Pork Meatballs and Tofu Soup

To counter spicy dishes in any given evening’s menu, my mother would balance the meal
with something gentler on the stomach. This meatball soup was a perfect accompaniment.
It is also a good introduction to solid food for young children. Meat and tofu are nutritious
ingredients for growing toddlers.

In the past, the soup stock would have been derived from boiling water and adding a
stock cube. These days, I prefer to prepare or buy natural chicken stock which should not
contain monosodium glutamate.

makes 4 to 6 servings

340 g or 12 ounces minced pork
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
2 teaspoons light soy sauce

2 stalks spring onion (scallion), white
part discarded, green chopped finely

1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken stock, preferably an
Asian derived stock

340 g or 12 ounces soft soy bean curd
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper powder

1.   Combine the minced pork, salt, sugar, cornstarch, light
soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of the chopped spring onion. Set
aside to season for at least 15 minutes.

2.   Heat a large saucepan and add the oil. Fry the minced
garlic until fragrant and light brown. Pour in the chicken
stock, cover and bring to a boil.

3.   Fashion the pork mixture and form balls of equal size,
about 2.5 cm or 1 inch in diameter. Drop them into the
stock. Bring to a gentle boil. Then lower to a simmer.

4.   Cut the soft bean curd into 2.5-cm or 1-inch cubes.
Drop them into the soup and continue to simmer until the
pork balls rise to the surface. Season the soup with salt and
white pepper to taste. Garnish with the remaining slices
of spring onion.

228  Growing Up in a  Nonya Kitchen ~ Our Daily Fare