Somebody commented in my post the other day asking me where we could buy freshly-made popiah skin here in Sibu. Well, I got mine from one of the tofu stalls at the Sibu Central Market but one would have to place an order and then go back there the next day to collect.
I ordered 2 kilos and used up one the first time around when I made some for the Duānwǔ or Dragon Boat Festival and as I had another kilo left, I decided to make some more and use up all of it. It did seem that after being kept in the fridge, the skin became a little hard and was not as nice.
Actually, I have blogged about making popiah before sometime ago here and here but anyway, this second time around, I fried some finely-chopped garlic in a bit of oil…
…and once it has turned brown, that would be the time to add the minced meat or prawns or crab meat that one is using. I was thinking of having some kind of semi-vegetarian popiah that day so I did not include any of those. That was why the thinly-sliced long beans went in next…
The previous occasion, I used French beans so I thought we could do with a little bit of change.
After frying that for a while till I felt the long beans were already quite cooked, I added the sliced tau kua (bean curd cake)…
…and mixed them altogether well.
I did the same with the mangkuang/sengkuang (turnip), peeled and finely grated…
…and for the seasoning, I used one ikan bilis (dried anchovies) stock cube and a few dashes of fish sauce…but one might choose to just use salt and msg instead.
Lastly, I threw in some chopped spring onions…
…for that extra bit of fragrance and taste and once the filling was done…
…it would be time to start rolling. Of course, you may do so if you want to add some thin strips of carrot and whatever else for that extra colour – that is all up to you. I also used to add taugeh (bean sprouts) but you cannot cook that for too long so that it would still be sweet and crunchy…and there lies the problem. Sometimes, the filling may spoil because of the taugeh so these days, I would just leave it out completely.
There would be a lot of gravy/sauce that had come out of the ingredients in the process of cooking so I tilted the wok to let it all drain to one side so that I could scoop it all up and get rid of it. The filling is best used quite dry so that the skin would not tear or be spoilt.
Not in any particular order, one would have to apply a layer of the blended chilli or chilli sauce, add the filling and the thinly sliced omelette that one would need to prepare before hand and sprinkle crushed peanut generously over it all (I just used the sweet kacang tumbuk cakes from the shops), add a bit of lettuce…and apply some of the “glue” made from caramelised sugar and cornstarch (also prepared earlier)…
…and fold in the sides and roll it up!
Having done all that, then finally, it would be time to…EAT! LOL!!!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
beancurd cake, quite a special ingredient here. I like to wrap popiah skin with kong th’ng (peanut candy), heavely. Anyway, i think mengkuang’s english name is jicama
I think you mean mangkuang, as we would call it here…or bangkuang but I hear my non-Malay friends over at your side calling it sengkuang. Mengkuang is what they use to weave mats.
Yes, that is the name used by some people in some places. In fact, somebody wrote about it in this article in a local daily:
http://www.thestar.com.my/story.aspx/?file=%2f2009%2f7%2f17%2flifefocus%2f4153379&sec=lifefocus
but said that it is “Spanish-derived” and as mentioned, it is “locally known as turnip”. Same thing with others like cassava, taro, okra, umbra and so on…but we all know them by the names that we are familiar with for all these…like how many may not know parasol or brolly but everybody sure knows what an umbrella is.
wah, i’ve actually never eaten home-made popiah before … only stall-bought popiah … this looks like fun, cos you can customise the ingredients according to your own preference ya … i want lots of crunchy pork lard in my popiah (it’s kinda the malaccan style) 😀
It’s enjoyable…even though it may be a lot of work. Ya, up to the individual what one would want to have…but no lard crust for me, thank you. I’ve seen those crispy popiah stalls at the malls in KL and at one here too – I wonder what they’re like. Never tried as they do not look very enticing to me.
Your popiah looks so good. I used “toh tau tng” (engagement sweet) instead of “kong tng”…but have to pound the “toh tau tng”. Since now I know, I will use kacang tumbuk, save time & energy.
Not the same – the tho tau thng would be the ones with whole peanuts held together by caramel? Here, for engagements, we give those…one piece and khong thng, another piece – two pieces in a packet.
Oh ya, “Happy Blessed Father’s Day” to you. Have a great one.
Same to your hubby. It will be send-my-girl-back-to-her-jungle-school day for me… 😦
Happy Father’s Day… Where’s my present… long time nvr have this popiah liao…
Come come…come to Sibu and we can have popiah party…Sarawak laksa party…all the parties…and kampua and kompia every day! 😀
I would love to have a freshly rolled popiah now. 🙂
No more. We had an overdose…as we had to finish the 2 kg freshly-made skin. Next time we order, sure will give you some. You were away in KL then…I think.
Ooops. I forgot to greet you “Happy Father’s Day”. 😉
Same to your hubby. Hope he’s getting better and better now. Got makan selamat? 😉
Should be discharged tomorrow. Just cook him some mee sua with eggs for selamat once at home. Haha.
Ok. Drive safe now. Pandu cermat jiwa selamat.
so far away ah!!
if you stay here only i give you your present!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not me. SWK’s the one asking for a present… 😀
good grief…………..<–written by Joshua, been reading Archie Comics…
Clever boy! Melissa loved Archie too – has lots of the comics in the house. Wanna come and read?
I also want to wish you Happy Father’s Day, Arthur!! You and your wife have really done a good job too.. bringing up Melissa so well, not only academically but culinary as well! My kids are not into cooking and who to blame but their mom! hahaha…
See, you went through all the trouble to make popiah… so much ingredients (work!) … Great Papa!
Thanks. School holiday, lots of time and extra pair of hands to help so it was a good time to have a popiah feast. 😉
So rajin to do roll roll roll. 🙂 looks good!!
Here wish you Happy Father’s Day!
Thanks. No choice – my favourite stall’s closed down…and no nice ones around…so just have to make our own lor. 😦
Happy Father’s Day!!!
I salute you, popiah a lot of work….
Thank you. Quite fun actually…and nothing beats the enjoyment of eating it afterwards – not just one or two but to one’s heart’s content!
Wow, yummy yummy! I love popiah!!
Homemade’s the best!
Quite a lot of work and gone in a blink of an eye! I very much prefer this type of popiah instead of the deep fried one.
I did try deep-frying using the leftover filling and the frozen popiah skin from the supermarket – not nice. Oily.
aaaahhhhh!!! I MISS POPIAH! D: we always dish out the ingredients in individual bowls at home so it’s like a little buffet! very fun to put together your own little roll. dangerous food man.. i can never stop eating em!
Yes, used to have popiah parties. Nothing, just popiah…an you roll your own.
Wow! I haven’t made it before(gasp!), but this will be the first thing I make…it looks great!
Easy but lots of work, all the cutting, chopping and shredding. You can get very nice skin easily at your side at the Chowrasta market.
Homemade popiah is the best! After all the hard work, enjoy your fruits of labour 😉. Nom nom nom.
Not exactly hard work but it is time consuming. Would be much worse if one has to make the skin as well.