by Fijian Food Safari
Chinese Abacus Beads
This Chinese New Year dish changes the dalo into chewy coins that taste wonderful in this basic Asian sauce. Add more meat or vegetable ingredients if you like to create a hearty and very filling stir fry dish that needs no other starch to eat with. You can also make the coins ahead of time and keep refrigerated.
Serves 4
600gm Dalo, peeled and boiled soft
2 cups Tapioca or Cassava flour (normal flour won’t work)
6 Tbsp Cooking oil
200gm Minced chicken, pork or prawns
3 cloves Fresh garlic, chopped finely
1 only Onion, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp Light Soy sauce
1 Tbsp Chinese Oyster sauce
1 Tbsp Brown sugar or Raw Fiji Honey
1 stalk Spring onion
1 stalk Coriander / Dhaniya
1 or more Fresh chilli, chopped
Pot of boiling water
Using a cheese grater or fine mesh strainer, mash the cooked and cooled dalo into a mixing bowl
Add the tapioca flour (from Chinese shops), and fold with your hands into a smooth paste. If it is too dry, add a little water, but the paste should be firm.
Roll into little balls, about the size of a 10 cent coin. Press lightly in the centre of each ball to resemble an abacus bead.
In a pot of boiling water, add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil to prevent the medallions from sticking.
Slowly add a few at a time, otherwise they stick together. Once they start to float, remove them into another bowl of cold water
When you’re ready to serve, heat a pan or chinese wok with oil on a medium-high heat
Fry the onion, garlic and minced meat, until the meat is fully cooked (approx 5-8 minutes)
Add the sauces, sugar, spring onion and coriander and cook for another 1 minute
Add the dalo medallions and combine to heat through for another 2 minutes
10. Serve immediately
