Rojak Puteh

This is the rojak my grandparents used to make when I was a child. They did not make this very often as there is quiet a bit of work involved in the preparation. On rojak day, the mood at home would take on a carnival like atmosphere. Grandpa would be busy frying the peanuts, peeling and then pounding them. Then there's the sesame seeds that need to be toasted.

Grandma would take care of the bulk of the work - making the sauce, frying the beancurd, and peeling and cutting the vegetables. My grandparent's version of this rojak also had hard boiled eggs and boiled potatoes. Did I help out ? Oh, yes I did. Little me would help grandpa pound the peanuts. I remember grandpa telling me that if I pounded the peanuts fine enough, I would get peanut butter.

I eyeballed the recipe below as that's how it works with my family recipes (always "agak-agak"). Please feel free to make adjustments according to your personal taste.

Rojak Puteh

Sauce :

- 500 ml tamarind juice

- 10 fresh chillies

- Belacan (2 heaped tablespoons if using granules)

- Gula Melaka (palm sugar)

- 1 tub prawn paste

- Crushed peanuts

- Toasted sesame seeds

Vegetables :

- Cucumbers

- Sengkuang

- Beansprouts 

- Pineapple

- Kangkung (blanched)

- Potatoes (boiled till tender and cut into chunks)

Garnishing :

- Crushed peanuts

- Toasted sesame seeds

- Hard boiled eggs (cut into wedges)

- Fried beancurd (taukwa or taupok)

To make the sauce :

1. Blend chillies and belacan.

2. In a saucepan mix tamarind juice, blended chillies and belacan and prawn paste.

3. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until sauce is slightly thick.

4. Add peanuts and sesame seeds to futher thicken the sauce. Take off the heat and cool.

To assemble the rojak :

1. Put all cut vegetables, beancurd and boiled potatoes in a mixing bowl.

2. Pour rojak sauce over vegetables and mix,

3. Garnish with hard boiled eggs and sprinkle crushed peanuts and sesame seed.

4. Serve with keropok.

My preferred brand of prawn paste.

Rojak Sauce.

Veggies ready to be mixed.

All tossed up.

My childhood rojak dreams come true.

You can't take the Terengganu out of  me, I must have this with keropok!