As I continued to eat this dish when I got older, I vowed that when I was making my own food, I'd add so much of those fine flour noodles that it would be a satisfying bite each time! Fast forward to now and when I firstbmade this, it was a disaster! I'd put so much of the noodles that it was just a glob of paste in the pan (especially after it sat and cooled). Disaster, I tell you!
I've tweaked my recipe bit by bit, removing excess noodles each time I made it. Now, the current version is perfect...super noodly but still has the looseness for the broth. Each little ladle perfectly how I want it!
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Bola-Bola with Upo and Carrots
(Serves 8 to 10 people)
(Serves 8 to 10 people)
For the meatballs:
1 lb ground pok
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 to 4 scallions, minced
1 cup minced carrots
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 tbsp minced bottled garlic
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
For the soup:
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup shopped yellow onions
1 tbsp minced bottled garlic
2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee chicken boullion
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 to 2 tbsp patis
Water
1 1/2 to 2 bundles of misua (fine flour vermicelli)
3 cups large chunk carrots
3 cups large chunk upo
2 large scallions, large sliced
Combine all ingredients of the meatballs together. Fry a little pice to taste the seasoning and adjust as needed. Roll into 2 inch balls (about 12 to 16) and put aside.
In a large pot, add tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Cook down the tomatoes, then add enough water to fill 3/4 of the pot. Season with bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and patis. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Add carrots and the meatballs. Bring to a boil, then break the misua into pieces into the pot. Stir and cover. Let simmer another 5 minutes.
Add the upo and the green on onions. Cover and turn the heat to medium. Let simmer until the upo is tender. Adjust taste as needed, then serve with rice.
