Mix of textures and flavours sets home-made yam cake apart

Taro cake, known in this region as yam cake, is a favourite teatime snack because of its savoury appeal.

In terms of textures, there is the powdery taro, moist batter, crispy shallots and crunchy peanuts.

In terms of flavours, there is the juxtaposition of salty shrimp and sweet taro, with a spicy dipping sauce that has a citrus tang.

Making yam cake (wu tau koh) brings back fond memories of an old family friend who taught me to make it as a teenager.

This recipe is a tribute to the aunty who passed away 14 years ago.

Whisk in 2 cups of water into 3 cups of rice flour.

When getting taro (keladi in Malay) from the market, choose one that feels light in contrast to its size. This means that its head has fully developed and its moisture drawn out so the taro will get fluffy, powdery and aromatic when cooked.

If you like it to have a bit of bite, do not finely mince ingredients but cut a bit more coarsely so that there is variety in the mouthfeel.

Most importantly, prepare the head of taro two ways — shredded into strands and diced into cubes.

The shredded taro gives structure to the cake and allows its flavour to permeate throughout the batter while diced taro provides its distinctively powdery texture and aroma.

Do not be alarmed by the amount of oil used for the cake. You need it to fry all the ingredients one at a time, starting with the shallots, then peanuts, dried shrimp, dried mushrooms and finally the shredded and diced taro.

This layering of flavours infuses the oil with a taste profile that distinguishes home-made from store-bought yam cakes.

Be sure to allow the cake to cool down completely before cutting into it because the rice flour will only set when it is cold. You may prepare yam cake a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. Reheat it by steaming for five minutes before serving and it will not get soft again.

Garnish and cut into diamonds or squares to serve with dipping sauces. These can be made with bottled sauces, which makes the work easier.

Soak dried shiitake mushrooms overnight in water before dicing and sauteing in wok.

Yam cake (taro cake)

Ingredients

750g yam (taro)

6 tbsp cooking oil

200g dried shrimp, rinsed and coarsely minced

100g dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 cups rice flour

6 cups water

1 tbsp chicken stock concentrate

2 tsp five-spice powder

1½ tsp salt to taste

Garnish4 shallots, sliced

2 stalks spring onions, chopped

2 sprigs coriander, chopped

2 red chillies, sliced

100g peanuts

Hot dipping sauce½ cup Sriracha sauce

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp lemon juice

Sweet dipping sauce½ cup hoisin sauce

½ cup light soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar

Serve yam cake with two dipping sauces.

Method

1. Soak mushrooms overnight in hot water, squeeze out and dice. Reserve mushroom infusion for later. Rinse dried shrimp in water and chop into a coarse mince.

2. Remove skin of the taro with a vegetable peeler. Cut taro in half. Slide one half across a vegetable shredder in smooth, singular movements to produce neat, unbroken strands. Dice remaining half into 2cm cubes.

3. Heat 6 tbsp oil and fry shallots until crisp. Remove and leave the oil in the wok. Fry peanuts until crispy, remove and leave oil in wok. Add dried shrimp and sauté until fragrant. Remove about one-fourth to set aside for garnishing.

4. To the remaining oil and shrimp in wok, add mushrooms and garlic, and sauté until fragrant. Add shredded and diced taro and toss well to sear without burning.

5. Add water to mushroom infusion to make 4 cups of liquid and season with chicken stock concentrate, five-spice powder and salt. Pour this mixture into stir-fried taro and bring to a boil.

6. Mix rice flour with 2 cups of water. Pour mixture into the wok and bring to a boil. Cook until batter starts to thicken.

7. Brush a round pan measuring 35cm in diameter generously with oil. Pour thick batter into pan and press down batter to an even thickness.

8. Steam over boiling water until it is set and cooked through, about half an hour to an hour. Leave aside to cool completely for about 6 hours.

9 Garnish with fried shrimp, peanuts, shallots, spring onions, coriander and red chilli slices. Then with an oiled knife, cut taro cake into diamonds or squares. Serve taro cake with hot and sweet dipping sauces.

View this 'Wu Tau Koh (Taro Cake)' recipe on kuali.com.

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