← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 500 g taro, peeled and cut into 1 cm dice
• 2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong), finely diced
• 20 g Dried shrimp, soaked for 10 min and chopped
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and diced, water kept
• 2 Shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for frying
• ½ tsp Chinese five-spice
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp White pepper
• 200 g rice flour (not glutinous)
• 30 g potato starch or cornflour
• 600 ml water (including the mushroom soaking water)
• 2 Spring onion, sliced, to serve
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the sausage for 2 min, until the fat runs. Add the shrimp, mushrooms and shallots and fry for 2 min more, until fragrant.
2. Add the taro, five-spice, salt, sugar and pepper and stir-fry for 3–4 min, until the taro edges turn translucent. Take off the heat.
3. Whisk the rice flour and potato starch with the water into a smooth, thin batter. Pour it into the wok and stir over low heat for 2–3 min, until it thickens to a heavy, paste-like mix.
4. Scrape it into an oiled 20 cm square or round tin and smooth the top. Steam over boiling water, covered, for 50–60 min, until a chopstick comes out almost clean. Top up the steamer water as needed.
5. Scatter with spring onion and sesame seeds and cool completely, then chill for at least 3 hours so it sets firm.
6. Cut into 1 cm slices and pan-fry in a little oil over medium heat for 3–4 min a side, until crisp and golden. Serve with chilli sauce or oyster sauce.

Tips

• Contains shellfish. Wear gloves when peeling taro; the raw skin can make hands itch.
• Wrapped well, the steamed cake keeps 4 days in the fridge or a month in the freezer.

Sources

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

Taste of Asian Food Made With Lau Sift & Simmer SBS Food