Steamed Taro or Yam Cake 芋頭糕

English can be quite confusing sometimes. The same thing is called different names, or the same name can mean different things in different countries. And this is not good if we end-up using the wrong ingredients to cook a dish, is it? Here are some examples:

• What is commonly known as yam in Singapore/Malaysia is called taro in US (and most other countries). To make it more confusing, orange-colored sweet potato is often called yam in US. In fact, yam is the common name for a group of edible tubers.
• What is commonly known as turnip in Singapore is called jicama in US, and yam bean by some. In US, jicama has a light golden-brown skin whereas turnip is white and purple with a similar shape to jicama. See this post for how Singapore turnip/US jicama/yam bean looks like.
• In Singapore what is commonly known as carrot cake is actually steamed-then-fried radish cake. Singapore carrot cake is made of white chinese radish, rice flour and savory in taste. US carrot cake is made of real (orange-colored) carrots, wheat flour, sweet in taste and baked.

I am not sure how and why these variations happen. But I won't spend more time analyzing it today, as we are going to make taro, or known to some as yam cake. To be sure there is no confusion, this recipe is made with taro as it is known in US.

The most important factor that determines success of this dish is getting the right consistency for the rice flour and water batter. There are two considerations: 1) the ratio of rice flour to water; 2) cooking the batter to the right consistency before steaming. Both will affect the density and texture of the cake.

I like my taro cake to have a bite that is a little soft yet holds up its shape. To achieve that, I use a ratio of 1 portion of rice flour to 2 portions of water (in volume not weight). Cooking the batter helps the flour to absorb some water, thickens the batter and ensures even consistency of the steamed cake. If you don't do that, the flour will partially settle to the bottom of the pan and the texture will become uneven after steaming. The batter should be cooked to a relatively thick consistency (like thick oatmeal). The general rule is the thinner the consistency the softer the cake, and slight adjustments can be made for personal preference

Apart from the steamed version, another delightful way to eat taro cake is to pan-fry it after it has been steamed. Taro can also be replaced with pumpkin and cooked exactly the same way. That way you get golden pumpkin cake which has a slightly different taste but is equally delicious.

STEAMED TARO CAKE RECIPE
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Ingredients

1¾ cup (250g) taro - diced finely
1/3 cup (30g) dried shrimps - diced finely
1/4 cup (30g) Chinese sausage - diced finely
1/2 cup (6 medium) shiitake mushrooms - diced finely
2 cups (240g) rice flour
4 cups (950 ml) water
3 tbsp. cooking oil
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1½ tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce *
scallion (optional - garnish)
deep-fried shallots (optional - garnish)
chilli sauce (optional) 

(* If you prefer not to use oyster sauce, you can replace water with chicken stock )

Steps:

1) Soak the dried shrimps and dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes or till soft.

2) Peel taro and discard the skin. Dice the taro, dried shrimps, Chinese sausage and shiitake mushrooms into fine pieces. Mix the rice flour and water in a large bowl.

3) Heat up 3 tbsp. of oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add dried shrimps, Chinese sausage and fry for about 1-2 minutes till aromatic. Then add mushrooms, taro and give everything a good stir. Add the seasonings - five spice powder, salt, pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce. Mix the ingredients up well, and stir-fry till aromatic (about 2-3 minutes).

4) Turn the heat down to low, add rice flour and water batter to the cooked ingredients. Stir the batter continuously, scraping the sides and bottom if batter sticks. It will start to thicken slowly. Continue to stir until the batter becomes a thick paste, almost like a thick oatmeal (see pictures below). The general rule is the thinner the consistency the softer the cake (which can be slightly adjusted based on personal preference).

5) Transfer the batter into a greased container for steaming. Steam over high heat for about 45 minutes. When done, an inserted chopstick should come out clean or almost clean.

6) Transfer cake to a rack. Remove cake from steaming container after it has (mostly) cooled down, to allow the cake to firm-up. Garnish with scallions and deep-fried shallots before serving. I love eating this with chilli sauce.

For the pan-fried version, cut cake into thick slices. Heat up 1-2 tbsp. of oil in pan over medium-high heat and pan-fry till browned on both sides. It should be quick since cake is already cooked.