Indian Rojak (Rojak Mamak)

Indian Rojak (Rojak Mamak)

Crispy fried fritters and boiled vegetables meet a sweet, peanutty dipping sauce in this Malaysian street classic.

Total 1 hr 30 min Makes 4 servings Calories 520/serving

Dietary

Pescatarian, Dairy free, Halal

Allergens

Eggs, Shellfish, Soy, Wheat, Peanuts

Indian rojak is a Malaysian hawker favorite combining an assortment of fried fritters, hard-boiled eggs, and vegetables tossed in a thick, sweet-spicy sauce built from sweet potato, chili, and ground peanuts. It's typically served as a shared snack or light meal, with each bite offering contrasting textures of crunchy batter against soft fillings. The sauce ties everything together, making this a favorite at mamak stalls across Malaysia and Singapore.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
  • 1 medium potato, boiled and sliced
  • 1 cup bean sprouts, blanched
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 4 pieces fried bean curd puffs (tau pok)
  • 4 pieces prawn fritters (cucur udang)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons dried shrimp, soaked and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons chili paste
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, ground
  • 1/4 cup palm sugar, grated
  • 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp, mixed with water and strained
  • 1 cup water, for sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt, for sauce

Method

  1. Boil the sweet potato cubes in a 6-quart saucepan with enough water to cover until very soft, about 15 minutes, then drain and mash coarsely.

  2. In the same saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the chopped dried shrimp until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

  3. Stir in the chili paste and cook until the oil separates slightly, about 3 minutes.

  4. Add the mashed sweet potato, ground peanuts, palm sugar, tamarind water, 1 cup water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened to a sauce consistency, about 10 minutes.

  5. Remove the sauce from heat and set aside to cool slightly; it will continue to thicken as it sits.

  6. Whisk together the flour, turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water to form a smooth, slightly thick batter for frying the tofu.

  7. Heat the vegetable oil in a 9-inch skillet to 350°F.

  8. Dip the tofu cubes in the batter and fry in batches until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

  9. Fry the bean curd puffs briefly in the same oil until lightly crisped, about 2 minutes, then drain.

  10. Arrange the fried tofu, bean curd puffs, prawn fritters, boiled potato, hard-boiled eggs, bean sprouts, and cucumber on a serving platter.

  11. Spoon the sweet potato sauce generously over the arranged ingredients or serve alongside as a dip, and serve immediately.

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Indian Rojak (Rojak Mamak)

Indian rojak is a Malaysian hawker favorite combining an assortment of fried fritters, hard-boiled eggs, and vegetables tossed in a thick, sweet-spicy sauce built from sweet potato, chili, and ground peanuts. It's typically served as a shared snack or light meal, with each bite offering contrasting textures of crunchy batter against soft fillings. The sauce ties everything together, making this a favorite at mamak stalls across Malaysia and Singapore.

1 hr 30 min 4 servings 520 cal

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces firm tofu, cut into cubes
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved
  • 1 medium potato, boiled and sliced
  • 1 cup bean sprouts, blanched
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • 4 pieces fried bean curd puffs (tau pok)
  • 4 pieces prawn fritters (cucur udang)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons dried shrimp, soaked and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons chili paste
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, ground
  • 1/4 cup palm sugar, grated
  • 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp, mixed with water and strained
  • 1 cup water, for sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt, for sauce

Method

  1. 1

    Boil the sweet potato cubes in a 6-quart saucepan with enough water to cover until very soft, about 15 minutes, then drain and mash coarsely.

  2. 2

    In the same saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the chopped dried shrimp until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

  3. 3

    Stir in the chili paste and cook until the oil separates slightly, about 3 minutes.

  4. 4

    Add the mashed sweet potato, ground peanuts, palm sugar, tamarind water, 1 cup water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened to a sauce consistency, about 10 minutes.

  5. 5

    Remove the sauce from heat and set aside to cool slightly; it will continue to thicken as it sits.

  6. 6

    Whisk together the flour, turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and water to form a smooth, slightly thick batter for frying the tofu.

  7. 7

    Heat the vegetable oil in a 9-inch skillet to 350°F.

  8. 8

    Dip the tofu cubes in the batter and fry in batches until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

  9. 9

    Fry the bean curd puffs briefly in the same oil until lightly crisped, about 2 minutes, then drain.

  10. 10

    Arrange the fried tofu, bean curd puffs, prawn fritters, boiled potato, hard-boiled eggs, bean sprouts, and cucumber on a serving platter.

  11. 11

    Spoon the sweet potato sauce generously over the arranged ingredients or serve alongside as a dip, and serve immediately.