I have not met anyone (yet) who doesn’t like fried meatballs. Fried meatballs is a must for us whenever we are having steamboat. I’m not sure when this “traditional” first started but no one is contesting against it.
Making these Fried Hokkien mini meatballs is a breeze, and since they were made into bite size pieces, it was even easier to pop them into the mouth. Crispy on the outside and juicy inside, these Asian flavored meatballs are great to go with just about anything. The incorporation of fish paste in the minced meat gave them a slightly bouncy and airy mouth-feel texture.
Ingredients:
8 oz (250 g) minced pork
7 oz (200 g) fish paste
1 small onion – finely diced
1 egg – beaten
¼ tsp light soy sauce
¼ tsp fish sauce
¼ tsp five-spice powder
Few dashes white pepper
½ tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Makes about 30 bite size meat balls
Recipe source: Rasa Malaysia (slight modification)
Add all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Squeeze and bind all the ingredients well.
Cover bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Bring the minced pork to room temperature 30 mins before cooking.
Dab your palms with some water to prevent the meat from sticking to your hands too much.
Scoop 1 tsp (or more) of pork mixture and roughly mold into a ball.
I like to make them into bite size portion, feel free to make them bigger if you wish. They will shrink a little when cooked.
Fry in hot oil (180°C/350°F) for 2 -3 mins, until golden brown. If the size of the meat balls are larger, cook them longer.
Serve hot or at room temperature with your favorite chili dip.