Saturday 8 June 2013

Penang Rojak (MFF Penang)


One of the Penang food I think of most besides Asam Laksa is rojak. I have been a rojak lover for as long as I remember and my must have fruits are pineapples and mango. You can skip the senkuang (yam bean) or even the cucumbers and I am fine with that. And another compulsory item for me is keropok.


What makes or breaks a rojak would be the sauce. I was searching for an authentic Penang rojak sauce recipe but I guess the really good ones are secret recipes. One post on a forum I came across mentioned Hoisin sauce as an ingredient. Anyway, the recipe I used for this particular rojak comes form Betty Saw's Rasa Malaysia. I usually just eyeball my family recipe which my grandparents call Rojak Puteh.


I think most fruit rojak recipes are similar and the most important ingredient would be the prawn paste (Heh Koh). Therefore you need to use a good prawn paste and my favorite would be this one :


For the rojak ingredients, you can use any of your favorite fruits like pineapple, young mango, young papaya, green apples, jambu air, guava, starfruit and of course cucumbers, beansprouts and sengkuang.

I have tweaked the recipe a little bit and added Hoisin sauce out of curiosity. I omitted sugar from the recipe as the prawn paste is already sweetish and Hoisin sauce itself is sweet. After tasting the rojak, I was quiet happy with it. I can't say if it tastes like the original Penang rojak because the last time I had that was years ago. But whatever it is, I will use this recipe for my future rojak endeavors :)









Penang Rojak
Recipe source : Adapted from Rasa Malaysia (page 212) and various sources from the internet

Ingredients :
- Pineapples
- Young Mango
- Cucumber
- Starfruit
- Yam Bean (Sengkuang)
- Crushed roasted peanuts
- Toasted sesame seeds

Rojak Sauce :
- 1 whole tub prawn paste
- 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon asam jawa paste
- 2 tablespoons sambal belacan
- 2 tablespoons dark soya sauce
- 100ml water

Note : The rojak sauce is good for 4 to 5 servings. It can be stored in the fridge for about 2 weeks because it has been boiled.

Method :
1. Cut the fruits into bite sizes and set aside.
2. Mix all the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer until sauce is slightly thick, taking care that it does not burn. Cool and set aside.
3. To prepare rojak, put all the fruits in a mixing bowl, spoon enough rojak sauce and mix.
4. Sprinkle with crushed peanuts and sesame seeds.
5. Fantastic eaten with keropok.


I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies.

26 comments:

  1. Drooling looking at your rojak. Now days hardly find good rojak outside. I guess homemade is best. Me too love prawn paste in the sauce. Using whole tube prawn paste is a lot! Should be more than 2-3 rojak meals :) Can keep the sauce well in fridge right?

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    1. Vivian, you are right, the recipe for the sauce is for about 4-5 servings. Good if you have a group of friends over. And yes, can keep well in the fridge because we have boiled the sauce. I have updated a note in the recipe :)

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  2. Ai...sedap!!! I love rojak! Drooling just looking at your photos.

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    1. Mel, make some and eat with keropok!

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  3. Your rojak looks so delicious! I would love to have a plate or two!

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    1. Mich, I can eat two plates with lots of keropok!

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  4. Phong Hong, your rojak looks so yummyyyyy!!!!! some more with the Heh koh paste, heavenly!!!!!

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  5. OMG, I'm drooling over your rojak!!

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    1. Shirley, it is quite easy to make :)

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  6. I love fruits rojak! Yours looks mouth-watering delicious! It has been ages since I last had any! The best rojak so far I had was from Damansara, KL. Bought by my dear sister for me to try as she recommends it, and she is right, that was the best rojak I've eaten in KL!
    Now, you are making me crave for rojak very badly, and now it is 10.58pm!!

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    1. Hah! Hah! Joyce, I used to love the one sold outside Atria. I wonder where the rojak man has moved to.

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  7. Your fruit rojak looks so yummy dying to eat it.Haven't eaten for so long looks so yum-yum my saliva already dripping titek titek have to use bucket to talor it

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    Replies
    1. EE, your rojak puteh is equally good!

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  8. Yummy yummy, love Penang rojak! Should have make some when I had the pineapple and mango!

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    1. Yes, make some and enjoy it at home :)

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  9. Yup! I used that long ago when I used to make my own rojak paste but these days, I would just buy the ready mixed ones - also nice and easier, no hassle at all.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I should try the ready made ones and find one that I like best.

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  10. my god! you are killing me with envy I have to make my own rojak here.the ingredients here are limited .Now is winter can't get kangkong.can't get starfruit or sengkuang.at all It look so yummy my saliva is over flowing.I always buy from the couple who sell from the van in Taman Tun I am also dying to eat mah-mah's rojak puteh..I didn't know have to add hoisin sauce.Oh! dying to eat

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    1. EE, actually don't put hoisin sauce also can. I just experiment because I read that the Penang one has hoisin sauce. It tasted quite good, though.

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  11. I live the mango but hates the pineapple.

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    1. Aiyo, I love pineapple lah. OK, you give me your pineapple :)

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  12. aiyoo, this look better than those rojak in Penang, consider to open a stall of rojak here? hahaha.

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  13. hi phong hong, shame to say i never tasted penang rojak before..next time i make sure when i go penang i try their rojak and taste their sauce..ours in ipoh here some put tau fu pok. how about in kl? do they put tofu pok as well?

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    1. Lena, yes in KL also got certain rojak vendors who put tau fu pok. In fact I also put tau fu pok in mine. Some put crispy yu char kueh and it is quite nice too.

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