Chwee Kueh

Ingredients

Batter

• 200 grice flour
• 30 gwheat starch
• 20 gtapioca starch
• 800 mlwater
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 1 tablespoonoil

Chai poh topping

• 250 gpreserved radish, chai poh
• 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4shallots, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoonsoil
• 1 tablespoonsugar
• 1 teaspoonwhite pepper

To serve

• chilli sauce, sambal style
• extra oil, for gloss

Equipment

• small shallow moulds or a mini muffin tray
• a large steamer

Directions

1. Whisk all three flours together in a bowl. Add about half the water gradually. Whisk until it is completely smooth. Add the salt and the oil as well. Now heat the remaining water until it boils.
2. Pour the boiling water into the batter while whisking. Whisk it hard so no lumps form. Strain it through a sieve to be sure. Preparing the chai poh takes some care. Rinse it thoroughly in several changes of water. Soak it for fifteen minutes if it is very salty. Squeeze it dry with your hands. Chop it finely if it is not already minced.
3. Taste a piece to know which you have. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium heat. Fry the shallots until they are golden. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Do not let the garlic burn or it turns bitter.
4. Add the chopped radish to the wok. Fry it for a good ten minutes. Stir it constantly as it dries out. It should darken and smell strongly savoury. Add the sugar and the white pepper. Keep frying until it is dry and slightly crisp. Taste it and adjust the sugar. It should be salty with a clear sweet edge.
5. Set up a large steamer with plenty of water. Oil the moulds or the muffin tray lightly. Set them in the steamer and heat them for two minutes. Hot moulds give a much better set. Whisk the batter well before every pour. The starch settles fast and must be mixed back in. Fill each mould about three quarters full. Cover the steamer and steam them for fifteen minutes.
6. Wrap the lid in a cloth to catch condensation. The centre should sink into a shallow dip. Let them cool in the moulds for five minutes. Run a thin blade around the edge of each one.
7. Lift them out carefully with a spoon. They are soft and tear easily when hot. Set them on a plate as you go. Serving them is done while warm. Arrange the cakes on a plate, dip side up. Spoon a generous heap of chai poh into each dip. Serve chilli sauce on the side. They soften and go stale within a few hours.

Technique

• Chai poh, salted preserved radish, is central to the dish and is sold both sweetened and unsweetened.
• The sweetened kind needs less sugar added during frying.

Substitutions

• Cornflour can replace wheat starch, though the cake will be less translucent.
• Any small shallow mould works, and Singapore stalls use dedicated metal saucers.

Variations

• Some stalls fry the chai poh with dried shrimp for extra depth.
• A version with more chilli mixed into the topping is sold at some stalls.
• The related Teochew dish png kueh uses a similar rice skin around a glutinous rice filling.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chwee Kueh?

Chwee Kueh is a breakfast from Singapore: steamed rice cakes topped with salty preserved radish and chilli.

How long does Chwee Kueh take to make?

Chwee Kueh takes 30 minutes of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 24 cakes. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Chwee Kueh?

Yes, within limits. Cornflour can replace wheat starch, though the cake will be less translucent. Any small shallow mould works, and Singapore stalls use dedicated metal saucers.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chwee Kueh?

Taste a piece to know which you have. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium heat. Fry the shallots until they are golden. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Do not let the garlic burn or it turns bitter.