Steamed yam cake - 1st recipe from my "nai nai" (Mother in law)

Yam cake is the 1st recipe that I had learnt from my mother in law. She used to make yam cake for family and friends when they had parties in their homes. Her yam cake was commended as "ho chak" (delicious) as she's never stingy with ingredients.

It's a pretty long and tedious process to make yam cake but if you've got the passion for cooking, do try this recipe.

Size of serving : 32cm tray

Bowl = Chinese soup bowl

Pre-preparation:-
(1) Small red onions, sliced and fried till golden brown – 600g
(2) Dried prawns, cleaned by soaking in water and subsequently minced into fine pieces – 3 / 4 a bowl
(3) Mushroom (medium size), cleaned by soaking in water and subsequently minced into fine pieces – 4 to 5 pcs

Dressing:-

(4) Red chilies, cleaned and minced finely – 2 pcs

(5) Spring onions, cleaned and sliced medium fine – as per preference

** Above can be done and kept in the fridge the day before except red onions, to keep in a air tight Tupperware / container

Liquid mixture – to soak for at least 30 – 45 minutes prior to cooking and weave liquid mixture into another bowl before pouring into work

(1) 6 bowls of clean water (fill till 1 cm left from top of bowl)

(2) Tepung beras – 1 packet (500 g I think)

(3) Corn flour – 1 spoon (full)

(4) Salt – 1 spoon

(5) Sugar – 2 spoons

Yam – 2 small to medium size yams, cut into small cubes (to cut on the day of cooking and put into fridge if not cooking immediately)

Cooking instruction
(1) Pour about 5 – 6 table spoons of oil

(2) Fry a spoonful of red onions

(3) Pour minced dried prawn into wok and stir fry

=> To take out a portion of dried prawns for dressing

(4) Pour minced mushroom into work and stir fry

(5) Pour yam pieces into work and stir fry

(6) Pour fried onions (600g) into work and stir fry

=> To take out a portion of fried onions for dressing

(7) Pour weaved liquid mixture into wok

(8) Add salt, sugar and pepper – taste to check that it’s ok

(9) Constantly mix contents of work with ladle till mixture is “keat” or solid

(10) Once mixture is solid, turn off fire

Steaming instruction

(1) Slightly grease the steaming tray

(2) Pour fried mixture into tray and even it out

(3) Put tray into a wok with boiling water

(4) Steam for about 1.5 hour

After 1.5 hr, to keep yam cake to cool for about 4 hours before putting the dressing on top (fried dried prawns and onions, minced red chilies and chopped spring onions)

Note: If you want to add minced pork, you need to pour into wok after step no. (4). Amount of pork should be not more than 1/2 a bowl.

Also, if you want to make it in a smaller tray (which I do), just cut everything into half.