Pong Tauhu Soup

Apologies the picture is not very sharp. This is one of the early recipes I learnt from my mom. It's a classic Peranakan (Straits Chinese) dish given her own family’s touch. It's a modified recipe..was told previously they use bamboo shoot. It's one of our family favourites

Pong Tauhu Soup

(Mince Pork and Bean Curd Balls Soup)

250 g Mince Pork*

200 g prawns (6pcs) shelled, de-veined and finely chopped

400 g turnip, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 pc firm bean curd (tau kwa), finely ground (mashed)

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

7 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 Tablespoon preserved soy bean paste (tau cheo)

1.8 liters water

cooking oil

Garnish:

1 tablespoon crisp-fried chopped garlic

parsley

Method:

1. Peel prawn, retaining the head and shell. Fry the head and shells till dry and has the prawn fragrant smell. Scoop up and pound. Then place it in pot with water to boil to make the soup.

2. In another pot, fry chopped garlic and soy bean paste till fragrant. Scoop half of the mixture for the balls. The other half in the pot stirfry with turnip.

3. To make the balls, mix half of the fried garlic and soy bean paste with the grounded firm bean curd, minced pork and minced prawn and 1 egg. Roll them to balls – size similar to Fish balls.

4. Add turnip mixture (2) to the soup till soft.

5. Add the balls (3) to the soup till boil.

6.Garnish with fried garlic and parsley.

Taste better the next day. Enjoy :)

What we do is that we do the meatballs and freeze it. Extra prawn shells can be frozen and when you want to prepare it, simply defrost it.