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Recipe details are AI-generated from the video and may contain errors — for reference only.
schedulePrepare in advance
Soak dried scallops in water 2 hours in advance, then chop. Soak dried shrimp and mushrooms until water is absorbed, then chop. Cut taro along the grain into uniform cubes, avoiding cutting them too small.
Watch out
If taro cubes are cut too small, they will melt completely when stir-fried with soup, ruining the powdery texture.
In a large bowl, mix 130g rice flour and 35g wheat starch. Add 0.5 cup unsalted chicken broth and 0.5 cup shrimp and scallop soaking water, mixing thoroughly until completely smooth with no lumps.
Watch out
When mixing the batter, it must be stirred thoroughly until completely free of lumps
otherwise, the batter will clump after steaming and ruin the texture
Heat wok, add 1 tbsp cooking oil. Stir-fry 35g dried shrimp over medium-low heat until fragrant and bouncing in the wok. Add 35g preserved pork belly and 55g Chinese sausage, stir-frying until oily and smoking. Add 3 shopped shiitake mushrooms, then add 10g dried scallops, stir-frying until fragrant.
local_fire_departmentmedium-low heat stir-fryWatch out
Use medium-low heat when stir-frying dried shrimp and preserved meats
too high heat will char the surface before the flavors release
Clean and reheat wok, add 2 tbsp cooking oil. Stir-fry 400g taro cubes until surfaces turn light brown and aromatic. Add 1 tsp five-spice powder, stir-frying constantly until fragrant. Pour in 1.5 cups water, 1 tsp salt, 0.25 tsp sesame oil, 0.25 tsp brown sugar, and a pinch of white pepper, stirring well.
local_fire_departmentmedium heat stir-fryWatch out
After adding five-spice powder, stir constantly until fragrant before adding water
otherwise, the powder will taste raw
Cover the wok and simmer over high heat for 4 minutes until taro starts to soften. Open the lid and gently press the taro with a spatula to release its powdery texture.
local_fire_departmenthigh heat simmer 4 minutesWatch out
Simmering on high heat and mashing some taro is essential
otherwise, the taro won't absorb flavors and release its texture properly
Add the stir-fried preserved meats into the taro, then pour in the prepared batter. Stir-fry quickly until the batter blends completely with the taro and ingredients into a thick paste, then turn off the heat immediately.
local_fire_departmentmedium-low heat until thickWatch out
Once the batter is poured in, stir quickly until combined and turn off the heat immediately
otherwise, it will stick to the bottom and burn
Be careful of steam burns when handling boiling water in the steamer, keep distance when adding water.
Transfer the taro cake mixture into a rectangular mold, press down firmly and smooth the surface. Once water boils, steam in a wok over high heat for 1 hour, adding water around the edges every 15 minutes without opening the lid.
local_fire_departmenthigh heat steam 1 hourWatch out
Never open the lid midway through steaming
otherwise, the temperature drop will prevent the cake from cooking through or cause it to collapse
Remove the steamed taro cake and let it cool completely before slicing. Avoid straight downward cutting; use a back-and-forth sawing motion to cut smooth thick slices.
Watch out
The freshly steamed taro cake is extremely soft
it must cool completely before slicing, otherwise it will crumble and fall apart
Add a little oil to a pan (about 2 tsp oil for 4 pieces of cake), pan-fry the taro cake over low heat until both sides are golden brown. After frying, dab away excess oil with kitchen paper towels before serving.
local_fire_departmentlow heat pan-fryWatch out
Pan-frying the cake requires low heat and little oil
high heat will char the outside before the inside is heated through
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