Steamed rice flour cake with preserved radish
This Teochew savoury snack with Guangdong origins literally means ‘water cake’. A tiny well in the middle of the rice flour cake forms a pool of water when it is being steamed. Springy yet tender in texture the rice flour cake shimmers with its sweet salty lard-laced radish topping.
Makes about 15
You need 6-cm diameter metal chwee kueh moulds, or porcelain teacups that can withstand steaming. Steaming vessel.
CHAI POH (PRESERVED RADISH) TOPPING
3/4 cup (150g) preserved radish (chai poh), soaked in water for 20 minutes. Discard water and dry chai poh on paper towel
3 tbsp lard oil
2 tbsp cooking oil
A few drops of sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
7 tablespoons water
Sugar to taste
CHWEE KUEH
1 1/2 cups rice flour
2 1/2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 1/2 tablespoons corn flour starch
1/4 cup room temperature water
1 1/4 cups boiling hot water
Pinch of salt
Radish Topping – Heat a deep pan over medium heat, add the lard oil and cooking oil, and fry the minced garlic and shallot until fragrant about 1 minute. Add the chai poh, soy sauce and sugar. Turn heat to low and gently simmer until the radish is soft and caramelised brown, about 30 minutes. Drizzle in a few drops of sesame oil.
Rice flour cakes – Sift the flour and starch flours together in a bowl. Add the salt and whisk together with the room temperature water until you get a smooth texture. Let rest for 30 minutes. Lightly grease your moulds with lard oil. Place steamer vessel over high heat. Whisk in the boiling hot water into the rested flour mixture and pour into the greased moulds. Place the moulds into the steamer and steam on high heat for 10 minutes or slightly longer.
To serve – remove the chwee kuey from the moulds and arrange on a serving platter. Top with the cooked chai poh and serve with chilli sauce on the side.