Is it even Chinese New Year without Yee Sang? When we talk about Yee Sang (a.k.a Prosperity Toss Salad), we are reminded of the fun and bonding ritual whereby families and friends toss the mixed ingredients as high as they can while shouting ‘Huat Ah!’ which means prosperity in Hokkien. This custom signifies the wish to rise in terms of prosperity, health, luck and all the good things a person could get. In fact, the higher the toss, the more auspicious your year will be! – Just don’t toss them to the ceiling.
But these days, many families would go to the restaurants or even get a Yee Sang takeaway from the supermarkets because it is easier and faster that way. That’s totally fine but we still believe that nothing beats the homemade one. Therefore, here we have got a recipe that is perfect to create at home with your family and even with the kids!
Did you know?
Yee Sang is traditionally eaten on the 7th day because according to Chinese legend, the goddess Nu Wa spent 6 days to create the animals and created human on the 7th day! Nowadays, some even serve it till Chap Goh Mei (15th day of Chinese New Year).
Instructions
1. Julienne taro, jicama, daikon, Japanese cucumbers and carrot into thin long strips. Make sure to keep the vegetables separate. To involve your kids, use the grater/ shredder but give them gloves when shredding the taro because sometimes taros can be a bit itchy.
2. Once the taro has been sliced/shredded, get the kids to help you pat them dry using a kitchen towel, then divide it into two portions. Use two or three drops of green food colouring on one portion, and colour the other portion using the red colouring. Use gloves or spoons to make sure that the taro is coated evenly.
3. Cut pomelos into small squares. Apparently, there’s a new trend of putting in fruits like oranges in Yee Sang too, so you might want to ask for the kids for their opinion if this something that they’d like to try this year.
4. For the dumpling wrappers, you can either slice them into medium-sized strips or square size. Let your child decide which shapes do they prefer.
5. Heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan and deep fry the dumpling wrappers until they are golden brown then remove with a metal strainer. Make sure that the fire isn’t too big though! Do the same with the green and red taro. The taro will take 2-3 minutes for a perfectly crispy texture.
6. Heat the dressing ingredients in a pan over medium heat and keep stirring it until they are well mixed. When the dressing looks slightly thickened, have your children taste the sauce (well, you have to taste it too, of course), then make adjustment accordingly. Serve it in a small bowl.
7. Invite your children to arrange all the ingredients on a big plate and if you want to be traditional, put similar colours opposite each other.
8. Place the smoked salmon in the middle of the delicacy and just like Salt Bae, sprinkle some sesame seeds and squeeze some lime onto your Yee Sang, then voila! The Yee Sang is ready for some tossing now.
Generally, the steps of making Yee Sang are quite simple, but preparing the ingredients can take some time, especially when your little ones are helping you out in the kitchen. If you want to learn about what other simple recipes you can make with your little ones at home, then you can head to this article.
