Peranakan · appetizer

Kueh Pie Tee (Crisp Cups with Braised Bangkuang)

Kueh Pie Tee (Crisp Cups with Braised Bangkuang) reads umami 5.6, richness 5.0 and salinity 4.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Peranakan appetizer, about 1 hr 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.0 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 1.6 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.8 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.3 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.6 · Richness 5.0 · Salinity 4.8 · Marine & Briny 4.7 · Allium 3.9 · Sweetness 3.7 · Funk & Ferment 3.1 · Herbaceous 2.8 · Earthy 1.7 · Floral 1.7 · Sourness 1.3 · Nutty 1.2 · Fruity 1.0 · Warm Spice 0.9 · Heat 0.9 · Citrus 0.8 · Bitterness 0.8

What's in it (15)

• all-purpose flour — 120 g
• rice flour — 40 g
• egg — 50 g
• water — 300 g
• salt — 3 g
• vegetable oil — 736 g
• jicama — 600 g
• carrot — 150 g
• prawns — 200 g
• taucheo — 30 g
• garlic — 20 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• crisp fried shallots — 44 g
• coriander leaves — 20 g
• sweet chilli sauce — 59 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 40 min (1 hr 7 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 122.7 kcal, 3.5 g protein, 7.2 g fat, 11.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Whisk the plain flour, rice flour, salt, egg and water into a thin, lump-free batter the consistency of single cream, then rest it 30 minutes. The rice flour is what makes the cups shatter rather than bend.
2. Heat the frying oil to 180 C in a deep pan and put the pie tee brass mould in to heat with it for 5 minutes. The mould must be as hot as the oil or the batter will not stick to it.
3. Lift the hot mould out, blot the base, and dip it into the batter to just below the rim, never over it. Lower it straight back into the oil. After about 10 seconds the cup will loosen; shake it free and fry another 30 to 40 seconds until pale gold and rigid. Drain upside down on a rack. Repeat, returning the mould to the oil between cups. Expect the first two to fail; every Nyonya cook throws those away. You want around 24 cups.
4. For the filling, heat the 2 tbsp oil in a wok over medium heat, fry the garlic 30 seconds, then add the taucheo and fry 2 minutes until it smells nutty.
5. Add the jicama and carrot and stir-fry 3 minutes, then cover and braise over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, adding a splash of water if it dries out, until the jicama is translucent and completely soft but still holds its shape. Undercooked jicama tastes of raw turnip and ruins the mouthful.
6. Stir in the chopped prawns and cook 4 minutes more until they turn opaque and pink. Taste for salt; the taucheo usually supplies enough.
7. Assemble only at the moment of serving, or the cups go soft within ten minutes. Spoon the warm filling into each cup, top with fried shallots and a coriander leaf, and hand round the sweet chilli sauce for people to add themselves.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Zucchini and Ricotta Stuffed Shells — Italian-American
• Vietnamese Shrimp And Crab Crispy Spring Rolls (Cha Gio) — Vietnamese
• Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells — Italian
• Oysters Rockefeller — Cajun/Creole
• Gulf Coast Cajun Shrimp Fettuccine — Cajun/Creole · Cajun

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.