Since I am in the business of selling Nyonya Kuih Pie Tee molds (email me to inquire about the mold), I thought I would provide a Nyonya kuih pie tee step-by-step cooking guide.
Making Nyonya Kuih Pie Tee is a two-step process:
1) the making of the cases/shells, and
2) the preparation of the filling and toppings.
Now, please click on my step-by-step picture guide to making Nyonya Kuih Pie Tee below.
I wanted to warn you that the cooking process is long (read: it will take up to 3 hours to make them); it also takes lots of patience, especially if you are a first-timer. But, when you pop one of these “top hats” or Nyonya kuih pie tee in your mouth, all your efforts will be wholly justified, I assure you.
(Make 70-80 cases)
Ingredients:
Batter for the cases/shells:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1 egg (beaten)
1 1/4 water
Oil for deep-frying
Fillings & Toppings:
2 tablespoons oil
2 lbs. jicama/yam bean (shredded)
1 carrot (shredded)
10 French beans (chopped)
4 oz. shrimp (shelled, deveined, and cut into smaller pieces)
4 garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
2/3 cup water
Toppings:
1 plain omelet (shredded)
Fried shallot crisps
Scallions (chopped)
2 red chilies (chopped)
Garlic chili sauce or Sri Racha (optional)
Method:
Combine the all purpose flour, rice flour, beaten egg, salt, and water in a mixing bowl and mix well. Strain the batter, transfer it into a big bowl and set aside.
Fill a sauce pan that is deep enough for the mold with oil enough to cover the mold. Heat up the oil until hot. Then dip the mold into the heated oil until it’s just hot (but not too hot). Take out the mold and then dip it into the batter. Coat the mold until it’s up to the 90-95% level and make sure it’s well coated on the side and the bottom (the mold shouldn’t be too hot and it shouldn’t sizzle when it’s dipped in the batter). Let excess batter drip off, then plunge the mold into the hot oil. To separate the batter from the mold, jiggle the mold up and down to loosen it. The case should off with slight shaking up and down. Once it’s off, deep fry in the oil until it turns light to golden brown. Transfer it out onto a plate with paper towels (to soak up the excess oil) and store in an airtight container. (I use medium heat while making my cases.)
For the filling, stir fry the minced garlic and prawns until fragrant. Add jicama, carrot and french beans, and do a quick stir. Add the seasonings and water. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes using medium heat. Dish out and set aside.
To serve, use chopsticks to fill the case with the filling, and then top with shredded omelet, chopped scallions, red chilies, shallots crisps, and garlic chili sauce.
Cook’s Notes:
- If you are a first-timer, I suggest you cut down the ingredients in half and test it out first. Once you have a hang of it, you can throw a Pie Tee party.
- There will be some wastage of the batter, especially when it gets too hard to dip the mold up to the 90% mark with the remaining batter.
- To buy the Pie Tee mold, email me.
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{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
3 hours! oh myyyy, next time when I buy these from the nyonya stall or restaurant, better appreciate the effort they put into huh. thanks for sharing the recipe, as always .. your photo’s and writing inspired me to try them :-)
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I can’t wait for someone else to throw a Pie Tee party! :P
I’m way tooo lazy to attempt any dish beyond half an hour; after that, my attention wanes and the whole process is endangered. (Wah, drama-nye.) Guess I’ll stick to having mine from restaurants then. :(
Thanks for sharing though, dear. I still have a chance if I can persuade my better half to attempt this, heehee.
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Pfiu…I need this kind of tools you need to make your amazing dish…Why do I live in Switzerland ??…Anyway, you could send me 1000 of these delicious tiny things ;-) cheers
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I love these!! Even though it takes so long to make but I am sure it’s well worth the effort. I haven’t had this for a long time. Will surely make these one day.
Great instructions with pictures!
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Amazing! This is definitely something to try!
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Hard work but good and quick eating :D
This is almost like popiah…only thing is that popiah skin can be purchased but not pie ties.
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Very cool! Do they make other shapes, like shorter, fatter ones?
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Thanks for the recipe and tip. I’ll find a day when i have 3 hours to spare again for this little kitchen experiment :)
Hehe!
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wow,I have no idea that making pie tee takes such a long time! Beautiful illustrations, Bee. Your “sua gu” friend here actually never eaten pie tee before…
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love your photos, love how simple yet exotic your dishes are, love the whole website. Keep up the marvellous work!
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yummy. they sure looks so good and light. to be honest, i’ve never had one of these before even though I’ve seen them a coupla times. will do my best to have a try sometime soon.
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very,very,tasteful and good
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omg this looks so good! Didn’t know they are so hard to make. I wish someone will throw me a Pie Tee party, hee. Your illustrated guide rocks!
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I love these, but I think I’m better at eating them than making them ;) Great photo, by the way.
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Since I am a first-timer, I better start making friends with people who does great Kueh Pie Tee :D
Ya, I am that lazy…
Kueh Pie Tee is definitely one of those lost (to-be-lost) art. Good you had it revived :D
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Wow.I neve knew that i takes such a long time to prepare all the nyonya kuih.
Nyonya Kuih Pie Tee?
First time heard of it =)
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Wow! As awlways your photos are great - your photos are what I hope mine will grow up to be some day!
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Very cool. You just opened my eyes since i’ve never seen or heard of these babies. They surely look delicious! A world of possibilities! :-)
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lovely! i love pai tees!!!
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so pretty!
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This is one of my favourites (I know, I have lots of favourites, hahaha…), really love pie tees!
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I’ll try the recipe using the pre-made phyllo cups and will let you know how it turns out. The made-from-scratch pie tee cups would of course be much better, but I can’t imagine spending too much time in my hot kitchen frying them up ;-). Thanks for the great visuals, Bee.
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As US residents with an odd addiction to Malay food, my mother and I roamed Kuala Lumpur and Singapore this summer searching for pie tee molds.
Thanks for supplying the recipe so we can actually use them now!
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This top hats looks so good! I will try to make it using your top hats recipe. ;)
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Is this the same as po-piah? it looks like it . . . po-piah from singapore is divine!
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Those pictures were amazing.I would like to experiment in this mini appetizers for my family and friends.I was wondering how i can buy this Pie tee molds from you? Thanks
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so sweet and delicious
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Rasa Malaysia replied:
Isn’t it? I love kuih pie tee.
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