Last weekend I hosted a Tupperware party. It was my first time, yet there was a strong feeling of deja-vu, because I remember attending such parties when I was a child. The best ones involved lots of layered multi-coloured jellies and fluorescent popsicles made with Tang and Ribena.
Our palates though, has since outgrown such innocent treats, something else is called for. I made some vanilla cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, those went down well with the adults and children alike. For something savory, I turned to my helper. She suggested cucur udang, bite-sized prawn and vegetable fritters. It was too delicious, and were all too quickly eaten up. Here's how to do it.
Ingredients: 3 types of vegetables, prawns de-shelled, cleaned and cut up into 2-3 pieces, tempura flour, 1 egg, salt, pepper and red chilli powder. Choose vegetables that would retain crispness but not leach water when cooked e.g. french beans, cabbage, carrots.
Grate the carrots and cabbage, and cut the beans into little discs.
Season the prawns.
Toss the vegetables to mix, and season with chilli pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
Break the egg into the vegetable mix and stir it in.
Add the tempura flour. When I asked her, "how much?" She replied, "until it becomes sticky." Start with 3 heaped tablespoons and mix, until the vegetables are just about held together. She used about 5 tablespoons in the end, and did not need to add any water to loosen the mix.
The batter should look like coleslaw. Add the prawns last. Use hands to shape each fritter, ensuring that each piece has at least a good-sized piece of juicy, succulent prawns. Deep fry, drain and serve. Test the first piece to ensure correct seasoning, batter thickness etc. Can be held in a 50 C oven for a couple of hours before serving.
