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Chwee kueh
Steamed rice cakes with preserved radish
Chwee kueh (水粿): soft steamed rice cakes under a sweet-salty fried preserved radish topping
Breakfast queues at Tiong Bahru Market and Ghim Moh hawker centre move fast because chwee kueh is sold by the plateful: four or six flat white rice cakes, each with a shallow dimple holding a spoonful of glossy chye poh, fried preserved radish that is sweet, salty and a little crunchy. The cakes are just set, soft and slightly wobbly, and they are scooped from the moulds with a flat blade and eaten with a dab of sharp red chilli and a cup of kopi. Hawker chye poh is normally simply radish, garlic, oil and sugar, and this version keeps it that way, with no dried shrimp and no shrimp paste in the chilli. The usual mistake is trying to unmould the cakes while they are still warm; hot batter tears and sticks, so let them cool fully in their cups. Chef's tip: heat the empty, oiled moulds in the steamer for 3 minutes before you pour; the hot metal sets the bottom at once and gives you the classic dip in the middle.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice cakes
- 5 ½ oz rice flournot glutinous rice flour
- ½ oz tapioca starch
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 ¼ cups boiling water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oilplus extra for the moulds
For the chye poh topping
- 5 ½ oz chopped sweet preserved radish (chye poh)check the label: radish, salt and sugar only
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 4 garlic clovesfinely chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds (optional)toasted
For the chilli
- 6 fresh red chilliesroughly chopped
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Whisk 5 ½ oz rice flour, ½ oz tapioca starch, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 cup cold water in a heatproof jug until completely smooth, with no lumps at the bottom.
Step 2: Pour in 1 ¼ cups boiling water in a slow stream, whisking all the time. The batter thickens slightly and turns milky, like thin cream; this half-cooking is what makes the cakes soft rather than rubbery.
2 minStep 3: Brush 16–20 small aluminium chwee kueh moulds (or shallow 6 cm tart tins) with the rest of the 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Set them on a steamer rack over boiling water, cover and heat for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 4: Stir the batter (the flour sinks quickly), then fill each hot mould almost to the rim. Cover and steam over a high heat for 12–15 minutes, until the tops are set, opaque and slightly sunken in the middle. Wrap the lid in a tea towel so drips don't pit the surface. Steam in batches if needed.
15 minStep 5: Lift the moulds out and leave them to cool completely, about 30 minutes; the cakes firm up as they cool and only then release cleanly.
Step 6: Meanwhile, rinse 5 ½ oz chopped sweet preserved radish (chye poh) in a sieve under cold water for 10 seconds and squeeze dry. Taste a piece: if it is still very salty, rinse once more.
Step 7: Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a wok over a medium-low heat. Fry 4 garlic cloves for 1–2 minutes until pale gold, then add the radish and stir-fry for 8–10 minutes, until it darkens to a deep amber and smells toasty.
12 minStep 8: Add 1 ½ tbsp sugar and keep stirring for 3–4 minutes, until it melts and coats the radish in a glossy, sticky film. Take off the heat; the topping should be oily, sweet and salty at once. Stir in 1 tsp white sesame seeds if using.
4 minStep 9: For the chilli, blend 6 fresh red chillies, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp sugar and ¼ tsp salt to a coarse, bright paste. Add a spoonful of water if the blender sticks.
Step 10: Run a thin knife round each cooled cake and tip it out, or serve them hawker-style in their moulds. Spoon a teaspoon of chye poh and a little of its oil into each dimple and serve with the chilli on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chwee kueh take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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