Mini Yam Kuih - 芋头巧

First attempt at making this mini Yam Kuih. I brought these kuih along for a gathering.  This is a very good bite-sized snack for a party. Just use a fork to pick up one piece and dip into the chilli sauce and send it straight down your throat. Mmmm... my friends loved it! One of them even packed the remainder home.

Recipe (adapted from Carol 胡涓涓老师)

Ingredients:

- 6 dried mushrooms

- 1 handful of dried shrimps

- 150g yam (without skin)

- 3 red onions, sliced

- 120g glutinous rice flour

- 80g rice flour

- 10g corn flour

- 160cc water

Seasoning:

- 1 tbsp rice wine

- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon salt

- Sugar to taste

- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Method:

1) Soak mushroom, drain and dice into small cubes.

2) Same for dried shrimps.

3) Cut yam into 1cm cubes.

4) Slice onion shallots.

5) Heat up 1 tbsp oil in wok. Place mushroom, dried shrimps and shallots and fry until fragrant.

6) Add yam cubes and fry for 2-3 mins.

7) Add water and seasoning, cover wok and use low heat for 10 mins. Cut off after that.

8) Place glutinous rice flour, rice flour and corn flour into bowl and mix well.

9) Add the yam mixture  into bowl. Using chopsticks, quickly whip mixture into uniform lumps. Allow mixture to cool to prevent scalding.

10) Wet palms with vegetable oil, shape lumps into palm-sized crescent dough or any patterns to your liking.

11) Line and grease tray, place doughs onto tray and steam for 15 - 20 mins over high heat.

12) Serve with garlic/chilli with soya sauce.

ENJOY!

Fried Yam Abacus -客家算盘子

Ingredients:
500g yam
150g -200g corn flour
1 small piece of bean curd , slice into flat small pieces
4-5 mushroom, diced
30g dried shrimps, soak and drain
100g  minced pork
15g cuttlefish strips
some black fungus, soak and  cut into strips

Seasoning:
1 tbsp cooking oil, salt, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, sugar.

Garnishing:
spring onion, chillies, fried shallots, and coriander leaves.

Methods:
1) Peel yam skin and cut into pieces, steam for 20 minutes till soft. Mash while hot.  Add in corn flour (see note 1 below), 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper,  knead till a pliable dough is formed.

2) Roll into small round balls and use index finger to press gently at the center  to make it looks like an abacus .

3)cook abacus in hot water until they  float on the surface, dish out and put under running water till cool, drain. toss them with some oil to prevent them from sticking together.

4) Heat up wok, add 1 tbsp oil to fry sliced bean curd till light golden brown, add in dried shrimps and cuttlefish strips and fry till fragrant. Add in minced pork, mushroom, fungus and continue to fry till minced  meat is just cooked.

5) Add in abacus , seasonings (to your liking) and stir-fry for few minutes till cooked. Garnish and serve.
(You may add some water if you want a wet version).

note 1 : use 150 g of corn flour to start with. if the dough is still too wet , add some more corn flour to firm up the dough.
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