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

Cook Time 1

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

Chinese Yam Cake (Woo Thau Koe) - Quick FAQ

How much does one rice bowl of yam translate into in terms of grams?
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.

2. Should the yam be chunky, grated, or blended?

It’s personal preference:

Chunky → creamy pockets + texture

Grated → softer mixture

Blended → smooth kuih (more commercial-style)

Your version uses slightly chunky yam for soft cubes throughout the cake.

3. Why fry the yam before steaming?

Lightly frying the yam enhances flavour, releases natural starch, helps the yam hold shape, and creates a creamier interior. But don’t fry too long, or it becomes leathery.

6. How do I know if I’ve fried the yam enough?

Stop frying when the edges just start to brown. The yam should smell fragrant but still soften later during steaming.

7. Why are dried prawns (hae bee) important?

Dried prawns give a savoury punch and add umami. Mum’s signature method is adding them inside the batter, not just on top, so every bite is flavourful.

8. Should I oil the trays or use parchment paper?

Old-school cooks oil the tray for clean cuts. If you find it hard to remove, line the tray with parchment paper so you can lift the entire cake out before slicing.

9. Why did my rice flour paste separate?

Rice flour separates if left sitting too long. Mix only when ready to use and immediately combine with the yam mixture.

10. Why is my yam cake hard or rubbery?

Likely reasons:

Too much rice flour

Overcooking the batter before steaming

Over-steaming

Not enough yam

Stop stirring as soon as the batter thickens and offers the first sign of resistance.

11. How do I prevent the yam cake from being too soft?

Don’t add too much water.

Don’t undercook the batter

Allow it to cool fully before slicing

12. How do I store and reheat yam cake?

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Steam or airfry to reheat. Avoid microwaving as it can make it tough

13. Why does homemade yam cake taste better than store-bought?

Commercial versions often use more rice flour and very little yam. Homemade versions, like Mum’s, use generous amounts of yam and toppings, making them more flavourful and satisfying.

Keyword traditional food, yam