Kueh Pie Tee (Crispy Top Hats)
Crispy Singapore-style Kueh Pie Tee — deep-fried pastry 'top hats' filled with savoury jicama and prawn popiah-style filling, perfect for hawker-style snacking or festive potlucks.
About this dish
Kueh Pie Tee is a beloved Peranakan snack that turns up at pasar malam stalls, birthday parties and family gatherings across Singapore — from heartland kopitiams to chic Tiong Bahru cafes doing heritage bites. These delicate, lace-like pastry cups are shallow and crisp, filled with a warm, savoury-sweet shredded jicama (sengkuang) and carrot mixture often studded with prawns and a touch of sambal — a perfect bite of textures.
At home, kueh pie tee is a fun, hands-on dish for weekend entertaining or festive spreads (Chinese New Year, family potlucks, or a bubbly-filled reunion). The contrast is the star: ultra-crisp, golden shells giving way to a juicy, slightly sweet and spicy filling, finished with crunchy toppings and a squeeze of lime or sliced chilli padi for heat. The flavour profile is bright, balanced and nostalgic — think tangy, lightly sweet, savoury notes with a prawn umami and the fresh crunch of raw and cooked vegetables.
This Singapore-style recipe keeps things achievable in a typical home kitchen using a wok and a small deep-fryer or pot. I include local tips for sourcing sengkuang and substituting common pantry items from NTUC or Cold Storage, plus guidance on getting the batter thin enough for that lacey crisp. Serve kueh pie tee as an elegant canapé at a zhnged-up potluck or as a casual hawker-style snack with kopi or iced lemon tea.
Ingredients
- 200 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 40 g rice flour (for extra crispiness) or 40 g extra plain flour to substitute
- 1 large egg
- 300 ml coconut milk (light) or evaporated milk for a less coconutty taste
- 120 ml water, adjust for thin batter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- Vegetable oil for deep frying (about 1–1.5 litres depending on pot)
- 300 g sengkuang / jicama, peeled and finely shredded (about 2 cups packed)
- 150 g carrot, julienned or shredded
- 150 g peeled prawns, chopped into 1 cm pieces (or use ready-cooked prawns)
- 3 tbsp shallots, thinly sliced and fried until crisp (store-bought fried shallots ok)
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp cooking oil (for stir-frying filling)
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1–2 tsp sugar or palm sugar to balance
- 1–2 tbsp sambal chilli or chilli paste (adjust to taste)
- 1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry (optional, for deglaze)
- Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves for garnish
- Fresh lime or calamansi wedges to serve
- Optional: sliced bird’s eye chilli (chilli padi) for extra heat
- Optional: chopped toasted peanuts for crunch (scatter on top)
Step-by-Step Method
- Make the batter: whisk together all-purpose flour, rice flour, egg, coconut milk, water, salt and sugar until very smooth and thin — the batter should be as thin as crepe batter; let rest 15–20 minutes in the fridge.
- Prepare filling ingredients: peel and shred sengkuang (jicama) and carrot; pat dry if there is excess moisture. Chop prawns into small pieces and set fried shallots, coriander and lime wedges to one side.
- Cook the filling: heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Sauté minced garlic until fragrant (10–15 seconds), add prawns and stir-fry until pink. Add shredded jicama and carrot and toss quickly.
- Season the filling: add light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and sambal; toss until evenly coated. If mixture looks dry, splash 1 tbsp water or rice wine. Cook 2–3 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp but not soggy. Taste and adjust seasoning like a zi char stall — more soy for salt, a pinch of sugar to balance.
- Keep filling warm: remove from heat and stir through half the fried shallots and chopped coriander. The filling should be hot when you spoon into the shells so the contrast with the crisp cup is apparent.
- Fry the shells: heat oil in a deep pot or wok to 180°C (medium-high). Test with a drop of batter — it should sizzle and rise. Use a small ladle or a Kueh Pie Tee mould dipped in hot oil then into batter and back into oil (or pour a tablespoon of batter into hot oil to form a cup). Fry until golden and crisp, 30–60 seconds each, turning if needed.
- Drain shells on a wire rack or paper towel and allow to cool; they will crisp further as they cool. Keep shells in a dry container if making ahead for up to a few hours.
- Assemble to serve: spoon a small mound of hot filling into each shell, top with extra fried shallots, coriander, a slice of chilli padi and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately so shells remain crisp.
- Leftovers and reheating: keep filling refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat quickly in a wok to refresh. Do not refrigerate assembled kueh pie tee if you want crisp shells — assemble just before serving.
Tips & Serving Ideas
- Batter consistency is key: aim for a thin crepe-like batter so the shells fry up lacy and paper-thin — if too thick, add a little water or coconut milk.
- Use a metal mould or small ladle: if you don’t have a kueh pie tee mould, use a small ladle to pour a ring of batter so it forms a cup; dipping a clean mould into the hot oil before batter helps shape the cup.
- Control oil temperature: keep oil around 170–180°C. Too hot and shells burn; too cool and they’ll absorb oil and be limp. A thermometer helps, but a flick of batter should sizzle and float quickly.
- Prep assembly station: prepare all toppings (fried shallots, sliced chilli padi, coriander, lime wedges) and keep filling hot — serve straight away so shells stay crisp, like at a hawker stall.
- Local substitutions: if you can’t find sengkuang at the wet market, use daikon / white radish mixed with a little shredded cucumber for crunch — NTUC and Sheng Siong often stock sengkuang on weekends.
- Make-ahead: you can make shells a few hours ahead and store in an airtight tin (dry) to preserve crispness; reheat briefly in a 160°C oven for 2–3 minutes if they soften slightly.
- Adjust spice for guests: offer sambal on the side and let guests add bird’s eye chilli for Singapore-style heat. For kids, omit chilli and serve with kecap manis drizzle.
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