NGOH HIANG

Makes 8 rolls

These meat rolls are typically served as part of a meal with rice and other side dishes. One of the key ingredients in this dish is five-spice powder and traditionally, the Nyonyas would make their own spice mixture from scratch. A recipe is provided below if you would like to try making your own.

Minced pork 300 g (11 oz)

Prawns (shrimps) 600 g (1 lb 5⅓ oz),
peeled and roughly chopped

Water chestnuts 20, peeled, washed and
roughly chopped

Onions 2, large, peeled and finely chopped
Carrot 1, peeled and finely chopped
Egg 1, beaten
Ground white pepper 1 tsp

Five-spice powder 1 tsp
Corn flour 1 tsp
Light soy sauce 2 Tbsp

Dried bean curd skin 2 sheets, cut into
8 squares, each 18-cm (7-in)

Cooking oil as needed

Condiments

Sweet flour sauce as desired

Chilli sauce or sambal belacan (page 26)
as desired

1.   Combine all ingredients except bean curd skin and oil in a mixing bowl.

2.   Wipe bean curd skin with a damp cloth to soften it.

3.   Place a sheet of softened bean curd skin on a flat work surface. Spoon about 2 heaped
tablespoonfuls of meat mixture in a line along one side of a bean curd skin square.
Shape into a neat cylindrical shape.

4.   Fold edges of skin on the left and right hand sides in over filling, then roll up neatly.
Sit roll seam side down. Repeat until ingredients are used up.

5.   Lightly grease a steaming rack and place rolls on it. Steam rolls for 15 minutes, then
remove and leave to cool completely.

6.   When rolls are cool, heat 2 Tbsp oil in a frying pan and pan-fry rolls for 3 minutes on
one side before turning rolls over to cook for another 3 minutes on the other side.

7.   Leave pan-fried rolls to cool before cutting into 1-cm (½-in) thick slices. Serve with
sweet flour sauce and chilli sauce or sambal belacan.

NOTE

•  To make your own five-spice powder, mix together 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground
star anise, ¼ tsp ground fennel, ¼ tsp ground Sichuan pepper and ⅛ tsp ground cloves.
If grinding your own spices, roast them lightly before grinding to enhance the flavour of
the spices. Five-spice powder can also be used for flavouring marinades.

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PERANAKAN HERITAGE

Cooking