Rojak Fruit and Vegetable Salad with Prawn Paste

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-14 · Updated 2026-10-14

A punchy Singaporean hawker salad of crisp pineapple, jicama, cucumber, green mango and fried tofu puffs, tossed in a sticky, sweet-sour dressing of black prawn paste, tamarind and lime, then finished with crushed roasted peanuts and toasted sesame. This Asian recipe, ready in about 30 minutes, pairs cucumber, seeded and cut into chunks, green mango, peeled and sliced, bean sprouts, blanched for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 340 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into bite-size wedges
• 1 cup jicama (bangkuang), peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 small green mango, peeled and sliced
• 1 rose apple (jambu) or crisp green apple, cut into wedges
• 1 cup bean sprouts, blanched
• 6 pieces fried tofu puffs (tau pok)
• 1 pair you tiao (Chinese fried dough fritters)
• 3 tablespoons black prawn paste (hae ko)
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar (gula melaka), grated
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sambal chili paste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (calamansi if available)
• 1 tablespoon torch ginger flower (bunga kantan), finely sliced, optional
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Make the dressing: in a large mixing bowl, whisk the tamarind paste with the warm water until smooth. Add the black prawn paste, grated palm sugar, sambal chili paste and lime juice, and whisk until thick and glossy, like molasses. Taste and adjust: more sugar for sweetness, more lime for tang, more sambal for heat.
2. Step 2: Toast the fritters and tofu: heat a dry skillet or toaster oven to medium-high. Toast the tofu puffs and you tiao for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until crisp and lightly charred. Cut each into bite-size pieces.
3. Step 3: Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for 20 seconds, drain and pat dry.
4. Step 4: Add the pineapple, jicama, cucumber, green mango, rose apple and bean sprouts to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently with your hands or two spoons until every piece is evenly coated.
5. Step 5: Add the toasted tofu puffs and you tiao last and toss once more so they soak up the dressing but stay mostly crisp.
6. Step 6: Pile onto a serving plate. Scatter the crushed peanuts, sesame seeds and sliced torch ginger flower over the top. Serve right away, before the fritters soften.