How to Cook Ua Si Khai

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients needed to make Ua Si Khai:

• ½ lb ground pork
• 6 lemongrass stalks, trimmed to 6’’
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Cooking instructions for Ua Si Khai:

• Wrap a paper towel loosely lemongrass stalks and place it in the microwave oven to cook for about 4 minutes at high or until they become flexible without losing my fragrance.
• Make 4’’ longitudinal slashes across the lemongrass, keeping its either sides intact, so that a cage is formed ½’’ from the base of the lemongrass stalk.
• Dump rest of the ingredients in another pan, except the oil plus eggs and stir them all together until well combined.
• Split it into 6 equal parts and set aside.
• Stuff one portion of this meat mixture within the lemongrass cage and press it gently into an oval capsule.
• Pour the oil into a deep-bottomed skillet and heat it to 300 degrees F.
• Place the beaten eggs in a bowl and lower the stuffed lemongrass into it, one at a time, to coat well.
• Dip it into hot oil carefully and deep-fry for a couple of minutes, until golden brown and stuffing is cooked through.
• Lift it up using tongs, onto a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to cool until other stuffed lemongrass are fried.
• Serve hot alongside steamed rice.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Last Updated on April 2, 2013 by