Steamed Pumpkin Cake

with crispy shallot, chilli and coriander ...

with sweet sauce 'n' chilli 'n' sesame seeds ...

with mock floss ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This recipe is inspired by the Steamed Carrot Cake or Steamed Yam Cake. It looks kind of troublesome to whip but it is not.

To include some fun elements for your guests or kids, allow them to designer their unique Pumpkin Cake to show off their creativity or culinary art. They are few ways to garnish or add flavour to the Pumpkin Cake - top with some mock floss and coriander leaves, or drizzle some sweet soy sauce and sprinkle some sesame seeds or chopped chilli, with some Japanese Spring oil shreds and shichimi, or with some crispy shallot and chopped spring onion, or with chee cheong fun sauce and sesame seeds ...

Preparation:     15 mins, Cooking time:  25 mins

Ingredients (makes 8 pieces)

°         250 pumpkin weight after  peeling, diced

°         4 chinese dried mushroom, soaked and sliced

°         150g rice flour

°         1 tablespoon corn starch

°         1 teaspoon salt or to taste

°         pepper to taste

°         ½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

°         500ml water

°         1½ tablespoon oil

Garnish

°         ½ fresh red chilli, finely chopped

°         few coriander leaves

°         some toasted sesame seeds

Method

1.      Combine the rice flour, corn starch, salt, pepper and sesame oil with 250ml of water. Mix well and stir into a smooth batter.

2.      Heat oil in a wok. Throw in the pumpkin and mushroom and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in 250ml of water and bring to a boil.

3.      Off the heat and pour in the batter. Stir till the batter turn thick and transfer to a steaming container and steam for 25 minutes.

4.      Let it cool. Garnish with chilli, coriander and serve.  

Carrot Cake with Mock Floss

Lately, there are lots of dishes using Floss - Chicken Floss, Pork Floss! Look like it is another way to market the product - FLOSS!  I chance upon this recipe - Meat Floss Carrot Cake (non-vegetarian) and modified the recipe to make a Vegetarian Carrot Cake with Mock Floss.

This is a long neglected food and is not too difficult to whip up at all and I love to add lots of ingredients to it. Other way to garnish this Carrot Cake is to drizzle some sweet soy sauce and sprinkle some sesame seeds or chopped chilli, with some Japanese Spring oil shreds and shichimi, or with some crispy shallot and chopped spring onion, or with chee cheong fun sauce and sesame seeds ...

Preparation:     15 mins, Cooking time:  25 mins 

Ingredients (makes 8 pieces)

°         200g radish weight after  peeling, diced

°         50g carrot weight after peeling, died

°         4 chinese dried mushroom, soaked and sliced

°         150g rice flour

°         1 tablespoon corn starch

°         1 teaspoon salt or to taste

°         pepper to taste

°         ½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

°         500ml water

°         1½ tablespoon oil

Garnish

°         some mock floss

°         few coriander leaves

°         ½ fresh chilli, sliced

Method

1.      Combine the rice flour, corn starch, salt, pepper and sesame oil with 250ml of water. Mix well and stir into a smooth batter.

2.      Heat oil in a wok. Throw in the radish, carrot and mushroom and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour in 250ml of water and bring to a boil.

3.      Off the heat and pour in the batter. Stir till the batter turn thick and transfer to a steaming container and steam for 25 minutes. Let it cools. Top with mock floss, garnish with coriander and chilli. 

Water Chestnut Cake

Streamed Water Chestnut Cake is one of the Dim Sum dish. I tried making some, however the colour and the taste is not to my desired result. Therefore, I added green tea powder rather than food colouring or essence to it. For this recipe, the amount of water chestnut used is plenty.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 35 mins

Ingredients (makes 12 pieces)
° 125g water chestnut flour
° 10-15 water chestnuts, peeled, chopped and slightly mashed
° 100g rock sugar, or to taste
° 500ml water
° 2 teaspoons green tea powder

Method
1. Combine the water chestnut flour and green tea powder. Add in 250ml of water, mix well and set aside.
2. Place the water chestnuts, rock sugar and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes and lower the heat.
3. Gradually stir in the water chestnuts flour mixture and keep on stirring. When it become a little bit thicken and starchy, turn off the heat. Continue stirring in the rest of the mixture and mix well. Alternatively, off the heat prior to stirring in, if desired.
4. Grease a heat-proof ware, pour in the mixture and stream for 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool, cut into 12 portions and serve.

Vegetarian Siew Mai (Open Face Dumpling)

This is a vegetarian version of ‘Siew Mai” - small steamed dumplings with pork inside a thin wheat flour wrapper. In this recipe, I am using the ready made wonton skin wrapper instead of making the wheat flour wrapper. The filling is actually the same that I used for the rice noodle parcel and soon kueh, only it is much finer. These vegetarian dim sum are the recreation of what I had tasted, it might not be exactly the same but quite close. In fact, it is quite fun and easy to make!

Preparation: 25 mins, Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients (makes 12)
° 12 pieces wonton skin
° 150g yam bean, peeled and finely shredded/grated
° 25g carrot, peeled and finely shredded/grated
° 10 dried black fungus shreds, soaked and chopped
° 2 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked and finely sliced
° 1 slice ginger, finely chopped
° 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
° 60ml water
° ½ teaspoon sugar
° ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
° 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, or to taste
° pepper, to taste
° few drops sesame oil
° 1 teaspoon corn flour, mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Method

To prepare filling
1. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the ginger and fry till fragrant. Throw in yam bean, carrot, black fungus, mushroom and stir-fry briskly. Add the water, salt, sugar, light soy sauce and pepper. Stir fry over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring occasionally and simmer until the vegetables is tender and slightly dry.
2. Stir in the corn flour mixture to thicken the sauce and give it one last stir fry. Season with sesame oil.
3. Transfer to a dish and let it cool.

To wrap siew mai
1. Place a piece of wonton skin in a small container (disposable plastic chilli container for takeaway). Fill with 1 to 1½ teaspoons of filling, giving it a little press and cutting off any protruding wonton skin. Remove from the container and place on a well-greased heat proof plate.
2. Alternatively, cut off the four corner of the wonton skin. Place 1 to 1½ teaspoons of filling in the middle and enclose with the wonton skin, with the top left uncovered. Flatten the base of the siew mai and place on a well-greased heat proof plate.

To steam siew mai
1. Steam for 5 minutes and remove from the streamer.
2. Serve warm.

Vegetarian Streamed “Cheung Fun” (Rice Noodle Parcel)

This is a vegetarian version of ‘Har Cheung Fun” – smooth rice noodle sheets rolled around prawns. In this recipe, it is using rice noodle rolls to wrap with stir-fried vegetables and doused with light soy sauce or sweetened soy sauce. The fresh plain rice noodle rolls (zhu chang fen) can be purchased from the wet market, but handle with extra care as to avoid breaking them. You may want to consider buy some spares, just in case.

Preparation: 20 mins, Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients (makes 8)
° 2 pieces fresh rice noodle rolls
° 200g yam bean, peeled and shredded
° 25g carrot, peeled and shredded
° 5g dried black fungus shreds, soaked
° 3 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked and finely sliced
° 1 slice ginger, finely chopped
° 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
° 80ml water
° ½ teaspoon sugar
° ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
° 2 teaspoons light soy sauce, or to taste
° pepper, to taste
° 1 teaspoon corn flour, mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Method

To prepare filling
1. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the ginger and fry till fragrant. Throw in yam bean, carrot, black fungus, mushroom and stir-fry briskly. Add the water, salt, sugar, light soy sauce and pepper. Stir fry over high heat for 1 minute, stirring occasionally and simmer until the vegetables is tender and slightly dry.
2. Stir in the corn flour mixture to thicken the sauce and give it one last stir fry.
3. Transfer to a dish and let it cool.

To wrap rice noodle parcel
1. Unroll the rice noodle roll very gently to avoid breaking and cut into 4 sheets.
2. Place one square piece of rice noodle sheet in front of you. Place ¾ to 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle and fold up to form a rectangle parcel. Arrange on a well-greased heat proof plate.

To steam rice noodle parcel
1. Steam for 5-8 minutes and remove from the streamer.
2. Serve warm.

Vegetarian Soon Kueh Filling

This vegetarian version of Chinese Soon Kueh consists of simple ingredients such as yam bean, carrot and water chestnut, without any shrimp. The vegetable julienne cannot be too thick or thick, as it will affect the chewing process. To make soon kueh skin or wrapper, use soon kueh premixed flour (Soon Kuay Flour – SunFlower Band) from the supermarket and follow according to the packet instruction.

Preparation: 10 mins, Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients (fillings for 12 pcs or 24 mini pcs)
° 250g yam bean, peeled and shredded
° 50g carrot, peeled and shredded
° 4 water chestnuts, peeled and coarsely chopped
° 1 clove garlic or 1 slice ginger, finely chopped
° 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
° 80ml-120ml water
° ½ tablespoon sugar
° ½ teaspoon salt
° 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
° pepper, to taste

Method
To prepare filling
1. Heat oil in a wok. Add the garlic or ginger and fry till fragrant. Add in all the vegetables and stir-fry briskly. Add the water, salt, sugar, light soy sauce and pepper. Stir fry over high heat for 1 minute, stirring occasionally and simmer until the vegetables is tender.
2. Transfer to a dish and let it cool.

To wrap Soon Kueh
1. Place a piece of flatten soon kueh thin sheet in front of you. Place some of filling in the middle and fold up to form a semi-circle. Pinch to seal. Arrange on a well-greased streaming.

To steam Soon Kueh
1. Steam for 15 minutes or until the soon kueh is translucent. Remove from the streamer and dizzle with garlic oil or olive oil. Cool slightly before serving with chilli sauce.