Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Before my maternal Nyonya grandmother was diagnosed with dementia, she was a passionate cook who loved preparing all sorts of dishes. One of her specialities that she made every once in a while was Hau Pau (or tau kwa pau). This rare Teochew-Peranakan dish is fast vanishing from Singapore’s food scene, and only a handful of places like Say Seng Famous Tau Kwa Pau at Dunman Food Centre and Teo Heng Teochew Porridge at Amoy Street Food Centre sell it.
The dish may seem simple, but don’t be fooled — its preparation can be tedious, which perhaps explains why so few hawkers are willing to do it.
Hau pau is essentially fried tau kwa pockets stuffed with various ingredients. My grandmother skips the yam and ngoh hiang (her most hated snack), instead filling them with fishcake, pork belly, sotong, cucumber, and braised egg. Some of you may argue that this combination is wrong or that it’s missing something, but this is the hau pau I grew up with. She also doesn’t drizzle the braised sauce over the ingredients and serves it with my grandfather’s favourite Lingham chilli sauce.
Ingredients (good for 6 people)
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Tau kwa | 6 no. |
| Fishcake | 2 no. |
| Japanese cucumber | 1 no. |
| Pork belly | 2 pieces |
| Squid | 1 no. |
| Fresh eggs | 2 no. |
| Chicken cube | 2 pieces |
| Chinese coriander | 1 bundle |
| Dark soya sauce | 2 tablespoons |
| Light soya sauce | 2 tablespoons |
| Chinese wine (hua teow chiew) | 3 tablespoons |
| Brown sugar | 1.5 tablespoons |
| Sliced ginger | 1 no. |
| Star Anise | 3 no. |
| Cinnamon stick | 3 no. |
| Lingham chilli sauce | Half bottle |
| White pepper | 2 dashes |
| Cooking oil | For deep frying |
Steps
1) Begin by preparing the braised sauce for the pork and eggs. Prepare a pot of boiliing water, then add in the sliced ginger, chicken cubes, star anise, cinnamon sticks, dark and light soya sauce, Chinese wine, and brown sugar.
2) Add in pork belly, boil it for approximately 6 to 8 mins till cooked. Remove from heat. Keep about 6 tablespoons of sauce aside.
3) Throw in the 2 eggs and boil them for approximately 8 minutes, then turn off the heat. Remove eggs and place them under running water, then remove the shell before throwing them back into the braised liquid. For even better results, submerge the peeled eggs overnight to let it fully absorb the braised liquid flavour. Use an egg slicer or cut the egg manually into small pieces.
4) Prepare another pot of boiling water to boil the squid for about 2 minutes or less, remove from heat.
5) While waiting for the squid, cut the cucumber, fishcake, and cooled squid into small cubes.
6) Cut the tau kwa into half to yield 12 smaller pieces.
7) Prepare a pot of cooking oil for deep frying.
8) Whilst waiting for the oil to be ready, prepare the chilli dip by chopping the Chinese coriander with the stalk (optional).
9) Pour in half a bottle of Lingham chilli sauce and mix it well.
10) Fry the tau kwa, flipping it occasionally so that all sides can be golden brown, remove from oil onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
11) With a small knife, make a rectangular incision to create a pocket to stuff the ingredients. Be careful not to cut all the way through to prevent any spillage underneath.
12) Combine all the cut ingredients, then incorporate the braised sauce that you kept earlier. Mix well.
13) Stuff them into the tau kwa pieces until there’s a mini mound on top. There’s plenty of ingredients so don’t be stingy.
14) Drizzle coriander chilli sauce to enjoy. Alternatively, if you want an experience closer to the one at Say Seng Famous Tau Kwa Pau, pair it with the remaining braised sauce.
Verdict
The array of different ingredients, when eaten with the fried tau kwa, is a multi-textural experience with every bite. The Lingham chilli sauce adds a zingy kick with a light spiciness, complemented by the fragrance of the coriander. I hope you have the chance to try it yourself.
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