Yentafo

Yentafo takes time to prepare, but it's worth the wait especially if you like Thai/Chinese noodle dishes. We offer a premade yentafo sauce to speed things up, and here we demonstrate how to make authentic yentafo from scratch. Yentafo has a unique flavor and distinctive red color.

We used frozen fish balls and shrimp, but you can use other seafood of your choice. Small pieces of squid are often used. Try egg noodle instead of rice stick, for something different. As with any recipe, this one has changed with the times. Feel free to experiment.

Ingredients

For 4 Person(s)

Ingredients For Yentafo Stock

3 Quarters Water
1 Pound Pork Bones
1 Tablespoon Corriander Seed
1 Tablespoon Whole White Peppercorn, lightly cracked
1 Whole Head of Garlic, Peeled
2 Tablespoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Thin Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Medium White Daikon

Ingredients For Noodle

1 16 Ounces Package Wide Rice Stick noodle (or any kind of noodle you prefer)
2 Cups Ong Choy (pak boong) cut into 1.5 inch long pieces
12 Large Fresh Shrimps
20 Fish Balls (or meat of your choice)
1/4 Cup Fried Garlic in Oil (three cloves garlic finely chopped then fried in 3-4 tablespoons of oil until fragrant and light golden color)
1/2 Cup Cilantro and Spring Onion, chopped
10 Cubes Fried Tofu

Ingredients For Yen Ta Fo sauce

5 Squares of Fermented Bean curds
3 Tablespoons Water From Pickled Garlic
3 Tablespoons Thai Ketchup
1 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar
5 Tablespoons Boiled Water

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Method for Yentafo

Soak the noodles in water, and set aside. For soup stock, heat the water in a large pot on medium heat. Add pork and the rest of the ingredients for stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and keep skim off the foamy part on the surface of the stock. Let it simmer for 2-3 hours.

While the stock simmers, in a small bowl, press the bean curds against the bowl with the back of a spoon until fine, then add ketchup, pickled garlic water, boiled water and sugar. Mix well. Set aside.

Fill another large pot about 3/4 full of water, heat the water until boiling. This will be used to cook the noodles, vegetable and meat. Cook the noodles and vegetable in a long handle basket then transfer to a serving bowl. Follow with cooked meats, fried tofu and fried garlic. Top with Yen Ta Fo sauce (1 to 5 tablespoons dependng on how much you like). Sprinkle with spring onion and cilantro. Ladle the soup last. Serve while hot. Enjoy! (adjust the taste with sugar and fish sauce)