Steamed Yam Cake - A Detailed Guide!

After her many years of preparing yam cake, this is mum's evaluation of the house most successful rendition. By this, we meant the texture of the kueh which we like best - the right amount of moisture and softness. You could have an addition of 50ml water if you prefer your kueh in a semi-solid state - one that falls apart while serving!

This is a virgin try by yours truly. For Ric; it is his favourite ;) The recipe is my most complicated so far. But following it step-by-step, you could do it too, definitely.

INGREDIENTS (feed 8 adults):
600g Yam, diced and rinsed under running water
2 tbsp Dried Prawns, soak to soften and chopped
3 tbsp Preserved Turnip (Chai Po), soak to remove foreign particles like stones. Squeezed dry.
4 Dried Mushrooms (soak to soften and sliced thinly)
4 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tsp Five Spice Powder
6 tbsp Oil
1 Chinese Sausage, soak to remove outer plastic skin. (optional)

SEASONINGS:
4 tbsp Oyster Sauce/ or 1 cube Chicken Stock
2 tsp Salt

BATTER (mixed):
300g Rice Flour
75g Corn Flour
1/2 tsp Pepper
1200ml Water

GARNISHING:
1 stalk Spring Onion, diced
2 Red Chilies, chopped
3 tbsp Fried Shallots
3 tbsp Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped

Chili Sauce:
4 Red Chili, 3 Chili Padi and 3 cloves Garlic pounded and mixed with 1 tbsp Vinegar, 1 tbsp Sugar and 1 tbsp Tomato Sauce.

STEPS:
1. Preparation of all ingredient. Take care to glove up, in your preparation of the yam as its starchy white liquid causes serious skin itch and pain.

2. Heat wok on medium heat with oil, saute garlic until fragrant, add dried prawns and stir-fry until fragrant. Add preserved turnip, dried mushroom, five spice powder and salt, work for 3 mins before adding in the Chinese sausage. Lastly, add in the yam and oyster sauce.

3. Prepare batter. (We don use a spoon actually; prefer using our bare hands to work the batter as we could feel the lumpy flour bits at the bottom of the bowl, and crush it!).

4. On low heat, pour and cook batter in wok, working the bottom to avoid the sticking of the batter to the wok. Stir until batter is half-cooked, turn off fire.

5. Scope the thicken mixture into a steaming tray, and poke 'breathing holes' using a wooden chopstick. Lightly grease the top surface of the mixture. Steam with high heat for 45 mins - 1hr until cooked.

6. Remove from heat, sprinkle all garnishing on top and leave to cool.

7. Cut and serve with chili sauce.