Popiah

Food of:
Malaysia & Singapore

Food submitted by:
foodyoo/Johor/Malaysia

Popiah (薄饼) is a very popular snack roll that comes in many variants even in Malaysia alone - an excellent food to showcase the diversity of the food of the country. Popiahs are distinctly different when prepare by the Chinese, Malays and Indians. Popiah as a fresh spring roll are usually not fried and eat fresh.

A Popiah "skin" is a thin pancake made from wheat flour which is covered with a sweet sauce and with or without hot chilli sauce before it is filled. The filling is mainly finely grated and steamed jicama (known locally as bangkuang) soaked in fish stock. Other ingredients such as tasty turnips and carrots with dried shrimps softly stewed in fish or chicken stock, garnished with crushed peanuts, eggs, prawns, garlic, fresh lettuce, bean sprouts, French beans, shredded omelette, and etc … depending on the individual vendor are all wrapped up in a fresh Popiah “skin” and served fresh.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 popiah wrappers
• 1 fresh red chili, sliced
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, pounded
• 1 tablespoon sweet black sauce

Fillings:

• 1 Jicama, peeled and shredded
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 4 Shallots, sliced
• 6 Lettuce leaves
• 12 Shrimp, medium size and cooked, peeled and halve lengthwise
• 1 Hard boiled egg, halved lengthwise and sliced across
• 60g Bean sprouts
• 60g Crabmeat
• 60g Pinch of five spice powder

1. Prepare the filling by sautéing the jicama and shallots in oil for approx. 5 minutes until soft. Season with five spice powder and salt and set aside.
2. To fill the popiah, lay the skin flat on a plate or board and smear the skin with a little sweet black sauce, sprinkle with sliced chili, shallots and pounded garlic.
3. Next lay a lettuce leaf on top and one-sixth of all the ingredients, shrimp, crabmeat, bean sprout, egg and cooked jicama. Tuck the side of the popiah skin in and roll up firmly.
4. Repeat for the remaining five.
5. Cut each popiah into 4 pieces before serving.
6. Serve immediately.