← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 150 g Rice flour
• 20 g Tapioca starch
• ½ tsp Salt
• 200 ml room-temperature water
• 600 ml just-boiled water
• 2 tsp Vegetable oil
• 150 g sweet preserved radish (chai poh), rinsed and finely chopped
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 3 Shallot, minced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• ½ tsp White pepper
• chilli paste, to serve

Method

1. Whisk the rice flour, tapioca, salt, oil and room-temperature water into a smooth batter. Pour in the just-boiled water while whisking; it will turn slightly thick and milky.
2. Heat small cups or ramekins in a steamer for 5 min. Stir the batter, fill the hot cups almost to the top and steam over high heat for 15–20 min until set, with a dip forming in the middle.
3. Cool the cakes for at least 1 hour (they set firmer as they cool), then loosen the edges with a small spatula.
4. Meanwhile, squeeze the chopped radish dry. Heat the oil and fry the shallots and garlic for 2 min until golden, then add the radish and fry over low heat for 10 min, stirring. Stir in the dark soy, sugar and pepper and cook until glossy and slightly sticky.
5. Spoon the warm chai poh over the cakes and serve with a dab of chilli.

Tips

• Hot moulds help the classic dip form in the centre, which holds the topping.
• Contains soy and wheat (dark soy sauce). Many chilli pastes include dried shrimp or belacan; use a vegetarian one if needed.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

What To Cook Today MyKitchen101en Nomadette