← Nouns Cooking · Thai

Ingredients

• 200 g Garlic chives, cut into 1 cm pieces
• ¼ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tbsp oil, plus more for frying
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tbsp Sugar
• ½ tsp White pepper
• 60 g Rice flour
• 120 g tapioca starch, plus extra for dusting
• 240 ml warm water
• 1½ tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp Water
• 1 Bird's eye chilli, finely chopped

Method

1. Toss the chives with the baking soda (it keeps them bright green), 1 tbsp oil, the salt, sugar and pepper.
2. Whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch, water and remaining oil in a non-stick pan. Stir over low heat for 3–4 min, until it turns into a thick, sticky, semi-translucent paste.
3. Take off the heat and fold in the chives. Spread the mix 2 cm thick in an oiled 20 cm tin and smooth the top.
4. Steam over boiling water for 25 min, until set and glassy. Cool completely for 30 min so it firms up, then cut into squares.
5. Dust the squares in tapioca starch and shallow-fry in a little oil over medium heat for 3–4 min per side, until crisp and golden.
6. Stir the dip ingredients together until the sugar dissolves and serve with the hot cakes.

Tips

• Use a well-oiled knife or a plastic scraper to cut the steamed cake cleanly.
• Dark soy sauce contains wheat; use tamari for a gluten-free dip.

Sources

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

Hungry in Thailand Hot Thai Kitchen