Char kway kak (fried cubed rice cakes)

Recipe from Geok Ping. Tripled the recipe for the 2 tier metal tingkat.

I topped off with paper shrimp/shrimp 'skin'

Ingredients - makes just the right 1 inch deep cake for my steamable IP tiffin tin

220g rice flour

4 tbsp tapioca flour (or cornflour)

2 tbsp wheat starch

1 C cold water

2½ C boiling water

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp salt

Method

1. In a mixing bowl combine rice flour, tapioca flour, wheat starch, salt and cold water together. 

2. Stir in oil. 

3. Pour boiling water into the batter and stir until batter is smooth. 

4. Divide equally and pour into the 2-tier tin tingkat steamer. Pour 1 cup of water (250ml) into the bottom of the IP pot. Steam using the IP for 14 minutes with 10 minutes natural release.

Alternatively pour into 20cm round pan and steam over boiling water in wok for about 25 minutes. 

5. Cool the rice kueh and chill in the fridge for at least 6-8 hours or overnight before cutting into cubes.

Ingredients for frying chai kway kak

3 tbsp chopped pickled radish (chai poh)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp dried shrimp, rehydrated and chopped

3 eggs

a few sprigs of chinese parsley

beansprouts (about 3 handfuls)

oil and 2 tsp lard

Seasoning (to taste)

2 tbsp dark soy sauce (cooking caramel if available)

1 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

salt & pepper

4 eggs

bean sprouts

Method

1. With about 2 tbsp of oil and the lrad, pan fry the chai kway (cubic noodles) until golden brown. Chop up and continue to fry. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 

2. Stir fry the pickled radish and rehydrated shrimp with garlic until aromatic. 

3. Return the cubic noodles to the wok. Push the cubic noodles to the side of the wok then crack eggs into the centre and scramble until egg is just set. 

4. Pour in seasoning. Toss well to combine. 

5. Add in beansprouts and chinese parsley. Toss until well combined and heated through. 

6. Serve while it is hot.

Chwee kueh comparison recipes

I have never been a fan of chwee kueh but I wanted to buy rice flour to make kimchijeon and needed a way to use up the flour. Other than making chee cheong fun and bak tang gao and this - all of which I don't eat - I thought the least 'evil' and potentially fastest recipe would be chwee kueh. At least i like chai po.

The base of all of the recipes is rice flour but then it vastly differs - those adding only tapioca flour (seems to be softer) or wheat flour (seems to keep its shape better), and those mixing e.g., adding corn flour with wheat flour or even one recipe mixing everything! I don't really know if there's any value adding all four flours since I have them all (by some fluke), why not? And I would never get the chance to use wheat flour otherwise! [Interestingly all the recipes start with 150g rice flour]

1. Best traditional recipe Kitchen Tigress (video)

- Rice, wheat, corn

- This is the best method for making stove-top chwee kueh where the mixture has to be partially cooked before steaming. 

- Great explanation of the pool of water in the dimple that forms in the centre when the correct mixture is made, to show how the kueh (called 'water' cake) really exudes water that will evaporate when cool. The dimple is correct meaning that the cake is soft enough.

- Kueh need to be completely cooled before removing from the tin. However, Chwee Kueh has to be eaten hot. Go figure.

- Chaipo should be the salted not the sweet kind, which when washed, the sweet one becomes tasteless.

2. What to cook today (video) (tried here)

- Best recipe because suggests tapioca flour or wheat + corn flour. She says when hot, texture seems the same. One commenter said tapioca only seemed softer but mixture of wheat + corn kept shape better.

- Uses sweet chai po. Fry 2 mins and add garlic, fry 30 seconds until garlic just golden. Also makes sambal.

- Must allow water to come to rolling boil then cool for 15 mins before mixing.

- Uses mini muffin tin. Must pre-heat the cups and steamer must be rolling boil before pouring batter into cups. Steam 15 mins (traditional tin) and 20 mins (muffin tin).

- Normal for it to have water inside the dimple, steam 2 mins steamer uncovered to evaporate the water. Cool 10 mins before removing.

3. Daily cooking quest

- Rice and wheat starch

- Mix sweet and salted chai po. Takes 15 mins of frying at low fire to turn brown.

- Uses steamer (10 mins in traditional cups) or microwave (1.5 - 2 mins) with silicon or ceramic cups. 

4. Happy Flour (tried here)

- 150g rice flour yields 28 kueh. Adds tapioca and wheat flour.

- Mixes flours and set aside for 2 hours! Adds hot water and keep stirring otherwise flour will separate. Don't add boiling water otherwise mixture turns gluey.

- Uses plastic chwee kueh cups. Steam for 15 to 20 mins. Leave to cool.

5. Away of Mind

- Adapts from Anncoo Journal.

- Simmers salty chai po with water to really embed the soya sauce flavour

- Mix tapioca, corn and wheat starch (blogger's first attempt but suggests corn starch may be unnecessary)

- Uses traditional mould. Preheat mould and steam for 12 - 15 mins. Allow to cool before removing

IP Cai tow kway (black and white)

Recipe verbatim from FB by Sally Choo

Recipe for cubic noodles (chai kuih kak or chai tow kuay)

Top box was covered but bottom box
 was left loosely covered to facilitate checking of doneness.

Ingredients (makes 2 containers of 17*10cm)
110g rice flour
2 tbsp tapioca flour (or cornflour)
1 tbsp wheat starch

1/2 cup cold water1 1/4 cup boiling water1 tbsp oil1/2 tsp salt

Method
1. Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, wheat starch, and salt.
2. Stir in cold water. Mix well. Stir in oil.
3. Pour boiling water into the batter and stir until batter is smooth.
4. Pour into the 2 containers suitable for IP. Pour in 2 cups of water (1 cup evaporated after 15 mins). Cover. Steam on high pressure for 25 minutes. Alternatively if steaming on the stove, pour into 17cm round pan, cover and steam over boiling water for 25 to 30 minutes. In either case, steam until skewer inserted comes out clean.
5. Cool the rice cake thoroughly before cutting into cubes. 

White
Ingredients
2 tbsp chopped pickled radish (chai poh)
3 cloves garlic, minced
bunch of garlic chives (optional)
2 eggs
a few sprigs of chinese parsley or chives
beansprouts (about 3 handfuls)
oil

Seasoning: (to taste)
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
Dash of salt and pepper

Method

1. Soak the chai poh in hot water for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain. Taste, it should not be salty. If it is, continue to soak, wash, and drain.
2. Stir fry the pickled radish and garlic until aromatic.
3. Pan fry the kway until golden brown. 
4. Push kway to the side of the wok then crack eggs into the centre and scramble until egg is just set. 
5. Pour in seasoning. Combine well. 
6. If using, add in beansprouts and garlic chives. Toss until well combined and heated through. 
7. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Black 

Ingredients
2 tbsp chopped pickled radish (chai poh)
3 cloves garlic, minced
bunch of garlic chives (optional)
2 eggs
chives
oil

Seasoning: (to taste)
2 tbsp caramel dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
Dash of salt and pepper
2 tsp Oil

Method

1. Same step as above regarding chai poh. Mix the caramel and light soya in the oil otherwise the caramel is very sticky.

2. Stir fry the pickled radish and garlic until aromatic.
3. Pan fry the kway until golden brown. 
4. Push kway to the side of the wok then crack eggs into the centre and scramble until egg is just set. 
5. Pour in seasoning. Combine well. 
6. If using, add in beansprouts and garlic chives. Toss until well combined and heated through. 
7. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.