Crispy pastry shells filled with a savory vegetable filling called kuih pie tee or selat popiah is a popular appetizer or snacks in Southeast Asia. Learn how to make the pie tee shells that stays crispy too.
Prepare the toppings (can be done few days before):
Follow this recipe for the jicama filling. You may have some leftover. Then fry the beaten eggs in a non-stick pan and then cut into omelet strips
Prepare the batter:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and gradually add water until you get a smooth batter. You may need to strain it through the sieve to make sure it's smooth
Cover and rest the batter for 30 minutes
Frying:
Preheat about 3 inches of oil. Dip the pie tee mould in the oil to preheat it. This step is to avoid the batter sticking to the mould while you fry later
When ready to fry, give the batter a stir and then dab the preheated mould in an absorbent paper towel to dab off excess oil and dip the mould into the batter, BUT not all the way. Leave about 1 mm from the top. If you dip all the way to the top, you won't be able to dislodge the pie tee shell later
Once you dip in the batter, quickly dip the mould into the oil to fry. Do not move it or try to remove the shell just yet. Let it fry until golden brown and then when you move the mould up and down, the shell will release itself and let it continue to fry until golden brown. If the shell is stuck, you can use a skewer or a chopstick to help release the shells
After frying a few shells, you may need to preheat the mould again before you dip into the batter and fry again. Don't forget to give the batter a stir too as the flour may sink to the bottom. Continue until you run out of the batter. Place the fried shells on an absorbent paper towel to dab off excess oil
As you continue to fry, the batter will get less and less and you need to move it to a smaller and taller container so it's easier for you to dip the mould in there if that's making any sense
Store the pie tee shells:
Let the shells cool down completely and then store in an air-tight container or bag
Assemble (only assemble when ready to be served):
Do not assemble ahead of time as the filling will make the pie tee shells turn soggy. Only prepare as many as you want to serve
Top the pie tee shells with jicama filling. Few strips of the omelet strips and sprinkle some bawang goreng on top and then garnish with 1-2 cilantro leaves
Serve with you favorite spicy chili sauce or sweet spicy chili sauce