Yam cake is savory steamed snacks made from taro cubes mixed together with rice flour and then served with fried shallots, scallions and other condiments such as dried shrimps or chopped chili. Yam cake (also known as taro cake) is slightly denser than radish cake which is made from shredded radish and rice flour.

In our city, yam cake is enjoyed in the morning as part of assorted savory cakes served with coffee as well as afternoon snacks served with tea. This is sold in old-style bakery or street side cake vendors. The street side vendors in particular, have wide variety of savory and sweet cakes, and I really wonder how they manage to make them fresh everyday, that must be a lot of work! It has always been a pleasant trip to shop for cakes in those stalls.

My mother makes the best yam cake (don’t we all think the same way about our mothers). She steamed them in high heat for one hour until they solidify into gelatinous mass. The secret for fresh and beautiful yam cake is to “ensemble” them right before serving. The yam cake base is steamed for a while together with the toppings. This way the greens will still be fresh and yet cooked. If it is prepared hours before serving the toppings would be unsightly, soggy and wilting.

They are a lot of work, I have to admit. But they do make the most beautiful hors d’oeuvre, don’t they? Exotic and colorful indeed. They have all the textures you would seek in a bite of cake – smooth (gelatinous rice flour), chewy (yam cubes), crunchy (from fried shallots), nutty (from sesame seeds), spicy (from chopped chili) and wonderfully pungent (from dried shrimps).

Ingredients

For cake base
500 grams char siu pork (restaurant-bought Chinese-style barbeque pork)
1 1/2 kg yam / taro, peeled and cubed (0.5″)
500 grams rice flour, soaked overnight with 2 cups of water
10 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cooking oil
2 liters water

For toppings
100 grams dried shrimps, coarsely chopped
100 grams red chili, seeded and finely chopped
100 grams chinese celery, finely chopped
100 grams scallions, finely chopped
500 grams shallots, finely sliced and deep-fried
50 grams sesame seed, toasted
1/2 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

(A)

• Heat half of cooking oil in a wok or large pan and stir fry half of minced garlic for 4 to 5 minutes till fragrant. Then add the taro cubes, keep stirring.
• Add 2 liters of water and cook for another 10 minutes till boiling and stir continuously to prevent sticking.
• Then add the soaked rice flour and wait till boiling.
• Remove from heat and transfer to heat-proof bowl / casserole dish.
• Steam over high heat for 1 hour. Remove and set aside.

(B)

• Heat another half of cooking oil in the same pan and stir fry the rest of the garlic till fragrant, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the dried shrimps and sugar, stir fry for 5 minutes
• Then add the barbeque pork and stir fry for another 10 minutes.
• When everything is mixed well together, remove from heat

(C)

• When ready to be served, reheat the yam cake base by steaming (A) for 10 minutes, with a covered steamer
• Sprinkle (B) generously on top of the cake. Cover and steam for another 5 minutes
• Add chopped chili on top, cover and steam for 5 minutes
• Lastly, add chopped celery and scallions. Steam for another 5 minutes
• Remove from heat
• Right before serving, top the cake with toasted sesame seeds and fried shallots

Cook’s note

The pork can be substituted with charsiu chicken (Chinese-style barbeque chicken)

To add more color on the cake base, add some finely chopped scallions during (A). I think it is quite unnecessary, but it would be quite attractive to do it.

The base can be refrigerated for days and prepared accordingly (C) and you will always get your yam cake with fresh toppings!

“Sambal Terasi/Sambal Belacan” is a very famous South East Asian chili dip with hint of dried shrimp. The original recipe normally prepared using shrimp paste. The shrimp paste is made from fermented dried shrimp, anchovies and salt – sometimes coloring and artificial flavor – left out in the sun to bake and dry. This is known as belacan / terasi, which is then sold in a form of block wrapped in paper / plastic.

If the pungent smell is too much, dried shrimp can be used instead. Fry them in hot oil till they dry and they can replace the belacan.

This extra special hot dip is eaten with fresh / steamed vegetables (such as cucumber, carrot, string bean, cassava leaves, papaya leaves, cabbage, etc) – as a palate cleanser to other main courses served with steamed rice.

Ingredients

75 gr (20 pcs) red chilies
10 gr (1/4 cup) small green Thai bird’s eye chilies
40 gr (2 tablespoons) shaved palm sugar (gula melaka/gula merah)
2 garlic cloves
2  shallots
20 gr (1/4 cup) small size dried shrimp
1/2 medium size tomato, seeded
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1/2 lime

Instructions

• Cook chilies, garlic, shallots and tomato in a pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes, covered. Drain and set aside. Skin the tomato
• Heat cooking oil in a skillet. Pan fry dried shrimp till dry and crunchy, about 3 -4 minutes
• Pound all ingredients in a mortal using a pestle until fine (or desired consistency). Alternatively, blend them in a food processor / electric blender using high pulse for 5 seconds. Use a spatula, scrape the bottom. Pulse for another 5 seconds
• Serve with fresh vegetables, such as cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes

Cook’s note

This is extremely spicy. If milder dip is preferred, slice open all the chilies and remove the seeds. Also, boiling them longer will result in milder taste.

The amount of chilies used can be reduced and substituted with more tomatoes.

The chilies have to be cooked before processing in blender / mortal & pestle because raw chilies will have the “raw” taste to it. After boiling or pan frying them, the sambal will taste better.

Preparation time 30 minutes

Yield 6 servings