Laksa Seafood Tofu, Chicken Potato Croquette & Chicken Nugget using Dancing Chef Paste

Although I'm an avid home cook, I don't always make pastes or sauces from scratch for the dishes I cook. There are days when I'm pressed for time or lazy, that's where instant or ready-made pastes come in handy!

I was offered by Dancing Chef� and Singapore Home Cooks to try two of their Singapore Heritage pastes, the Laksa Paste and Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste. Dancing Chef� pastes are made from natural ingredients and hence contain no MSG, preservatives or artificial colouring. Pleased to know that I'm getting the real ingredients sans hard work of cutting, pounding and blending in a convenient pack!


Other than using these pastes to make Laksa and Chicken Rice only, these pastes are very versatile and can be used to make many other dishes. It's really up to your imagination :)

And hence, I came up with the idea of making finger food with them. Instead of going into the trouble of gathering different ingredients and condiments to season the finger foods, just add the pastes and you'll get quick and easy flavouring!

As I love Crispy Seafood Tofu sold at Zi Char stalls; to get a more spicy kick, I tried adding the Dancing Chef� laksa paste. It's a bit like eating otah otah but less spicy and more depth of flavour, love the contrast in textures, crispy outside and soft inside.

The kiddo loves croquette and I've been making salmon potato croquette and beef potato croquette, and this time, I used minced chicken and potato with the Dancing Chef� chicken rice paste as flavour, it was yummy and even the HB liked it.

As I have some extra chicken rice paste and chicken, I also tried making chicken nuggets using the paste, once again well received too.

Laksa Seafood Tofu
(makes one 5.5" square tray)

• 50g Laksa paste
• 300g egg tofu (2 tubes)
• 100g cuttlefish paste
• 100g fish paste
• 10pcs praw, peel and devein
• Potato starch

1. Add all the ingredients into a food processor or electric chopper, blend till a smooth paste forms.
2. Line an aluminum tray with cooking paper, pour the paste into the tray.
3. Place the tray into a steamer (medium high heat) and steam for 10 to 12 mins.
4. Remove the tray from steamer and let the Laksa Seafood Tofu cool down completely before chilling in the fridge to set.
5. Cut the Laksa Seafood Tofu into desired pieces, coat with potato starch and pan-fry or deep-fry till golden and crispy. 
6. Best eaten hot, on its own or with mayonnaise.

*More ingredients can be added to the paste, such as chopped coriander, water chestnut or carrot etc.
*The Laksa Seafood Tofu can be prepared in advance, freeze for up to a month or chill in fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before frying.

Chicken Potato Croquette
(makes 9 big pieces)

• 50g chicken rice paste
• 150g chicken fillet, minced
• 300g russet potato (2 pieces)
• 1/2 pc carrot
• 2 tbsp onion, minced
• Corn starch, egg, bread crumb (panko)

1. Peel and cut potato and carrot into slices and steam for 15-18 mins till softened. Mash the potato and carrot till smooth, set aside.
2. In a frying pan, add minced onion and chicken rice paste and sautee till fragrant, add minced chicken and mixed with the onion and paste, break up the minced chicken into small bits and fry till cooked.
3. Add the cooked minced chicken into the mashed potato and carrot and stir till well-mixed.
4. Form the potato mixture into a ball (about golf ball size), flatten, coat with corn starch, follow by egg and then bread crumb. Repeat till all the potato mixture is used up. *At this point, the croquette can be kept in an air-tight box and store in freezer for up to a month or in fridge for up to 3 days.
5. Pan-fry the croquette till golden brown and crispy on both sides.
6. Best serve hot, on its own, with mayonnaise or tonkatsu sauce. 

Chicken nugget
(makes 15 pieces)

• 50g chicken rice paste
• 250g chicken fillet, chopped
• 2 tbsp carrot, grated, discard juice
• 2 tbsp onion, grated, discard juice
• Crispy powder, water

1. Mix all the ingredients together till well-blended. Marinate for 30-60 mins.
2. Mix crispy powder with water to form a batter.
3. Shape the chicken mixture into desired shape, coat with batter and deep-fry till golden and crispy.
4. Best served hot, on its own or with ketchup, mayonnaise or curry sauce.

A shout-out for Dancing Chef� Promotion
From 1 July to 31 August 2017, purchase three packets of Dancing Chef� pastes at just S$7.45 (UP: S$2.85/packet). Exclusively available at NTUC Fair Price supermarkets.

#DancingChefSG #singaporehomecooks