Taro Cake
Taro Cake (芋頭糕) is a classic Chinese dish with an earthy, creamy interior and a crispy, golden brown exterior. It is filled with umami shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage and dried shrimp. Enjoy it as a dim sum dish or for your Lunar New Year celebration!
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Pan
- Large Bowl
- Steaming Rack
- Wok
Ingredients
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrated, steams removed, finely minced
- 4 Chinese sausage finely minced
- ½ cup dried shrimp small sized, reconstitued in hot water for 30 minutes
- 2 lb taro peeled, cut half into matchsticks and the other half into ¼ inch cubes
- 300 g rice flour
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- pepper to taste
- 6 cups chicken stock divided
- green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the mushroom, sausage and shrimp mixture: Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a little bit of oil. Saute the rehydrated mushrooms, chopped sausage and reconstituted shrimp for 3 minutes.
- Cook the taro: Add 3.5 cups of chicken broth and taro to the pan. Cook until taro softens over a low simmer, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Combine ingredients: In a large bowl, add rice flour, five spice powder and pepper to 2.5 cups of chicken broth. Mix until combined. Stir the flour mixture to the warm taro mixture. The consistency should resemble a thick pancake batter.
- Steam: Brush two loaf pans liberally with any neutral oil. Pour into two loaf pans. Place loaf pan into any pot with a lid that will accommodate a loaf pan and a steaming rack. Fill pot with water to come up to 1 inch below the loaf pan. Steam over medium to high heat until the Taro Cake solidifies, about 1 hour until the it is set and firm to the touch. Check water levels periodically due to long steaming time.
- Slice and Pan-Fry: Remove the loaf pan from the wok. Let cool for at least one hour. Loosen with a knife or spatula on the sides and turn out onto a cutting board. Slice the Taro Cake into 1/2 inch slices and pan-fry until golden brown on the outside over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side. This step imparts a delightful crispiness to the exterior, creating a delightful contrast to the soft, flavorful interior. Sprinkle with green onions and serve with your favourite sauce, like Maggi, Sriracha or oyster sauce.
Notes
Select a taro that is large and white with purple veins on the inside. This variety of is starchy and has the earthy sweetness that is best suited for this recipe. The small fuzzy taro should not be used because of the slimy texture and are not right for this recipe.
You may need to replenish the water due to the long steaming time. Check water levels occasionally without letting out too much steam.
Grate the taro for a smoother texture in the final dish.
If using dried shrimp, soak them in hot water for about 15-20 minutes before incorporating them into the mixture. This helps rehydrate the shrimp and infuse their flavour into the Taro Cake.
Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms by submerging it under water and soaking them overnight.
Once steamed, let the Taro Cake cool for at least one hour before slicing to ensure clean, well-defined pieces. When pan-frying, use medium heat and cook until both sides are golden brown for a crispy exterior.
Adjust the thickness of the Taro Cake slices based on personal preference. Thicker slices will have a softer interior, while thinner slices will result in a crispier texture.
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