Servings
Font
Back
Salted egg yolk sauce
5 from 117 votes

Salted egg yolk sauce

Salted egg yolk sauce is a rich, savory condiment made by steaming and mashing salted egg yolks, then cooking them with butter, garlic, curry leaves, and chili. The result is a creamy, fragrant sauce that pairs well with proteins like tofu, prawns, or chicken.

Prep Time
3 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings: 1 dish
Course: Side Dish, Main Course, Snacks
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Singaporean

Ingredients

  • 4 egg Don't throw the whites! See post for salted egg white recipe ideas, salted yolks
  • 4 Tablespoons butter Some people use margarine instead- if you do, you will need to add cream or milk to make the sauce rich.
  • 2-3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 1 large sprig curry leaves Use both th leaves and stem when cooking the salted egg yolk sauce, but remove the stem before serving as it's too tough to eat, leaves removed from stem
  • 1-3 red chilli padi Substitute with large red chill if not good with spice, sliced
  • ½-1 teaspoon white sugar granulated, or to taste
  • salt or fish sauce, optional depending on how salty your yolks are

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Steam the salted egg yolks on medium heat for 15-20 minutes (fresher eggs cook faster), or microwave them on high for 2 minutes. Mash well till not clumpy. (As mentioned in the tips, those are fanatical about a smooth sauce can push them through a sieve or blend them.)
  2. Over low-medium heat, melt the butter in a pan.
  3. If you are going to use the salted egg sauce immediately, now is the time to add the garlic, curry leaves and chilli padi, which I highly recommend. Stir fry till fragrant. (Alternatively, if making the sauce to store in the fridge, skip the curry leaves and chilli till when adding the tofu/ prawns/ chicken/ pork etc.)
  4. Reduce the heat and add the cooked salted egg yolks from Step 1- the sauce will start bubbling and frothing. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add the sugar and salt. Note that the amounts given are a guide only as different brands or versions of salted eggs will have different amounts of salt, and thus require different quantities of seasoning.
  6. Stir-fry for 1-2 more minutes. Your sauce is now ready for whatever ingredient you are using it with, such as fried chicken or popcorn. If you forgot to sieve earlier and would be terrible upset by a not-so-smooth sauce, you can run the rich and buttery salted egg yolk sauce through a food processor now before using.

Notes

  • Steamed yolks can be sieved or blended for an ultra-smooth sauce texture.
  • Adding cream, milk, or condensed milk enhances richness without compromising flavor.
  • Reserve egg whites for other recipes; do not discard.
  • Grate steamed salted yolks over pasta or risotto as a flavorful topping.