Buah Paya Masak Titek
This Nyonya soup is fat-free yet full of flavour. May be a light meal if you like.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
- 800 g half-ripe papaya (skin should be green with a hint of yellow )
- 350 g prawns
- 80 g salted threadfin bones
- 80 g shallots
- 12 g candlenuts (3 pieces)
- 900 ml water
- 1 red chilli
- 40 g dried prawns (1/4 cup)
- 1 tbsp white peppercorns
- sugar to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
Instructions
- 1
Peel and rinse papaya. Quarter lengthwise. Discard seeds. Trim inner surface. Cut crosswise 1½ cm thick.
- 2
Peel prawns, leaving tails on. Devein and rinse. Reserve shells and heads for making stock.
- 3
Rinse threadfin bones twice.
- 4
Peel shallots and wash. Chop roughly.
- 5
Rinse candlenuts and red chilli.
- 6
Bring prawn shells and heads, salted fish bones and water to a boil. Simmer gently, covered, for 5 minutes or so.
- 7
While stock is simmering, rinse dried prawns and dry-fry till fragrant.
- 8
Grind or blend dried prawns, shallots, candlenuts, chilli, and white peppercorns finely.
- 9
Remove and discard prawn shells and heads from stock with a slotted spoon. Add ground paste. Continue gentle simmering for 10 minutes. Add papaya and bring back to a boil. Simmer till almost tender, 3-4 minutes depending on how ripe papaya is. Do not overcook or papaya would turn mushy.
- 10
Turn off heat. Let soup sit 10 minutes, covered, to develop flavours.
- 11
Reheat soup till gently simmering. Taste and season with sugar to taste, about ½ tsp. Add prawns and heat till just pink and opaque. Do not overcook.
- 12
Serve soup hot, accompanied by sambal belachan and calamansi lime juice as a dip.