Jade: Bitemyturnip #2

I didn't finish my ultimate selfish day;) After a hearty breakfast of kaya toast and soft boiled eggs, my idea of the perfect selfish lunch would be a piping hot plate of 'char kuay'..not unlike the ubiquitous char kuay tiaw..only instead of boring flat rice noodles, what you get is mouthful after mouthful of fluffy turnip cake, crunchy preserved radish, barely wilted beansprouts and bits of caramelized egg. I like it because it reminds me of late night suppers with my best friends, of noisy food courts and cold beer in the smothering heat... of home:)

Char Kuay~ [my earliest memory of this was actually watching my dad eat my grandma's steamed pumpkin cake. He would cut up the panfried cake into bite sized pieces, and toss them in my grandma's chilli sauce.. and it looked like the most delicious thing in the world to my 5-year old self]

Steamed turnip cake, cut into bite sized chunks

Preserved radish, soaked for a few minutes and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 spring onion, chopped

1 large handful beansprouts

1 beaten egg

1/2 tsp thai chilli shrimp paste [optional]

Glug of kicap manis for colour

1. Heat up some oil in a non stick pan, and pan fry the turnip cake. Don't turn them too much, the idea is to let them sit and caramelize and get all nice and crispy on the outside

2. When that's done, set it aside

3. Fry garlic, spring onion and preserved radish on high heat till fragrant and the radish starts to 'pop'

4. Add the chilli shrimp paste and the fried radish cake

5. Add the beansprouts and give a quick stir. Don't add the sprouts too early. You want them to retain their crunch

6. Add the beaten egg, scramble lightly and leave to set.

7. Add kicap manis, give a quick stir and leave it for a bit while you do the washing up. Again, you want some lightly charred bits..it just adds so much more depth to the dish

8. Dish up, sprinkle some chopped spring onions over it, drizzle with some chilli sauce if you like and there you have it...my perfect selfish lunch..

Your turn to tell me all about yours :)