Yam Ring

 芋头圈 / 佛钵

Yam ring or yam basket or fatt put (in cantonese) is usually served during festive occasions.  It is served with a mixture of stir-fried vegetables and chicken or seafood (prawns/ scallops).

Ingredients: 

300g taro, steamed

60g wheat flour

30g pork lard

90ml hot boiling water 

1/2 tsp baking powder

Seasoning: 1/2 tsp of salt, 

1/8 tsp ground white pepper, 1/8 tsp five spice powder

Method: 

1. Peel and cut the yam into small pieces. Steam for 10mins until it turns soft, mashed through sieve while hot. Mix in the seasoning and set aside.

2. Slowly add the hot boiling water to the wheat flour and mix continously using a pair of chopsticks. You will get a thick and sticky white paste/dough. Add this, pork lard and baking powder into the taro (step 1) and mix until well combined. Knead to form a smooth dough, wrap it in plastic/cling wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 30minutes until the dough is firmer (to facilitate shaping).

3. Remove from fridge and unwrap the yam dough. Sprinkle some wheat flour on the benchtop and on the yam dough. Shape the yam ring by poking the centre of the dough with your thumb and pressing gently with fingers to form a wide and shallow ring. Note: shallow rings will require lesser oil to fry! Place the yam ring on a strainer with holes.

4. Heat up cooking oil in wok. When the oil temperature has reached approximately 160 degree celcius, lower the yam ring (with strainer) into the hot oil. Use a laddle to spoon the oil over the yam ring if necessary. Deep fry until the yam ring turns golden brown.

5. Cook the filling with vegetables and meat of your choice, and stuff it into the yam ring. 

Kueh Pie Tee

 

Little crispy cups stuffed to the brim with tasty turnip fillings are my family's favourite and served in almost all of our family gatherings. 

Ingredients (makes about 100 shell)

For Kueh Pie Tee Shell

60g plain flour

180g rice flour

30g corn flour

Half teaspoon salt

1 egg (60g nett) - lightly beaten

400ml water

For Kueh Pie Tee Filling

1 turnip (bang kwang / jicama)

1 carrot

1 piece dried squid (rehydrated and cut into thin strips)

handful dried shrimps (rehydrated and chopped into small pieces)

3 strips of smoked bacon (cut into small pieces)

8 shallots (finely chopped) 

Seasoning: 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon salt

Method

Kueh Pie Tee Shell

Sieve the 3 flours together. Mix salt into the flour. Make a well in the centre of flour and add beaten egg. Use a small whisk to mix in 1 direction. Add water slowly and whisk until you get a smooth batter. Strain the batter to remove lumps. Set aside the batter to rest for 1 hour. 

After an hour, stir the batter and pour some into a small cup (deep enough to submerge the special mold for the kueh pie tee shell). Note to self: use NYPS souvenir cup

Heat up oil in pot over low heat and fully submerge the mold (to heat it up). Lift the mold from oil, shake off excess oil and dip the mold vertically into the batter until almost to the top (95%). Dip the mold into the hot oil until it is almost submerged. When the shell turns light brown, either jiggle the mold up and down to loosen the shell from the mold or use a chopstick to gently separate the shell from the mold. Use chopstick to turn the shell around in the oil so that it is evenly cooked. When the shell is golden in colour, transfer it to a wire rack to cool. Repeat process until the batter is used up. Store the shells in an air tight container to retain crispiness. The shells keep well for a week.

Kueh Pie Tee Filling

Cut turnip and carrot into thin strips.

Fry bacon until crispy and set aside. Using the fat released from frying bavon, fry shallots until golden brown and set aside. Fry dried shrimps until fragrant and set aside. Fry dried squid until fragrant and set aside. These will serve as toppings.

Using oil left from frying shallots/shrimps/squid, stir fry carrot and turnip until they are soft. Add water (around 200ml, from soaking shrimps and squid) and seasoning. Bring to boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the toppings. 

Assemble Kueh Pie Tee

To serve, stuff the filling into each shell.