Chwee Kueh (Steamed Rice Cake with Chai Poh)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 45 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
Small steamed rice cakes with a shallow dip in the middle, each one topped with a spoonful of chai poh: preserved radish fried with garlic and soy until salty and browned at the edges.
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The cake itself is just rice flour, water, and salt, so it tastes of almost nothing and stays soft. All the seasoning sits on top, with sambal chili on the side for heat. Teochew hawkers in Singapore and Malaysia sell it for breakfast, often from stalls that make nothing else.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Put 180g rice flour, 420ml water, and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl.
Whisk thoroughly, scraping the bottom and sides, until the batter is thin, smooth, and free of dry pockets or lumps.
- 2
Prepare small heatproof steaming cups and whisk the batter once more before pouring, since rice flour settles quickly.
Fill each cup about 80% full, then skim surface bubbles with a spoon for a smoother top.
- 3
Bring the steamer water to a full boil before setting in the cups, then cover the steamer.
Steam over medium-high heat for about 12 minutes, keeping the lid closed so the centers set evenly.
- 4
Insert a chopstick or skewer into a cake.
If it comes out clean, turn off the heat; if any surface water has pooled, tilt the cup gently, then rest the cakes in their molds for 1 minute.
- 5
If the preserved radish tastes very salty, rinse it briefly and squeeze out excess water.
Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a pan over medium heat, then saute 1 tsp minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, not browned.
- 6
Add 100g preserved radish and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until moisture reduces and the edges look lightly golden.
Stir in 1 tbsp soy sauce, spoon the topping into each rice cake indentation, and serve immediately.
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