In Cantonese, yow char kwai literally means Oil Fried Devils. According to folklore in ancient China, a pair of devils were up to no good and had been terrifying villages. The gods sent heavenly law enforcers to nab them but to no avail. They then sent Chang Kuei the devil catcher who found the devils disturbing the peace of a small market. Chang Kuei used a magic rope to bind both of them together to be taken back to heaven. The two devils decided to make a run for it, hopping bound together as they went, with Chang Kuei in hot pursuit. In desperation, they decided to jump into a cauldron to escape Chang Kuei, little knowing that the cauldron contained boiling oil. By the time Chang Kuei arrived, he saw a pair of stick like pastry being cooked in the hot oil. Just then, the cauldron owner arrived and asked Chang Kuei what it was. Without wishing to frighten him, Chang Kuei replied: "That's Yow Char Kwai", which is why it tastes devilishly delicious. It is also known as Chinese Crullers, yu tiao or dough fritters.
It is slightly salty and is delicious on its own or as an accompaniment to other food. Most people eat it with piping hot local black coffee. It is also delicious dipped into any type of tong sui. It is a must have accompaniment to Bah Kut Teh.
Now I would like to introduce you to another way to enjoy this delicious kueh. I love eating yew char kueh with soft boiled eggs. Most people look amazed whenever I mention this since they have never heard of eating this before. Every time I introduce this to children they get ‘hooked’ on it.
Cut the yew char kueh into bite size pieces
A couple of soft boiled eggs
Add some soy sauce and white pepper powder
Dip a piece of the yew char kueh into the egg
Make sure to get some of the eggs on the kueh
Pop it into the mouth as Marie demonstrates
Use a spoon if you cannot get all the eggs with the yew char kueh.
This is the sweet version with sesame seeds on it. It is equally delicious
No comments:
Post a Comment