Steamed Yam Cake

 

Ingredients:

300 g. yam (peeled, washed and cut into cubes)

3 dried shiitake mushrooms (soak in water, drain and chopped)

6 shallots (peeled, sliced and fry in oil until brown, remove the crispy shallot into a bowl without the oil.  Remove excess oil into a small bowl)

Spring onion (green part only, sliced, for topping)

1 red chili (deseed and chopped, for topping)

1 shallot (peeled and sliced, for frying the yam ingredients)

50 g. dried shrimps (soaked until softened, strained and set aside the water.  Chop the dried shrimps)

150 g. rice flour

1 tbsp. tapioca flour

450 ml. water (inclusive of the water from soaking dried shrimps)

Cooking oil - for frying the shallots

Seasonings:

1/2 tsp. five spice powder

1 tsp. salt (to taste) - depending on the types of salt use

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

Methods:

1. In a bowl, add rice flour and tapioca flour.  Add in 450 ml. water, mix well and set aside.
2. Oiled a 7"x7" square steaming pan.
3. Turn on heat to the pan or wok use for frying the shallots just now.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of shallots oil into the heated wok, add in shallots, stir fry for a quick minute, then add in dried shrimps, fry until fragrant, add in mushrooms and yam cubes and stir to mix well.  Add in the seasonings and continue to stir fry.
4. Stir the rice flour mixture again.
5. Turn to low heat and pour the rice flour mixture into the yam mixture.  Keep stirring until thick.
6. Remove from heat and pour into the prepared steaming pan.  Smooth surface with the back of a spoon.
7. In a steamer heat up water.  When the water starts to boil, put in the yam cake.  Steam on medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
8. Use skewer to check on doneness.
9. Remove yam cake from steamer and let it cool completely for 4-5 hours or until next day.
10. Cut into strips and pieces, sprinkle/top with chilies, shallots and spring onions.
11. The steamed yam cake is ready to be served!

Note:

• I did not top the whole steamed yam cake with chilies, shallots and spring onion.  I leave a portion plain, keep in an airtight container in the fridge.  I serve it as Fried Yam Cake. To make, cut the steamed yam cake into your preferred sizes, pan-fry in a bit of oil and it's done... Breakfast is served!

I adapted this recipe from Youtube by: Shadajie Kitchen with slight adjustments to suit my cooking preference.

Simple Yam Rice in rice cooker

 

Ingredients: (serves 2)

100 g. yam (peeled and cubed)

20 g. dried shrimps (washed, soaked and drained)

3 shiitake mushrooms (washed, soaked and sliced) - reserve mushroom soaking water

2 shallots (peeled and sliced)

80 g. chicken breast (sliced)

1 cup rice (washed and drained)

1 tbsp. cooking oil

Seasoning for chicken:

1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce

1/2 tbsp. oyster sauce

1/2 tsp. cornflour

Dash ground white pepper

1/2 egg white 

Seasoning:

1/2 tbsp. oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

1/4 tbsp. dark soy sauce (for color - amount depends on the type of sauce you are using)

Methods:

1. In a heated wok, add cooking oil.  Saute shallots, add dried shrimps, mushrooms, and fry until fragrant.
2. Add yam cubes and fry for 2 minutes, then add chicken and fry until turn opaque.  Add rice, mix evenly.  Add in seasonings and stir well until combined.
3. Transfer to rice cooker, add water and mushroom soaking water.  
4. Switch on rice cooker to cook rice.  After finished cooking, do not immediately open up the rice cooker; let it in 'keep warm' mode for at least 15-20 minutes, to let the rice and ingredients properly cooked through.
5. Serve!

I adapted this recipe from 'Youtube' by: G8stromania

Sweet Yam Paste Tart aka Orh Nee Tart

 

Ingredients for tart pastry:

225 g. plain flour (sifted)

115 g. unsalted butter (room temperature)

45 g. icing sugar (sifted)

2 egg yolks

Methods:

1. In a bowl, mix flour and icing sugar.
2. Cut room temperature butter into cubes and mix into the flour using a pastry cutter until resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add in egg yolks and lightly knead into a dough.
4. Pinch a portion of the dough and press into tart moulds.  Prick some holes on the bottom of the tart using fork/toothpicks.  I make 8 big ones using tart shells, and 20 mini ones using mini muffin pan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven of 160 degree Celsius for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Cool before storing in airtight container.
7. Tarts can keep for 1 month in an airtight container.
8. I make my tart shells a day before I make the yam paste and assemble it.

Ingredients for sweet yam paste:

250 g. yam (peeled and cut into slices)

250 g. water

70 g. rock sugar

20 pieces whole Gingko Nuts

70 g. water + 1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar (for cooking the Gingko Nuts)

25 g. thick coconut milk

Methods:

1. In a small pan, cook coconut milk over low heat till the side bubbles.  Do not let it boil.  Leave aside to cool down.
2. In a small pot, cook rock sugar with 250 g. water over low heat until the sugar dissolves.  Set aside and cool before use.
3. Cook Gingko Nuts with sugar until water almost dries up.  Set aside to cool.
4. Steam yam till soft.  Take out from steamer and mash till fine.  Put yam, half of the syrup water in (2), and coconut milk in a blender and blend till smooth and light.  Taste the sweetness of the paste, if you prefer sweeter, add more water syrup.
5. Transfer the yam paste into a pipping bag, snip the tip of the pipping bag and pipe the yam paste into the tart shells.  
6. Topped with a Gingko Nut and serve.

This recipe is adapted from 'Cooking with Lu' with slight adjustments to suit my baking preference.

Stir-fried Yam Abacus in Char Kuay Tiaw Style

I have been so much tempted by this recipe which I came across online not that long ago.  I keep telling myself 'I must cook this dish!'  One morning while I was doing marketing, I manage to grab hold of these 3 main ingredients: prawns, Chinese chives and bean sprouts, and happily came home prepping this dish for my lunch.

Ingredients: (2 servings)
15 pcs Prawns (peeled and deveined)
5 sprigs Chinese leeks (washed and sliced into 1" long)
A bowl of bean sprouts (washed and drained)
3 shallots (peeled and thinly sliced)
3 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
3 tbsp Cooking oil

Abacus Seeds recipe refer here

Seasonings: (mix well in a small bowl)
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
Dash of dark soy sauce (for colour)
Dashes of chicken stock granules (to taste)
Dashes of water

Methods:

1. In  a pot of boiling water, add dashes of cooking oil, put in the abacus seeds, and once it floats to the surface, dish out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. In a heated wok add cooking oil.  Fry the shallots until golden brown, fragrant and crispy.  Dish out the fried shallots and set aside.
3. Using the remaining oil saute the garlic and prawns until fragrant.
4. Add in bean sprouts and some seasoning mixture, mix well.
5. Add in yam abacus and the remaining of the seasonings and stir-fry well to combine.  More dashes of water can be added if the dish is too dry, but add bit by bit.
6. Add in the fried shallots and Chinese chives, stir fry to combine and taste for correct seasoning.
7. Off the heat, dish out and serve hot.

This recipe is adapted from "Bake with Paws' with slight amendments.

Yam Cake

Yam Cake have always been my favorite kuih, be it served with toppings or without, which are pan-fried.  I have been wanting to try a hand on this yummy recipe for quite a while.  Last Sunday I manage to buy some Penang Yam, and with all available ingredients in hand, I finally made this delicious Yam Cake in my home kitchen. 

Ingredients:

500g yam (peeled and cut into small cubes)

50g dried shrimps (soaked, drained and chopped - set aside the water from soaking)

8 dried Chinese mushrooms (soaked, drained and diced - set aside water from soaking)

1 Chinese sausage (soaked in hot water, remove the plastic-like wrapper on the outside and diced)

120g shallots (peeled and sliced)

100ml cooking oil

1 tsp five spice powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp grounded white pepper

1 tbsp light soy sauce

200g rice flour (sifted)

900ml water/stock from soaking dried shrimps and Chinese mushrooms

Few sprigs of spring onion (green part only) - chopped

2 red chilies (chopped)

Methods:

1. Heat 100ml cooking oil in a wok, add sliced shallots and fry until it starts to brown, dish onto a bowl and set aside for later use.
2. With the remaining oil in the wok, add yam and stir-fry until it starts to soften and dish into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add five spice powder, salt and grounded white pepper to the yam and stir to mix.
4. In the same wok and with the remaining oil, add diced sausage. chopped dried shrimps and diced mushrooms.  Give it a quick stir, then add 1 tbsp light soy sauce and stir fry until fragrant.  Dish the mixture into the yam, add half of the fried shallots, mix well and set aside.
5. In a heated wok add 900ml water/stock from soaking dried shrimps and Chinese mushrooms.
6. Slowly whisk in rice flour, stir and cook until batter thickens.
7. Add yam mixture and stir well to mix to ensure that the yam mixture and the rice flour batter are well incorporated.
8. Oil two loaf tin and transfer the batter mixture into the loaf tin.  Use one tin if you are using a bigger loaf tin.
9. Steam for about 40 minutes, insert a skewer into the yam cake, and if it comes out clean, then it's cooked.
10. For topping, I combine the rest of the fried shallots, chopped spring onion and chopped chilies in a bowl, mix to combine the ingredients and spread on the top of the yam cake.
11. Let yam cake rest for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes: I add more water as compared to the original recipe as the yam is very starchy. For those who prefer a more softer texture yam cake than one which is filled with yam crunch, slightly more water can be added and cut the yam into slightly smaller cubes. 

This recipe is adapted from 'The Meatmen' with slight amendment to suit my cooking.

Yam Cake (O Kuih)

To really enjoy this yummylicious Yam Cake or commonly known as O Kuih, one which is packed with the must-have ingredients of yam, dried prawns, slices of dried mushrooms, chopped garlic and shallots, it has to be one that is home-made. I love the chewy texture and with each mouthful I get to taste all the flavors.  This recipe is adapted from The Informal Chef with some amendments.

Ingredients:

375g yam (peeled and cubed)

60g dried shrimps (washed, soaked and drained)

25g dried mushrooms (washed, soaked and thinly sliced)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

3 shallots (chopped)

340g rice flour*

40g wheat starch*

850 litre water* (including water from soaking dried shrimps and mushrooms + 2 tsp chicken stock granules) - whisk to mix all the ingredients *

1/5 cup cooking oil (not in picture)

Seasoning:

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp five-spice powder

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp grounded white pepper

Methods:

1. In a heated wok add in the cooking oil, saute shallots and garlic until lightly brown. Add in dried shrimps and mushrooms and continue to stir-fry until fragrant.
2. Add in yam and all the seasoning and fry for one minute.  
3. Give the batter ingredients a stir, pour into the wok and continue to stir until the batter starts to thicken.  When it turns to paste switch off the heat and transfer the yam mixture into a tray for steaming using medium heat for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the mixture has totally set.  
4. Remove from steamer and cover the yam top with a piece of plastic and let it cool. 
5. Take the yam cake out from the steaming tray. 

I serve this Yam Cake in 2 different ways:

(1) Cut the steamed yam cake into your desired sizes, pan-fried in oil and serve with chili sauce

(2) Cut the yam cake into smaller pieces, stir-fried with some oil, chopped garlic, salted radish (chai poh), lightly beaten egg and dash of salt and grounded pepper.

Stir-fried Hakka Yam Abacus Seeds

While I was watching an Asian Food Channel Program (AFC) hosted by Jason some time ago, he introduced this Tasty Hakka Suan Phan or popularly known as Abacus Seeds from Gerai Seong Kee, Stall 35, at Taman Selera, Jalan Othman, PJ Old Town.  Not long afterwards, I saw postings by Kenneth Goh in Food Bloggers and Foodies United as well as some of the members.  

To be frank, I have never tasted this dish before, and being a Hakka myself I've decided to digest this recipe, find out more information about it online and finally I made my first attempt and it turns out great!  From the starting of making the dough, which is the Yam Abacus Seeds, I have to put on my thinking cap (bearing in mind that I have never tasted this dish before), as well as my touch senses from my fingers as I gradually add the hot water into the dough, to come up with a just right texture. Guess, a good research always comes with a satisfying result ~ Hi-5 ~

Ingredients:

(A) Yam Abacus Seeds

350 g yam (peeled and cubed)

75 g tapioca flour

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp salt
Enough hot water

Methods:

1. Steam the yam until soft, lift out from the steamer and immediately drizzle oil and sprinkle salt into the yam and mashed until fine.
2. Add in tapioca flour and slowly add in bit by bit of the hot water and mix with a spatula.
3. When the dough is not too hot for our hand to handle, knead the dough, continue to add a bit of hot water until it become smooth, does not stick onto our hands and when we roll it, it will not crack or fall into pieces.  
4. To make the abacus seeds I take a small portion of the dough and cover the rest which are still in the bowl with a damp cloth to prevent the remaining dough from drying out.
5. Take a bit of the dough, roll into ball and press the center using our thumb and index fingers to form an indentation in the middle.
6. Place the seeds in a container lined with parchment paper and put another piece of parchment paper on top for purpose of stacking the seeds to avoid them from sticking together.  Repeat with the rest of the dough until all is done. At this stage the abacus seeds can be stored in the freezer.  I will leave them in room temperature for a while before cooking, however, a source says it doesn't needs thawing.  

(B)  Frying Ingredients & Seasonings: (1 serving only)

• Yam abacus seeds

• 2 shallots (minced)
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 2 tbsp minced pork
• 2 dried mushrooms (soaked and thinly sliced)
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried shrimps (washed, soaked and drained)
• 2 pieces black fungus (washed, soaked and sliced)

• some chopped spring onions (not in picture)
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• dash of white pepper
• drizzle of shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Methods:

1. In a pot of boiling water, drizzle a bit of oil, add in the yam abacus seeds and let it boil.  Once the abacus seeds floats to the top they are cooked. Dish using a slotted spatula and put them into a bowl.
2. In a medium heated wok add in cooking oil, saute minced shallots and chopped garlic, then add in mushrooms, dried shrimps and minced pork.  Stir fry until the ingredients are well mixed and fragrant.
3. Put in the abacus seeds, give it a stir, then add in all the seasoning ingredients and stir until well mixed.
4. As the dish is done, add in the chopped spring onions, give it another quick stir, off the heat, dish on a serving plate and serve hot!

I am very happy for the success of this dish, which is my first attempt.  I cooked a serving for my mum to taste and she gave me a "Thumbs-Up!"  I am proud of myself, being a Hakka who can come up with this Hakka Dish ~ cheers, cheers ~

Fried Yam Rice

If I decided to cook something simple for my meal, either lunch or dinner, I prefer to go for one-plate meal.  It is simple yet delicious as it comprises of several nutritious ingredients such as egg, meat, vegetables and off course our staple RICE, all in one plate! This recipe is adapted from No-Frills Recipes with amendments to suit my preference. Let's get on with it.....

Ingredients: (Serves 3)
3/4 cup cooked long grain rice (cooled) - not in the picture
1 egg 
1/4 cup dried shrimps (soaked)
1/4 cup anchovies (fry until crispy)
1 Chinese sausage (blanch with hot water, remove the outer skin and cubed)
1/2 cup french beans (cubed)
1/2 yam (peeled, cubed and shallow fry till slightly brown and drained)

Seasonings:
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
Dash of light soy sauce
Dash of grounded white pepper
Salt (to taste)

Methods:

1. Add 1 tbsp leftover oil from frying the anchovies into a wok, break in egg and stir to scramble, sprinkle few drops of light soy sauce, stir, remove and set aside.
2. In the same wok, add a tbsp of oil, stir fry sausages follow by dried shrimps until fragrant.
3. Add in the french beans, give it a quick fry and toss in the rice and continue to stir, then add in seasonings and mix until well combined.  Taste for correct seasonings.
4. Finally, toss in the scrambled egg and fried yams, stir to mix and off the heat.
5. Dish onto a serving plate and served with crispy anchovies.

Fragrance Yam Rice

I won't miss trying out any easy to prepare meal which comes handy at any one time and can be cooked for a small portion.  Such one-pot-dish fits in well for my lunch which I only need to cook for myself and another extra portion for my mum to try and enjoy. This yummylicious one-pot dish is full of fragrance and is a dish to try, adapt and add into my home-cooked dish list.  Hope you all give it a try too....

Ingredients: (serves 2)
3/4 cup long grain rice (washed and set aside)

1/2 yam (peeled and cubed)
1/3 cup pork belly (thinly sliced)
1 tbsp dried shrimps (soaked and drained)
3 dried mushrooms (soaked and sliced)
2 shallot (peeled and thinly sliced)
1 tbsp pork fat (not in the picture)

Seasonings:
3/4 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
Drizzle of dark soya sauce (amount depends on the colour which you prefer)
1 tsp white grounded pepper
Dash of salt (taste)
Dash of msg

Methods:

1. In a medium heated wok add in the pork fat to obtain the lard and remove the crackling.
2. Add in shallots and dried prawns, stir fry for about 1 minute, then add in mushrooms and pork belly and continue to fry until fragrant.
3. Add in rice, give it a mix and all the seasonings, stir to combine and finally add in the yam.  
4. Taste for correct seasoning and colour of your preference.  Drizzle a bit more dark soya sauce if you prefer a darker colour.
5. Transfer the rice to the rice cooker, add water. (the amount of water very much depends on the type of rice you use, however for some rice you need to reduce the water for this cooking as the rice has already absorb some of the water during the stir-frying process). Give it a stir and place it to cook in the rice cooker.  

Let's dig in.....

This recipe is adapted with amendments from Kenneth Goh of Food Bloggers and Foodies United.