Yam Cake

I love to eat yam, regardless of dishes or desserts, such as yam rice, yam cake, yam fritters, yam basket (a Chinese popular dish), fried yam with sweet potato & nian gao (年糕) and many more. I believed many Asian love to have yam in their meal, especially yam rice which has become one of the daily consume dishes in Asia. As a worker, we have to eat out during lunch everyday, one of the most convenient and affordable place to have lunch is food stalls which give you variety of selection. We can find yam rice easily at the food stall, and also my all time favorite "yam cakes". We consumed yam cake frequently during our childhood, it is also one of the must-have item during festive season or any special occasion. I still remember my grandmother used to make yam cake during baby full moon (when baby turns to 1 month old), birthdays, bridal shower's night, bachelor's night, prayer day and many more. We can savor most of it as it is so pleasant, tasty and sumptuous. It brings back a lot of childhood memories when we have "yam cake" at home now.

I made yam cakes for few times which the end result either too hard or too soft, the texture and the taste is definitely not up to the standard. This made me stop making yam cakes for sometime until I found this "accident-free" recipe from MyKitchen! It was a great recipe, the yam cakes turned out to be "just nice", not too hard nor too soft, the combination of the ingredients are just what I am looking for, it is easy and hassle-free. You can get those ingredients within your kitchen or at any grocery shop. I have modified the recipe a little for my own preference. I was thrilled with the result and my family loves it very much! It is ideal to be served with some chilli sauce or sweet sauce (but I don't have it at that time). Even it is good just to eat it on its own. This will definitely be in my list if I happen to throw any tea-time party in the future! Or it is just a great snack during snack time or guest visit. You may also add or minus any extra ingredients in the recipe. Some prefer the dried shrimp & fried shallots to be serve on top of the yam cakes instead of mix in it. I will try to make some plain yam cakes without any extra ingredients the next time to have 100% yam texture and taste. Not matter how you do it I believe it tastes good.

I was curious to know the nutrition and benefits of yam. Thus, I googled and found out many goodness of consuming yam and also a lot of information on it. Yams have a very starchy and slippery texture and when cooked, will either be creamy or firm, depending upon the variety. Their taste is earthy and hardy. Yams offer a good source of vitamins B1, B6, and C. They also provide a very good source of potassium and fiber. Potassium - a mineral that helps to control blood pressure and protect against cardiovascular disease. Yam also contributing in blood sugar and weight control. What a great source to maintain a healthy and ideal weight.

These website also provide plenty of tips on how to choose and how to store yams to preserve the freshness and prolong the life span.
References from:
WHFoods
Natural Food Benefits

Recipe adapted and modified from MyKitchen: Ingredients: 300g yam (net weight - weight after peeled and diced) 50g dried shrimp, soaked and chopped coarsely 5 nos. shallots, sliced thinly 2 tbsp cooking oil 1 no. red chili, seeded and sliced Coriander leaves / spring onion, chopped Batter 170g fine rice flour 40g tapioca flour 500ml water 1 tsp salt (I used 1½ tsp salt) ½ tsp ground white pepper ¼ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder (I used ½ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder) ½ tsp chicken or fish stock (powder) - (I omitted) Methods: 1. Line a 8" round pan with baking paper or grease it lightly with some oil. 2. In a large bowl, mix all the batter ingredients. Set aside. 3. Heat oil in wok, stir fry yam until lightly browned. Remove yam from wok and set aside. 4. Stir in shallot to the same wok, fry until golden brown. Drain and remove from shallot from wok and set aside. 5. Stir in dried shrimp and fry until the aroma is released and lightly golden brown (do not over-fried). 6. Pour the batter in the wok, stir in yam and half amount of fried shallot. 7. Stir quickly & gently at extremely low fire until the batter is thickened, approximately 1-2 minutes. (do not over cook the batter). 8. Transfer batter into the pan, steam for 30-40 minutes. (Yam cake might looks a bit wet at this stage but it is alright). 9. Remove from wok and cool completely in the pan (you need to cool the yam cake completely before cutting - yam cake will be harden by now, it makes the cutting much more easier). 10. Cut to your desire shape and garnish with red chili, fried shallot and coriander leaves / spring onion. Serve with chilli sauce or sweet sauce. Tips: • To prevent itchiness on your hands while peeling or cutting the yam, do not wash the yam before peeling or cutting. • Choose yam that is firm, do not have any cracks, bruises or soft spots. • Do not buy yams that are kept in the refrigerator in the department store because the cold temperature can alters their taste. • Yams should be stored in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place where they will keep fresh for up to ten days. • Keep yams out of exposure to sunlight or temperatures above 60°F (around 15°C), this will cause them to sprout or ferment. • Do not store yams in a plastic bag, they should be stored loose or just wrap with papers. Uncooked yams should not be kept in the refrigerator.