Commonly found variants; note these may range from acceptable alternatives to
non-standard forms or incorrect spellings*.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
also can:
tahu goreng tau hu goreng
tauhu goreng
→
Malay:
tauhu
+
goreng
Detailed etymology
definitions
noun
- a dish of fried tofu, usually a firmer kind like tau kwa, sliced into bite-sized cubes or triangular prisms and garnished with a salad of vegetables such as julienned carrots and cucumber, tau geh, etc. It is topped with a sauce, which may be based on kicap manis or peanuts. The form in which it exists today in Singapore has origins in Malay and Indonesian cuisine, and was developed at some point during their contact with Chinese cultures.
The satay (skewered meat), mee rebus (steamed vermicelli) and the tauhu goreng (fried bean cake) sellers made their rounds about the same time.
— 1985, Thian Hock Gwee. A Nonya Mosaic: My Mother's Childhood. Times Books International. ISBN: 9789971651817. p.99
usage notes
The dish is spelled 'tahu goreng' in Indonesia (from the same etymology).