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Woo Thau Koh (Yam Cake) 芋头糕

Posted on April 7, 2020July 8, 2021 By Alexandra Wong No Comments on Woo Thau Koh (Yam Cake) 芋头糕

A savoury cake that Malaysians eat as a traditional snack, yam cake or woo thau koh is the ultimate flavour bomb.

We’re right smack into the 2nd phase of the COVID19 MCO as I write this.

Last week, I was getting bored of the usual Chinese dishes and pastas, and started fantasizing about some kopitiam food. Being Hakka, I yearned for some good old yam cake or woo thau koh (in Cantonese)/or kueh (Hokkien).

Imagine biting into soft chunks of lightly spiced yam, crispy shallots, dried prawns, roasted peanuts, scallions and chilli sauce.

Mum’s yam cake is always the best

Help my mouth is watering! A word of warning: making this involves a whole lot of chopping, peeling, pounding and frying, but totally worth the effort.

While yam cake is sold at many kopitiam and roadside stalls, there’s nothing quite like making your own. Most of the commercial ones comprise mostly rice flour and very little yam. This version … err, let’s say Dad calls it the “you better not sell this or you’ll go bankrupt” version, haha!

Some trivia. Dad, a World War 2 baby, told me that he ate a lot of sweet potatoes, tapioca and yam during the war because they were easy to grow. I guess that’s why tubers and root vegetables figure frequently in Hakka recipes.

What you need

Yam, rice flour and water These ingredients form your batter. I measure out these three ingredients using bowls in a ratio of 1.5: 1: 2. Some like to chop the yam into strands. Some like to blend it into oblivion so that everything’s a smooth paste. Personally, I like it slightly chunky so that I can enjoy the texture of the soft cooked yam.

Seasonings You only need salt, white pepper and five-spice powder.

Fillings and toppings Mum’s yam cake is better than everyone else’s because she adds crispy fried shallots and dried prawns inside the cake. Most people (commercial versions, at least) just scatter these condiments on top of the cake after steaming.

Other toppings Don’t forget the fried peanuts, scallions and chopped red chillis.

Key tips that will make or break your yam cake

Frying the yam Be careful not to fry the yam too long. Just cook the yam until the edges start to brown. Yam that has been over-fried at this stage will become leathery and tough. You want to achieve a consistency whereby, the yam cake is creamy yet still has bite.

Dried shrimp How much you add is really up to your preference. Some people love hae bee, so they might add more. Dried shrimp is salty, so remember to adjust the amount of salt you add according to how much of the former you add. The salt should be inversely proportional to the amount of hae bee. For example, if you add 3/4 bowl of hae bee, add 1/4 tsp salt and if you add 1/2 bowl hae bee, increase the salt to 1/2 tsp.

Parchment paper or oil? Before steaming, you’re supposed to pour the yam mixture into a tray. My mum – and all old-school cooks, I presume – rubs oil on the tray so she can easily cut the yam cake later. And she succeeds in cutting ruler-straight pieces WITHIN the tray and dislodges each piece cleanly! Not me though. So I resort to lining my steaming tray with parchment paper, then lift the entire cake out of the tray and cut it like a normal Western-style cake.

Rice flour paste In one of the steps, you need to mix the rice flour with water into a paste. Use it immediately (i.e. mix with the yam). Do not do this step ahead of time. Rice flour will separate from water if you leave it aside.

Don’t overcook the batter Another key to a soft yam cake is not to overcook the batter when you add the rice flour paste to the yam and start stirring. When you feel a slight resistance during the stirring process, the yam batter is ready.

Watch my video on how to make the best yam cake

 

 

Woo Thau Koe (Yam Cake)

Alexandra Wong
A Malaysian steamed savoury cake made of lightly spiced yam served with crispy shallots, crunchy dried prawns, roasted peanuts, spring onions and chilli sauce
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 1 hr
Course Snack
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4

Equipment

  • steamer, wok, pot

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 bowl yam diced into 1-2cm cubes (See Recipe Notes 1) (I use rice bowls)
  • 1 bowl rice flour
  • 2 bowls water (this includes water drained from soaking dried prawns)
  • 1 tbs cornstarch or tapioca starch
  • 1/2-3/4 bowl dried shrimps
  • 8 shallots, chopped
  • 1/2-1 tsp five-spice powder
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 2-3 tbsp cooking oil

Toppings

  • 3/4 bowl roasted peanuts, chopped
  • 2 fresh red chillies, sliced thinly
  • 2-3 stalks spring onion, chopped finely

Instructions
 

  • Wash dried shrimps and soak in half a bowl of water for 15 min. Drain, dry and chop shrimps. Reserve soaking water.
  • Heat oil in wok and fry the shallots until golden. Remove and set aside. Using the same oil, fry shrimp until crispy. Remove and set aside.
  • In the same oil, fry cubed yam for 2-3 minutes until slightly softer or until the edges start to brown slightly.
    Mix in half of the fried shallots and dried shrimp. Season with five spice power and salt. Leave yam in the wok to continue cooking later.
  • Combine shrimp soaking water and water to make up 2 bowls of liquid. Add in rice flour and cornstarch. Stir until well mixed - rice flour has a tendency to separate from the liquid, so stir well.
  • Now, add flour paste to the yam mixture in wok. Cook over very low heat, stirring until it forms a smooth paste. Watch closely as rice flour paste can get lumpy if you don't stir it enough.
  • Pour mixture into an oiled or parchment-lined steaming tray. Steam over high heat for one hour. Half an hour in, check water level in case it dries out as you're steaming over high heat. If surface still looks runny/watery, steam 10-15 minutes more.
  • Remove from heat and let cool for 45 minutes at least. The yam cake will harden when it cools. Before serving, sprinkle with chopped spring onions, sliced chillies, peanuts, and remaining fried shallots and dried shrimp mixture.

Notes

  1. Using rice bowls means that nothing is perfectly accurate in terms of weight, but some degree of variation actually doesn’t affect the final result too much. But for the record, the yam I used weighed about 400g before slicing off the skin and end bits.
Keyword traditional food, yam

 

Wanna try more traditional Malaysian recipes? Check out this crowd-pleasing nyonya otak-otak!

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Cakes & Sweets, Chinese, Malaysian Tags:Chinese cooking, one-pan meal, traditional Malaysian food

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Who’s Ipohbunny, lah?

Welcome!

I’m Alexandra Wong, a self-taught Malaysian home cook on a mission to simplify and healthify recipes using affordable quality ingredients. I am a writer by profession, mostly known for my feelgood stories about people, travel and food.

ipohbunny

I love all sorts of cakes, but carrot cake is sacr I love all sorts of cakes, but carrot cake is sacred territory.

My mum used to make it. Her cakes were wondrously crumbly and moist, and filled with so many goodies (We Ipoh people call it "toh liu") that nothing sold outside has ever, ever come close. 

Until @grumpyoldman_bakes

I didn't plan on ordering his cake, honestly. But I'd had to rush back to Ipoh for an emergency, and after some very stressful days, I figured I deserve a cake. Cakes make everything better right?

I'd read him waxing lyrical about his carrot cake and against my better judgement, I decided to order one. Gulp, risky. But what's life without some risk?

He was so sweet and helpful in his interactions, and even tolerated my unnecessary rambling (I express to destress). 

When I popped the box lid open, I gasped at how pretty it was. The whole cake was covered in thick frosting and topped with fresh walnuts. 

And then I cut a slice for mum and was even more shocked. You could see the grated carrot and nuts - it was so generous portioned - but the proof was in the tasting. MUm's tasting, to be exact.

She took a  bite and smiled approvingly. "It's so moist inside!"

That is the HIGHEST compliment, in my opinion, one can ever pay a carrot cake. So many out there guilty of dry, pebbly abominations. 

I took a bite and immediately noticed how fresh it tasted. And, I realised, tears springing to my eyes, how close it was to Mum's version, which I last ate more than 20 years ago. 

Thank you Chris for awakening these wonderful memories. 

#carrotcake #grumpyoldmanbakes #ipohbaker #homebaker #ipohhomebaker
I made my own #salmon #gravlax!!! #achievementunlo I made my own #salmon #gravlax!!! #achievementunlocked

It was not bad, just too salty but I have an idea where I went wrong

1. I initially soaked the slab of fish in a mixture of salt, sugar, star anise, peppercorn - and pickle juice because one of the chef recipes indicated so. 

2. However, when I read some other recipes, I realised none of them recommended soaking the fish in any liquid. In fact the salt is supposed to draw the liquid out of the salmon. True enough, when I checked the salmon after 18 hours, I found the flesh was still soft and raw. I suspected the culprit was the brine, so I poured it away. 

3. Then I packed on some more salt and wrapped it tightly in cling film and poked holes to let the liquid drain. I did it this way because I feel nervous about putting a heavy slab on top of the fish - scared the weight will break the fridge shelves!

4. Anyway, I think my method worked because after 36 hours, the flesh had firmed up visibly so I knew curing had taken place. Yay!

5. I could slice it quite easily, even though I didn't have a sharp knife. However, it was definitely too salty. More Googling. Turns out that I should use coarse kosher salt, instead of regular table salt otherwise the salmon would be too salty. Ah.

All in all, a pretty decent effort for a first timer. One more notch on my culinary belt :)

Edit: Just had an idea. I can always make salmon pate. By mixing the salmon with other ingredients, I redistribute the saltiness, so the salt is less concentrated. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPUfeKMpdGB/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

#salmongravlax #homemadegravlax #homecooking #Malaysianhomecook #cookwithipohbunny #ipohbunnyrecipes #fish #easyrecipe
OK, @higherground.my is an unapologetic Instagram OK, @higherground.my is an unapologetic Instagram bait - and I'm an unapologetic Gen Xer with the heart of a #cafehopping Gen Z-er 😀

I wanted to come since spotting it on @penangfoodie So did half the Penang Gen Z population too. Though I think my hubby and I probably increased the median age by at least 20 years when we stepped in, haha! 

Flat white (RM14) and hot chocolate (RM16) were watery. Cakes looked generic, so didn't feel like trying. Hope the food will improve, cos the place is damn gorgeous.

Nice for people watching. 

#penangcafes #penangfoodie #cafehoppg #coffee #coffeegram #malaysiancafes #cafegram #cafespotting
@oowhitecoffee So did this super popular upmarket @oowhitecoffee

So did this super popular upmarket kopitiam live up to the hype?

One sentence: Come for the coffee. Which is really what made this place famous. Mum kept raving about how good her "kopi oh ping" was and my Kopi ais was excellent too. You can take away the coffee in convenient bottles too, which I found out is quite common in Penang outlets with a strong coffee brand like Stall 76 Batu Lanchang, SBK Concept etc. 

Other pros: clean, comfortable, elderly-friendly environment. When asked how his chicken hor fun was, Dad commented, "Tastier than the Ipoh version." He downed the whole bowl of soup! Both their HK and Portuguese egg tarts were well made. 

The cons: Mum was not impressed with the hokkien mee. In fact, I have yet to find one in Penang that meets her sky-high standards. As for my nasi lemak I believe I can cook better sambal and rice lah 😅 (thank you @che_nom) though the tasty fried chicken made up for it. Hubs' tan chi (softboiled egg over buttered toast) was nothing to shout about but he did say the bread was good, as it was soft and had body, like brioche. 

Be forewarned. If you arrive after 8am on a weekend, good luck to you circling around the area looking for parking. I dragged my parents out at 7.20am. We came before twice at 9+am and lunchtime, both unsuccessful because there was just no parking in the vicinity. Oh and expect higher than average Penang prices, though I think KL folks won't feel much pain paying RM10+ for a bowl of noodles 😂

#oowhitecoffee #foodblogger #Malaysianfoodblogger #kopitiam #penangfood #Penangkopitiam #Malaysianfoodie #penangcafe
After trying out so many famous #Nyonyarestaurant After trying out so many famous  #Nyonyarestaurants, Bibik's Kitchen remains my undisputed No 1 choice. Yes, it's not so well known nor does it appear on that many "best of" lists, but that's because the food here is cooked home-style. Nor are they active on socmed. 

Meaning the taste is not so commercial because there is no msg, no excessive amounts of salt or chilli - the dishes are made using generations-old family recipes.

And guess what? One of the most critical foodies I know gives it the thumbs-up. My mum :)

I was nervous about bringing her because as a terrific cook herself, her standards are damn high. But she was sold after her first bite of her favourite dish  #otak-otak, which she praised for its super smooth texture, subtle flavours with a strong but not overwhelming fragrance of daun kaduk. "Mum's otak-otak also tastes like this," she commented, referring to herself la. Translation: that's the pinnacle of praise 🤣

Otak2 aside, Bibik's chicken dishes are some of the best. This round, I haven't found Penang any chicken #karikapitan that comes close, and the #inchikabin is superb as well. 

And if you come for lunch, you must try the #Nyonyakuih here, which is actually sold in Kuih by Bibik, run by the Mum Girlie on nearby Lebuh Clarke 

Kuih by Bibik's is THE BEST Penang #nyonyakuih I've eaten - and only a few ppl know because the Nyonya Girlie makes it in very small batches. Unlike the commercially made versions, you can really taste the difference in terms of the quality of ingredients. My mum and I can both make Nyonya kuih (OK I can only make kuih bingka) so we know our stuff lah :p

#penangfood #nyonyacuisine
One of the more delicious discoveries I've made re One of the more delicious discoveries I've made recently in Ipoh, @hyggebakehouseipoh is a cosy #Ipohbakery making their own #shokupan (fluffy and soft while retaining a nice bite) #sourdough and all kinds of cakes, cookies and desserts, including one of the best #brownies I've eaten - very chocolatey and almost as fudgy as @718pizza (which also makes a killer giler-fudgy brownie). Luckily the cafe is quite far from my house, or else very dangerous for my diet haha. Proud too that the quality of bakeries in Ipoh is Comparable to KL. The inside-flowy basque cheesecake at @girliescafe
remains my all time favourite.

Glad I followed your recommendation @milockosong 🤗

#Ipoheats #Ipohcafes
No chicken? Eat duck lor :P Stumbled across @what No chicken? Eat duck lor :P

Stumbled across @whattheducksetia when it was a quirky little cafe on Nagore Road many years ago. Was so impressed by the quality of the food - its fine dining but at such humane prices.

Today, we visited its new incarnation at Setia Spice and the food is as tasty as ever. 

Hubs had the set dinner of duck confit (delectable! I actually crunched the bones!), passion fruit tea, soup and dessert while I had the spicy Indonesian bek bek pasta.

Man, I miss this ❤️

#whattheduck #duckconfit #penangfood #duck
Here's another #cheat #hack you can use if you rea Here's another #cheat #hack you can use if you really feel like eating chicken rice but can't be bothered with the whole song and dance to make proper chicken rice.

Your lifesaver? This super handy, super tasty Bentong ginger paste that I discovered in a market in Pulau Tikus market!!

What else you'll need?
1) Chicken rubbed with salt
2) Chicken stock
3) Rice

That's it!! 

Now, everybody knows that for good chicken rice, the RICE is probably more important than the chicken itself.  It's got to be a flavour bomb, literally. So how do you achieve that?

This is where the magic of the Bentong ginger paste comes in.  Aside from ginger and garlic, it's also seasoned with oyster sauce, salt, etc as well as oil which has been flavoured with all those seasonings. What I did was scoop up a few tsp of the flavoured oil, mix it with the rice and chicken stock, cook it in my rice cooker, and voila, chicken rice! Simple kan?

As for the chicken, just steam it with the ginger paste for 20 minutes and voila, the most delicious chicken rice with just three ingredients!

#3ingredientrecipes #kitchenhack #Chinesecooking #chinesecuisine #homecook #Malaysianhomecook #homechefs #weeknightdinners #easyrecipes
It's been ages since I made #samwongtan or steamed It's been ages since I made #samwongtan or steamed three eggs, the Chinese classic comfort food. I got myself a century egg and salted duck egg from the Batu Lanchang market so decided to make it again.

How do you get flawless steamed 3 eggs?

1. Use an egg: liquid ratio of 1: slightly less than 2. Yes, 2 is the gold standard but I found it just a little on the side of watery so a bit less will do the trick. For the liquid, you can use either water or stock. If you use water, just season more.

2. Whisk the egg mixture until lump free before steaming. 

3. When you are ready to steam, place the egg custard on the steaming tray only when the water is boiling already. Then reduce to medium low and steam for 10 min.

If you have any other good tips, pls leave them in the comments below :) 

#Chinesecooking #homecook #homecooking #eggs #eggdishes #healthyeating #steamedeggs #foodie #Malaysianhomecook #vegetarian #eggrecipes #vegetarianrecipes
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