A special soup often used by Straits Chinese with offerings and prayers.

Ingredients:

Meatballs (combine):
300 g/ 1/2 kt
300 g/ 1/2 kt
4
3 stalks
10 cloves
1/2 tbsp
1/2 tbsp
1 tsp
2 tsp
1

Soup:
1.71 liters/60 oz
1/2 tbsp
1/2 tbsp
1 tsp
3 tbsp
6 tbsp
300 g/ 1/2 kt
75 g
 

minced pork
prawns, peel & save shells for stock, mince prawns
small beancurd cakes (tau kua), pound & squeeze dry in a piece of muslin
spring onions, sliced finely
garlic, pounded & fried
dark soyo sauce
salt
pepper
monosodium glutamate
egg

water
salt
monosodium glutamate
salted soybeans (taucheo)
oil
oil
cooked bamboo shoots, shredded & squeezed dry
belly pork, boiled, sliced finely

Directions:

1. Heat a frying pan until hot, add in the 6 tbsp oil, and stir-fry the garlic (for meatballs) until slightly brown over a low fire. Remove the garlic and the garlic oil, add the garlic to the meatballs and set the oil aside. In the same frying pan, add 2 tbsp of the garlic oil, fry the taucheo, sprinkle with water, stir-fry in the belly pork, and then the bamboo shoots. Continue frying for 3 more minutes over a medium fire, remove and add to the soup pot.

2. Soup Stock: In the same frying pan, add 3 tbsp oil, stir-fry the prawn shells until crisp, remove and pound, and then add in the water to make the soup stock. Strain the mixture, add the liquid to the soup pot and discard the shells. Bring to boil over a low fire, add the 1/2 tbsp salt and 1/2 tbsp monosodium glutamate.

3. Meatballs: Combine all the ingredients and form into balls. Roll the meatballs in the remaining garlic oil. Drop the meatballs in the boiling soup, and then simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Serve hot in soup bowls.