Yam cake is a popular snack in both Malaysia and Singapore. It is a steamed kuih made from yam pieces, dried prawns and rice flour.
It is then topped with deep-fried shallots, spring onions, chillis and dried prawns, and usually served with a chilli dipping sauce.
There’s no need to venture out to street markets or restaurants in search of this incredibly delicious snack, as you can easily recreate it in the comfort of your home and kitchen.
It’s the perfect treat for when you’re feeling peckish.
Ingredients:
For the kuih:
- 1½ bowls yam, diced into 1-2cm cubes
- 1 bowl rice flour
- 2 tablespoons wheat starch
- 2 bowls water
- ½ – ¾ bowl dried shrimps
- 5 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
For the topping:
- Deep-fried shallots
- Spring onions, sliced finely
- Red chillies, sliced finely
- Dried shrimps
Method:
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat, and fry the onions and dried shrimps until they become aromatic. This should take about three to five minutes.
- Add the cubed yam to the pan, and fry it with the onion and dried shrimp mixture until it browns.
- In a separate bowl, mix the rice flour, wheat starch and water, and stir until it forms a smooth paste. Take care to ensure there are no lumps in the mixture.
- Add the flour mixture into the pan slowly, and stir until everything forms a thick paste.
- Add the salt, pepper and five-spice powder, and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl/plate and steam over high heat for 45 minutes, or until cooked.
- To serve, sprinkle with deep-fried shallots, chopped spring onions, sliced chillies and chopped dried shrimp. Some chilli sauce on the side is also highly recommended.
- The wheat starch helps to make the or kuih softer in texture. If you can’t find this, you can substitute it with an equal quantity of corn starch.
This recipe first appeared in Rasa Malaysia.
Low Bee Yinn is a food blogger and cookbook author.