Taro cake aka wu tao goh

This is my 4th taro cake since October and with a cup of coffee , there's something comforting about eating it while it's cold and windy outside .

When you think of taro cake , one would say sweet cake/goodies but in this side of the world , they love it savoury  and pan-fried , for that matter .

Just like loh bak goh / turnip cake , it's made the same way , with rice flour , dried mushroom , dried shrimp , Chinese sausage , steamed then pan-fried .

And just like turnip cake , it's also commonly served during yum cha as part of your dim sum choices

This cake is one of the must-have snacks during Chinese New Year . During this festival , when somebody visits you at home , you should serve this or turnip cake or some other CNY goodies to the visitor(s) or else  you wouldn't receive any lai see ! lol

So for those who haven't tried this delicious savory bites , when you go to your neighborhood Chinese restaurant next time , do order this .

In this side of the world , they don't garnish taro cake with fried shallots . Alvin recommended adding some , so why not ?! I even added some to my taro mixture .  Thanks , Alvin ! 

Do check out one of my taro cake ( I still got one more but I haven't re-posted the photos yet :P )

550 grams ( peeled weight ) taro , cut into small cubes
2 pieces ( 100 grams ) Chinese sausage , cute into small dice
3 dried mushroom , soaked then dice
30 grams dried shrimp , soaked
3 tablespoons fried shallots plus some for garnish
175 grams rice flour
50 grams tapioca starch
3 cups water

Seasoning : 1/4 tsp salt , 1 tsp brown sugar , 1/2 tsp chicken powder , 1/2 tsp five spice powder , generous dash of ground white pepper

some chopped spring onion for garnish

* Grease an 8-inch round pan , set aside .
* In a medium mixing bowl , combine the rice flour and tapioca starch ; add in 1 cup of the water gradually to the rice flour mixture until well blended , set aside .
* Heat wok or a large pan , add about half teaspoon of oil , then add the diced sausage , stir fry until it releases some of its oil . Add in the shrimp , mushroom and the fried shallots , fry until fragrant . Add in the cubed taro , stir well to combine . Pour in the remaining 2 cups of water and add in the seasoning , let the taro mixture boil and adjust taste ; turn off heat and add the rice and water paste , stir with a wooden spoon or a spatula until well incorporated .
* Pour into the prepared pan and steam for 45 minutes over medium-high heat . Let cool completely before removing from the pan .
* Cut and pan-fry then serve hot with chili sauce . Don't forget to give some to your visitors to get your lai see !

I'm submitting this post to the blog hop event Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover