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How to cook Chwee kueh

Chwee kueh are small, soft, slightly wobbly steamed rice cakes made from a rice flour batter, each served topped with a generous spoonful of savoury, crunchy stir-fried preserved radish (chye poh) and a dab of chilli sauce. This is a home-cook version made in small cups using a steamer.

Ingredients

For the rice cakes (makes about 16 small cups)

• 150 g rice flour
• 2 tbsp wheat starch (tang flour)
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 600 ml water, divided into 300 ml cold and 300 ml boiling
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil, plus extra for greasing the cups

For the chye poh topping

• 150 g preserved radish (chye poh), finely chopped
• 4 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp (hae bee), rinsed, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, drained and finely chopped
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

For the chilli sauce

• 8 fresh red chillies, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp dried shrimp (hae bee), soaked and drained
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil

Steps

1. Prepare the radish5 min
   Rinse the chopped chye poh in a bowl of cold water twice to remove excess salt, then squeeze it very dry with your hands or a clean cloth. Taste a piece: it should be mildly salty, not harshly so. Rinse once more if too salty.
2. Dry-fry the radish5 min
   Heat a dry wok or non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the squeezed radish and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until it smells fragrant and looks dry and slightly toasted. Tip it onto a plate and set aside.
3. Fry the aromatics4 min
   Wipe out the wok, then heat 4 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry, stirring, for about 1 minute until pale golden. Add the chopped dried shrimp and fry for 2 minutes until dry and fragrant.
4. Finish the chye poh10 min
   Return the radish to the wok with the sugar, light soy sauce and white pepper. Stir over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the radish is golden, crunchy at the edges and the oil turns a little reddish-gold. Transfer to a bowl, oil included, and set aside.
5. Blend the chilli sauce8 min
   Blend the chillies, garlic, soaked dried shrimp, sugar, salt and 2 tbsp water into a coarse paste. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium-low heat and cook the paste for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until the raw smell is gone and the oil separates slightly. Cool and set aside.
6. Make the batter3 min
   In a large bowl, whisk the rice flour, wheat starch, tapioca starch and salt with 300 ml cold water until completely smooth with no lumps.
7. Thin the batter15 min
   Pour in the 300 ml boiling water in a steady stream while whisking constantly. The mixture will turn slightly translucent and thin, similar to single cream. Stir in 1 tbsp oil. Let it rest for 15 minutes, then whisk again before using, as the flour settles.
8. Heat the steamer3 min
   Brush 16 small heatproof cups or moulds (about 60 ml each) lightly with oil and place them in a steamer tray. Bring water in the steamer to a rolling boil over high heat and heat the empty cups inside for 3 minutes so the batter starts to set on contact.
9. Fill the cups3 min
   Whisk the batter once more, then quickly ladle it into each hot cup, filling to about 5 mm below the rim. Whisk the batter again every few cups, as it separates fast.
10. Steam the rice cakes15 min
    Cover the steamer and steam over high heat for 12 to 15 minutes. They are done when the surface is set, glossy and translucent and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Wrap the lid in a clean cloth to stop condensation dripping onto the cakes.
11. Cool and unmould10 min
    Lift the cups out and let them cool for 10 minutes, until the cakes are firm enough to hold their shape. Run a small spoon or thin knife round the edge and ease each cake out, or serve them in the cups.
12. Serve
    Top each rice cake with a generous spoonful of chye poh and a small dab of chilli sauce. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Squeeze the rinsed chye poh really dry; wet radish will steam instead of fry and will not turn crunchy.
• Pour boiling water into the cold batter slowly while whisking to avoid cooked lumps.
• Re-whisk the batter before every few cups, because the flour settles quickly and the cakes will be uneven if you do not.
• Preheating the cups gives a smooth surface and a slight dip in the middle, which holds the topping nicely.
• The chye poh keeps well, so make extra and spoon it over plain rice or congee.

Food safety and allergens

Cooked rice cakes and topping should be refrigerated within 2 hours and eaten within 2 days; reheat the cakes by steaming until hot throughout. Rinse and drain dried shrimp well and cook the topping and chilli sauce through before serving.

Contains: shellfish, soy, wheat

Watch it being made

• Chwee Kueh - 水粿The Meatmen Channel · 365,142 views · YouTube
• How to Make Chwee KuehLessonsGoWhere · 230,164 views · YouTube
• Teochew Chwee Kueh (Steamed Rice Cakes) - 水粿The Meatmen Channel · 70,824 views · YouTube

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