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Boil the potatoes till done.
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Drain the beancurd cakes and pat dry with paper towels. Slice each one in half then cut each half into 9 pieces to yield 36 cubes. Heat the oil, add the beancurd and deep-fry over medium-high heat for 5 minutes till golden on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
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Knead the chilli into the cooked rice to color it.
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Prepare the Garnishes by heating the oil in a pan and stir-fry the onion and garlic till crisp. Remove and set aside, retain the oil.
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Stir-fry the chilli flakes by spooning the retained hot oil onto the chilli flakes in a separate bowl and set aside (if chilli flakes are placed directly into very hot oil, they will burn immediately).
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Stir and strain the tamarind water, discard the solids. Add the bird’s-eye chillies and sugar syrup to the tamarind water and set aside.
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To serve, arrange all the main ingredients on a large plate. Place each of the Garnishes in individual bowls. Take a small handful of each item from the main ingredients. Then sprinkle on a little of each of the Garnishes and mix thoroughly by hand.