Periuk logo
Periuk logo
Tapioca fritters

Savoury fritters are stalwarts of the Malay teatime table. Made with various starches, aromatics, and vegetables, they’re easy to put together to use up any bits and bobs left in the fridge. This recipe from Aziff’s mother—who modified the original recipe from Aziff’s grandmother—uses tapioca, a commonly used starch during occupied Malaya.

Tapioca fritters

by Marina Mustafa

Savoury fritters are stalwarts of the Malay teatime table. Made with various starches, aromatics, and vegetables, they’re easy to put together to use up any bits and bobs left in the fridge. This recipe from Aziff’s mother—who modified the original recipe from Aziff’s grandmother—uses tapioca, a commonly used starch during occupied Malaya.

Servings: 4

Prep time: Quick

Servings: 4

Prep time: Quick

1.5kg tapioca, peeled and roughly cut into chunks

1 tbsp dried prawns, soaked in hot water

6 shallots, peeled and finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and slice

1 green chilli, finely sliced

1 small bunch Chinese celery, finely sliced

1 tsp salt

150g all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

Vegetable oil for deep frying

  1. In a blender, grind the tapioca chunks with water. Strain the starchy water, and place the ground tapioca back into the blender.
  2. Pour in more water into the blender with the tapioca. Blend and strain again.
  3. Place the twice-ground tapioca into a strainer over a large bowl to strain out the remaining liquid. Squeeze the ground tapioca if necessary to help remove the water.
  4. Drain the soaked dried prawns and pound it as finely as possible with a mortar and pestle.
  5. Take the drained tapioca and place it into a large bowl. Add the sliced shallots, garlic, chillies, Chinese celery, salt, and pounded dried prawns. Mix well.
  6. Add in the flour and egg, and mix well. If the mixture looks too dry, add in about ½ cup of water at a time, mixing well in between until the desired texture is achieved.
  7. Place a wok over a burner and pour in enough vegetable oil for deep frying. Set the flame to medium.
  8. Once the surface of the oil begins to shimmer, scoop a spoonful of the fritter batter and gently drop it into the oil. Scoop more fritter batter in, one spoonful at a time, but do not overcrowd the wok; the scoops of batter should not overlap each other.
  9. Fry the fritters for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through with a slotted ladle.
  10. Once crispy and golden brown, remove the fritters from the hot oil and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Continue frying until all the batter is used up.
  11. Serve hot with chilli sauce or sambal of choice.

Tips

  • Dried shrimp can be substituted with dried anchovies/ikan bills.
  • When scooping the batter, dip the spoon into the hot oil before scooping. This will prevent the batter from sticking to the spoon.

Ingredients

1.5kg tapioca, peeled and roughly cut into chunks

1 tbsp dried prawns, soaked in hot water

6 shallots, peeled and finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and slice

1 green chilli, finely sliced

1 small bunch Chinese celery, finely sliced

1 tsp salt

150g all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Directions

  1. In a blender, grind the tapioca chunks with water. Strain the starchy water, and place the ground tapioca back into the blender.
  2. Pour in more water into the blender with the tapioca. Blend and strain again.
  3. Place the twice-ground tapioca into a strainer over a large bowl to strain out the remaining liquid. Squeeze the ground tapioca if necessary to help remove the water.
  4. Drain the soaked dried prawns and pound it as finely as possible with a mortar and pestle.
  5. Take the drained tapioca and place it into a large bowl. Add the sliced shallots, garlic, chillies, Chinese celery, salt, and pounded dried prawns. Mix well.
  6. Add in the flour and egg, and mix well. If the mixture looks too dry, add in about ½ cup of water at a time, mixing well in between until the desired texture is achieved.
  7. Place a wok over a burner and pour in enough vegetable oil for deep frying. Set the flame to medium.
  8. Once the surface of the oil begins to shimmer, scoop a spoonful of the fritter batter and gently drop it into the oil. Scoop more fritter batter in, one spoonful at a time, but do not overcrowd the wok; the scoops of batter should not overlap each other.
  9. Fry the fritters for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through with a slotted ladle.
  10. Once crispy and golden brown, remove the fritters from the hot oil and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Continue frying until all the batter is used up.
  11. Serve hot with chilli sauce or sambal of choice.

Tips

  • Dried shrimp can be substituted with dried anchovies/ikan bills.
  • When scooping the batter, dip the spoon into the hot oil before scooping. This will prevent the batter from sticking to the spoon.

Cook next

Deep-fried tapioca

Quick, cheap, and filling

Deep-fried tapioca

Tapioca sambal tumis

Turn to the tuber for breakfast.

Tapioca sambal tumis

Fried bread

A teatime snack to use up stale bread

Fried bread

Cook next

Deep-fried tapioca
Tapioca sambal tumis
Fried bread
 
periuk

© Copyright Periuk 2024

© Copyright Periuk 2024

 
periuk