Taro Cake
- Sophia Cheng
- Mar 3, 2020
- 2 min read
A sister to the popular radish cake, taro cake has a purple-hue and brings a distinct, starchy texture to every bite.
For taro-lovers, taro cake is a must have, especially when ordering dim sum. To me, since it was first introduced as a breakfast item, it never had to battle for a spot at the dim sum table (and come 2nd to radish cake).
I first became acquainted, and then besotted with, this version of "rice cake" in the daytime food markets in Taiwan, where they would sell them by the slabs. You could eat them, fluffy and loaded with bits of taro, right then and there. Or you take it home, cut it up, and pan-fry them. Topped with xo sauce or a sweet chili sauce- a match made in heaven.
Servings: 10
Ingredients
1lb (500g) taro
3 tbs dried shrimps soaked overnight
6 pieces garlic, chopped or 1/4 cup minced shallots
1 tsp five spice powder
1/2 cup oil
0.55lb (250g) rice flour （粘米粉）
0.1lb (50g) tapioca flour （木薯粉）
2 cups (470ml) cups water
2 tsp five spice powder
2 tsp chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
¼ cup oil
(Optional) mashed taro
Steps
1. Soak dried shrimps overnight.
2. Chop taro into medium sized cubes (1cm)
3. Take dried shrimps out of the water and reserve the water. Mince garlic and dried shrimps.
4. Make the batter: mix rice flour, tapioca flour, 1 tsp five spice powder, chicken stock, salt, and white pepper together. Then, add water, including the reserved water from the dried shrimp. Stir until everything is incorporated and mixture is smooth.
5. Fry the garlic and shrimp until the color of the garlic begins to darken towards a golden brown. Remove from the pan.
6. Add taro pieces into the same pan, and pan fry at high heat until the outside is golden brown. It should also be mostly cooked through at this stage.
7. Season with the rest of the five spice and toss in the fried garlic and shrimp
8. Bring the heat to low, and pour in the batter.
9. Stir and let the batter cook partway. It will begin to thicken after a minute. At this point, it is ready to steam.
10. Pour the batter into a 9 inch pan
11. Optional step: add the sweet mashed taro , thinly spreading it on top.
12. Pour ¼ cup of oil over the surface of the cake. This will give the final product a glossy look.
13. Steam for 45 minutes, or 20 minutes in a multi-use cooker like an Instant Pot. If you use a multi-use cooker, let it naturally release.
14. Take the cake out, and let it cool.
15. Top with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
16. Serve with xo sauce, sweet chili and vinegar, or eat as is.
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