend; of course using the ready mix paste.. I got to tell him he can make his own now.... but got to "agak-agak" using his taste buds too..... :-)

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    1. Ah...he will have fun trying then :)

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  3. Too many steps to prepare this yummy rojak, my kids not so much on this, let me just drool over here..

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    1. Never mind, just buy from the hawker. Sometimes, I'm also lazy to prepare this.

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  4. Oh maaaan!!! I've had this before, can't remember where or when. I guess I just love rojak in any form.... even gado-gado. I wish I had all that manpower to help me make this. Now you've got me craving! :(

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    1. Ping, its worth the effort. Get the people at home to help out, gotong royong style!

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  5. Way...yummy rojak! I missed rojak a lot. Have to learn from u how to prepare this delicious rojak.
    Have to go yo Chinese shop to see whether I can find the prawn paste or not.

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    1. If you can find the prawn paste, then you must make this rojak. You will love it :)

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  6. WOW.. very tempting rojak... something that man can't resist one... i likeeee u... TQVM for sharing d recipe..

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    1. You are welcome! Now you must cuba buat :)

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  7. Rojak puteh? Is there rojak hitam, hehehe! I'm drooling over here though my throat is not in a good condition, can pass me few tissue papers to wipe my saliva? My auntie also had her version of the rojak & I remember that every time when she made it, I would help her....in eating the rojak! Her sauce is sweet & dark in colour which suited my taste buds as I don't like chilli, yeah, calling myself a proud Malaysian for not eating chilli, apa lah! Anyway, I also remember that I love putting a thick layer of sauce on top of a chilled mengkuang, oh, what a good memory! Looks like I should go to make a not-spicy rojak sauce as well!

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    1. Hi Jessie, I never asked why it is called Rojak Puteh. Where got puteh, sure hitam one. You can make this without the chilli and it is still good. Hope you get better soon!

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  8. I never tried this before. Looks yummy.

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    1. Hi Hanushi, it is yummy. I simply had to relive my childhood fav foods! Thanks for dropping by

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  9. i can imagine how fun it was at your grandpa's place doing all these..looks like really involved a bit of work, like making popiah, have to cut this and that and prepare the sauce. I guess this rojak sauce is quite different from the usual ones, sourish?

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    1. Hi Lena, yeah it was fun then. Happy childhood memories. Yes, this rojak sauce is sourish and there is a good balance of sour, sweet and salty.

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  10. Wow that's load of fun making this rojak! Love it to the max! :)

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    1. Thank you! It's even more fun eating!

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  11. Hi phong hong I was trying to add you into my follow list couldn't because you did not leave a link when you commented in my post! At last I found you through your comment at Wendy's! I love this Rojak although the cutting part does test my patience a bit!

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    1. Hi Jeannie! Oh...the cutting is so tiring. Hah! Hah! But in the end its worth the trouble :) Thanks for coming by.

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  12. Hi Phong Hong, delicious rojak but why putih when the sauce is hitam?
    But whatever the taste is important. Your look great but I'm too late, guess have to wait until you next make again! LOL

    Have a nice weekend.

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    1. Amelia, I should have asked grandma and grandpa why it is called rojak puteh. Somehow, once makan already forget everything!

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