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Yam Cake (Or Kuih) - Steamed cake made from yam pieces, dried prawns and rice flour, and usually served with a chilli dipping sauce.
Table of Contents
Or Kuih
Whenever I visit Malaysia, I always indulge in a variety of kuih, the local sweet or savory cakes. One of my favorites is yam cake “Or Kuih” made from yam (known as taro in the US). Despite my love for it, I’ve never tried making kuih in the US.
This recipe is contributed by Bread et Butter.
Yam cake or “or kuih” literally means yam and “kuih” means snack or cake. This popular dish in Malaysia and Singapore is a steamed cake made from yam pieces, dried prawns, and rice flour. It’s often topped with crispy fried shallots, spring onions, chilies, and more dried prawns, and served with a spicy chili dipping sauce.
You know, I don’t know why I never tried making yam cake before, because it’s actually pretty simple! There’s some prep work involved in dicing the yam, but overall it’s quite easy.
The best part of the recipe is that it uses rice bowls for measuring. The ratio is straightforward: 2 bowls of water, 1 bowl of flour, and 1½ bowls of yam. This method is flexible—slight variations in the measurements won’t affect the final product much.
The size of your bowl doesn’t need to be exact, as long as it’s a Chinese rice bowl (not a wide, shallow cereal bowl). Just stick to the 2:1:1½ ratio, and you’re good to go.
What To Serve With Yam Cake
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih)
Ingredients
For the kuih:
- 1½ bowls yam, diced into 1-2cm cubes
- 1 bowl rice flour
- 2 tablespoons wheat starch
- 2 bowls water
- ½ – ¾ bowl dried shrimps, heh bee – I used ¾ bowl because I cannot express how much I love an abundance of it in or kuih
- 5 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
For the topping:
- deep fried shallots, I buy mine ready fried from Chinatown
- spring onions, sliced finely
- red chillies, sliced finely
- dried shrimps, heh bee, chopped finely and fried (optional – you can just put more heh bee in the actual cake)
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat and fry the onions and dried shrimp until aromatic, about 3-5 minutes. Add the cubed yam to the pan and fry it with the onion and dried shrimp mixture until browned.
- In a separate bowl, mix the rice flour, wheat starch, and water, stirring until it forms a smooth paste, making sure there are no lumps. Slowly add the flour mixture to the pan, stirring until everything forms a thick paste. Add the salt, pepper, and five-spice powder, and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl or plate and steam over high heat for 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
- To serve, sprinkle with deep-fried shallots, chopped spring onions, sliced chilies, and chopped dried shrimp. A side of chili sauce is also highly recommended.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I add in dried mushroom?
Hi Jane. Yes you can add reconstituted dried mushrooms. Chop them into small pieces.
Can i add more wheat starch as I like it soft?
You can try!
Hi, what can i replace if i don’t have 5 spice in hand?
Skip.
What can I replace the heh bee with as my son cannot eat prawns?
Heh bee is a must in or kuih.
Try replacing with Chinese sausage instead like luobuo gau (radish cake instead of yam). Cut sausage into small pcs and fry, the rest as per recipe. Hope it helps those allergic to prawns.