For this Mother's Day weekend, I thought I'd post a recipe channeling the kitchen love of my beloved grandmother. Steamed Taro Cake (芋頭糕) or Wu Tau Gao is a savory steamed rice cake chocked full of meat, veg and of course, taro. Sadly, I never learned how to make this dish from Grandma, but I do recall her grinding her own rice flours to make this dish.
While Wu Tau Gao can be eaten fresh (after it has cooled from the initial steam), it is best served sliced and pan fried to golden perfection. The crispy outside and tender, melt in your mouth inside is something you'll have to experience for yourself. I love to eat it with a dab of chili soybean paste. YUM!
I did a bunch of reading and research on the how to prepare it and finally landed on the recipe you see below.
steamed taro cake (芋頭糕)
3/4 lb taro root
1 1/2 cups rice flour (not glutinous rice flour)
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs fish sauce (optional)
4 green onions chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
3-4 Chinese sausage (lop cheung) diced
6-8 Chinese black mushroom
10-15 Dried Shrimp
3 cups of water - 1 cup boiled for shrimp and mushroom; 2 cups for batter
Prepare the taro
Peel and dice taro into 1/2" cubes. Boil taro in a pot of water until just tender, making sure shape remains in tact. Drain well. Toss taro with sesame oil and fish sauce if using. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the shrimp and mushrooms
Place shrimp and mushroom in separate bowls. Add 1/2 cup boiling water to each bowl to soak the ingredients. If necessary place a plate on top to fully immerse the ingredients into the water. Let stand for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, drain shrimp and mushrooms, saving the soaking liquid. Be sure to drain any sediment that may have been released during soaking. Chop mushrooms into small bite sized pieces. It may be necessary to do the same with the shrimp depending on the size you use. Set both aside
Prepare the filling
Heat a large frying pan and brown sausage. There should be plenty of fat in the sausage to prevent it from sticking. Add shrimp and mushroom and continue to stir until fragrant. Add taro and toss until just heated. Remove pan from heat.
Prepare the batter
In a mixing bowl combine the rice flour with 2 cups of lukewarm water and the reserved soaking liquid. Whisk this batter until smooth. Fold green onions, cilantro and filling into the batter. Be careful not to break or mash the taro. You want the cake to have distinct 'chunking'.
Steam
Pour mixture into a greased 9" cake pan. Steam cake for 45-60 minutes. The cake will be extremely soft when cooking time is complete. Allow cake to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.
To serve
Slice cake into 1/2" thick slices and pan fry until crisp and golden brown on each side. Serve with chili sauce or any of your favorite dipping sauces.
