Recipe Notes:

• Using chicken stock will gives the yam cake a flavorful taste.

• You could substitute chives with spring onions.

INGREDIENTS FOR STEAMED YAM CAKE

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(Serves 10-12 peoples)

✅️ 1 Cup Rice Flour

✅️ 2 Tbsp Wheat Flour

✅️ 300ml Plain Water

✅️ 500ml Chicken Stock

✅️ ±600 Gm Yam/Taro

✅️ 6 Bulbs Shallots

✅️ 3 Cloves Garlic

✅️ 3 Whole Red Chilies

✅️ ±30 Gm Chives

✅️ 100 Gm Dried Shrimps

✅️ 2 Tbsp Light Soya Sauce

✅️ 1 Tbsp Sugar

✅️ ¼ Tsp Salt

✅️ ½ Tsp Ground White Pepper

✅️ ½ Tsp Five Spice Powder

✅️ 1 Cup Cooking Oil

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1. Mix rice flour and wheat flour with plain water in a bowl and then set aside. Soak the dried shrimp with hot water until they are softened.

2. Slice the shallots thinly and transfer them into a bowl. Slice the chives into small pieces and transfer them into a bowl. Deseed and chop the red chilies into small pieces and transfer them into a bowl. Chop the softened dried shrimps into a fine mince and transfer them into a bowl. Chop the garlic into a fine mince and transfer them into a bowl. Slice off and discard the skin of the yam about 0.5cm thick from it flesh. Cut the yam into cubes about 1cm thick and transfer them into a bowl.

3. Heat up the cooking oil in a stir fry pan over MEDIUM heat until it is hot. Deep fry the sliced shallots until they are golden in colour and then switch OFF the heat. Continue to stir the shallots to further brown them in the hot oil. Remove the fried shallots with a spatula and strainer. Remove the cooking oil in the pan with a ladle leaving about 3 Tbsp in the frying pan. Add mince garlic into the pan and stir fry over MEDIUM heat until they turn golden in colour. Add the chopped dried shrimp to the pan and stir fry for 2 to 3 mins. Add sugar and light soya sauce to the pan to season. Continue to stir fry the mixture until they are slightly drier and then transfer them to a bowl.

4. Return about 5 Tbsp of cooking oil into the pan and heat the oil up over MEDIUM heat. Add the yam cubes into the pan and stir fry them for 4 to 5 mins or until they turn into pale golden in colour and are still soft to touch. Over browning the yam will make the yam’s outer layer very chewy after steaming. Add salt, ground white pepper and five spice powder to the pan to season. Continue to stir the mixture for 1 min to mix well and then transfer them into a bowl.

5. Add chicken stock to the pan and bring them to a boil over LOW heat. Once the chicken stock come to a boil, stir the rice flour mixture while pouring them into the pan. Constantly and vigorously stir the mixture with a whisk until the mixture is thickened. Switch OFF the heat once the mixture reaches its preferred consistency. The thicker the consistency is, the firmer the cake will become after steaming. Add the cooked yam cubes and 2 Tbsp of the fried dried shrimp prepared earlier into the mixture and mixed them together. Transfer the mixture to a steaming dish and steamed them over MEDIUM to HIGH heat for 40 to 45 mins.

6. After 40 mins carefully remove the hot dish from the steamer. Immediately spread the fried dried shrimps prepared earlier evenly on top of the yam cake. The shrimp bits will stick to the yam cake’s surfaces much easier while the cake is hot. Leave the yam cake to cool completely before cutting.

7. After the yam cake completely cools, top the yam cake with the fried shallots, chives and red chilies prepared earlier. Cut the yam cake to enjoy as a snack.

RECIPE PHOTO GALLERY