How to make crispy and chewy fried taro wrapped in snakehead fish paste

How to make fried taro wrapped with snakehead fish cake

• 1

  Prepare the taro

  When you buy taro, peel it clean, wash it thoroughly, and then cut it into thin slices. After that, cut it into evenly thin strands.

  Tips for preparing taro without itching

  • Boil the taro briefly in diluted salt water for about 1 minute, then soak it in cold water to reduce itching during preparation.
  • Peel the taro when the tuber is still dry, then soak it in diluted salt water before processing.
  • Additionally, you should always wear plastic gloves when preparing taro as a precaution!

  

  
• 2

  Prepare other ingredients

  Shrimp washed clean, peeled, deveined then drained.

  Shallots peeled and chopped finely. Green onions and cilantro washed clean and also chopped finely.

  Quick tips for deveining shrimp correctly

  • Method 1: Use the tip of a knife to make a longitudinal cut along the shrimp’s back and then pull out the vein.
  • Method 2: Count back from the shrimp’s tail to the second groove between two segments of the shell, insert a toothpick and pull to remove the vein.
  • Method 3: Turn the shrimp over, hold the body with one hand, use the other hand to peel both sides of the shrimp head, then firmly hold where the head and body connect, gradually separate the head from the body. At this point, the vein is attached to the part near the shrimp’s head and will be pulled out with it.

  

  
• 3

  Marinate the fish cake

  Put the fish and shrimp into a bowl and use a spoon to mash them or use a pestle to pound.

  Once the fish and shrimp are mixed together, add the finely chopped shallots, green onions, and chopped cilantro, season with 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Mix well to ensure the seasoning penetrates the filling.

  The filling mixture after being mixed should be wrapped up and placed in the refrigerator, marinating for about 30 minutes.

  Small tips:

  • To finely mash the filling, you can also use a pestle and mortar to pound it.
  • To prevent the filling from sticking to the bowl while mixing, you should coat a thin layer of cooking oil in the bowl before adding the fish and shrimp.
  • To suit your family’s taste, you should adjust the amount of seasoning added.

  

  
• 4

  Shape the fish cake

  Take 1 tablespoon of the fish cake filling in your hand and shape it into a cylinder about the size of a finger. Then roll the fish cake piece in the shredded taro so that the taro wraps around the fish cake.

  Gently press to ensure the taro sticks tightly to the fish cake, then repeat the steps until all the ingredients are used up.

  Tip:

  • To prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands while shaping, you should apply a thin layer of cooking oil on your hands before proceeding.
  • To prevent the fish cake from bursting while frying, use enough taro to wrap the fish cake and gently pinch both ends to seal.

  

  

  
• 5

  Fry the fish cake

  Place a pan on the stove, add about 300ml of cooking oil, and turn on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, gently drop the wrapped fish cake pieces into the oil to fry.

  When the fish cakes are evenly cooked and golden brown on all sides, remove them to drain the oil.

  Note: To ensure the fish cakes are delicious and crispy, you should fry them in small batches. Frying all the fish cakes at once will cool down the oil, causing the fish cakes to absorb more oil.

  
• 6

  Final Product

  So the dish of taro wrapped fried fish cake is now complete.

  The hot and crispy fish cake is seasoned with rich flavors, just right with the sweet and creamy taro coating outside, making it a delicious dish suitable for family meals, even on the drinking table.

  To enhance the flavor of the dish, you can also dip it with a bit of mayonnaise or chili sauce!