Homemade Penang Rojak
 Rojak--the Penang-style salad with fresh cucumber, crunchy jicama, pineapple, jambu (water apple/rose apple), bean curd, and cuttlefish in thick, gooey, and pungent Hae Ko (dark prawn paste)--is the only salad that I would eat without being forced to. The Hae Ko sauce is also one of the few sauces that I would dabble with my fingers (even lick with my tongue), leaving not a single drop. The taste of Rojak is something that one must experience to fully appreciate.The secret of this homemade Rojak lies in a small plastic container of Sambal Rojak. If you are in Southern California, be on the look out for "Shrimp and Boy Brand Fruit Dressing Sambal Rojak" at Hong Kong Supermarket in Rowland Heights, West Covina, or Monterey Park. While the taste of this homemade Penang Rojak is not as good as the real ones you get from hawkers in Penang, I have to say that it's 80% close to the real taste. I am just very happy that I can now savor something I truly miss even though I am thousands of miles away from home. And no, I didn't lick my plate dry this time. Penang Rojak Recipe Ingredients: 1 small jicama (cut into small pieces) 1 cucumber (peel the skin and cut into small pieces) 1 green mango (peel the skin and cut into small pieces) 1 bean curd (boil for 3 minutes and cut into small pieces) Some cuttlefish (boil for 3 minutes and set aside) In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Add the sambal rojak dressing and toss well. Portion out onto plates. Notes:
Labels: Malaysian Food Recipes |
13 Comments
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Comments on "Homemade Penang Rojak"
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Chris said ... (10:47 PM) :
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lucia said ... (11:00 PM) :
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Chris said ... (11:49 PM) :
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Rasa Malaysia said ... (11:54 PM) :
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Chris said ... (12:05 AM) :
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michaelooi said ... (2:33 AM) :
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toniXe said ... (3:08 AM) :
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bayi said ... (7:21 AM) :
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TrueBluePenangite said ... (9:59 PM) :
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Rasa Malaysia said ... (12:32 AM) :
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simcooks said ... (10:23 AM) :
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elmomonster said ... (9:52 AM) :
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Rasa Malaysia said ... (9:43 PM) :
post a commentRojak relies a lot on the sauce. As long as the sauce is nice, you can definitely have a nice bowl of rojak there.
I haven't heard of Hae Ko sauce, not sure if it's available in M'sia. Lemme go find out....
i love rojak very much... but must eat with lots of sambal as lebih pedas, lebih sedap. :)
what chris? hae ko is so popular in malaysia! it's available almost everywhere... i think. at least in penang, we can find it in supermarkets. it's the same kind of sauce that we use for laksa.
rojak need hae ko - hae ko is the main ingredient.. then only mix with belacan, sambal, roasted sesame seed and so on.
sometimes when we eat jambu (the small red ones) or turnip (bengkuang?) we like to dip it with hae ko to eat.
lucia- I didn't know much about Hae Ko, I normally use homemade rojak sauce...the Sarawakian-made I mean
Chris - are you sure you are real Malaysian? Hmmm, now I am curious...Hae Ko is like the NATIONAL sauce of Malaysia. Hae Ko is the Hokkien pronunciation, so KL people call it "Har Go or Har Cheung" ;)
Lucia - yes...dip everything in Hae Ko is the way to go...anything also can. If with Laksa, put lots of Hae Ko until the soup darker, then the best. I think Chris is a "fake" Malaysian lah. LOL.
oops, I better double check my national ID
the best way to enjoy a rojak for me, is definitely to have it spread thickly on top of a sliced pineapple. Used to cost only 20 cents per piece. Slurrrrrrp!
certain popular Pg rojak stalls here in PJ/KL also include beansprouts and kangkong into the mix. but they r not as hot as I would like !
my hands will smell like that hae ko 'smell' 4 a while tho.
LOL.
More hae ko and ground peanuts for me!
Though the Cantonese say har ko or har cheong, most of them still use hae ko to indicate the sauce. It's as though the sauce will taste different if you call it by any other name!
Did the cuttlefish that you used come in a dried form or fresh or in a can? I am looking for cuttlefish in Milwaukee but I can only find the dry kind. And thanks for the Hae Ko brand recommendation. Now I know which kind to get.
Michael - Wow, I have totally forgotten about 20 cents pineapples with Hae Ko. You are right...those are the best!
Tonixe - sorry to disappoint you, but I think those so-called Penang rojak stall in PJ/KL are fakes. I have never seen Penang rojak with bean sprouts or kangkong. :P
Bayi - I believe most Hae Ko's are produced in the northern states (Penang or Kedah) where Hokkien is the dominant dialect.
Truebluepenangite - the cuttlefish I used were fresh.
Oooh, I would like to add some You Chay Kway (dough fritters) to that plate of rojak!
Oh man! You are driving me crazy! First the clams, and now this. I LOVE LOVE LOVE rujak (Indonesian spelling). Ours is just like yours, one of my favorite dishes ever.
Elmomonster - Unfortunately the "rujak / rojak" sauce is not available at 99 Ranch in Irvine, but you can get it in Hong Kong Supermarket the next time you go to Rowland Heights, or better still, you should go back to visit Indonesia (plus Malaysia while you are at it).