Chai Kueh, Chai Pau ( Steam Vegetable Cake )

This is my childhood food or when I was in School in Pematang Siantar. Some called it chai kueh and some others called it chai pau, it is the same thing...... I used to love it for my breakfast. It is Chinese snack, because the school I went to was majority Chinese. Most food in canteen were Chinese snack. Now I can find it in dim sum places or in the market.

 Many ways of making the dumpling skin, some people make it of pumpkin or with sweet potato, but I make the original one. Best served while it is warm.

Fillings Ingredients

Bahan untuk isi

1 large jicama or 300 gr, shredded

   Bengkoang, diparut

1 carrot or 100 gr, shredded

   Wortel, diparut

20g dried shrimps, soaked in water, chopped

   Udang kering, direndam dan cincang

3 spring onions, finely sliced

   daun bawang atau daun prei, rajang
2 tbsp light soy sauce or to taste

   sdm kecap asin, atau secukupnya

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

   siung bawang putih, cincang halus
1  tsp sugar or to taste

   sdt gula, atau secukupnya.

1 tsp salt or to taste

  sdt garam atau secukupnya1 tsp lack pepper or to taste

   sdt Merica atau  secukupnya

3 tbsp cooking oil

   sdm minyak goreng untuk menumis

    

Method / cara memasak

Heat up 3 Tbsp oil and stir in garlic till fragrant.

Panaskan minyak dan tumis bawang putih sampai harum

Add in dried prawns and fry till fragrant.

Masukkan udang kering dan masak sampai harum

Add in yam bean (jicama) and and carrots . Stir fry for about 5 minutes and let it simmer till vegetable is soft and cooked. 

Sekarang masukkan bengkoang dan wortel, aduk selama 5 menit kemudian kecilkan api, masak sampai sayuran lunak.

Add in spring onions, light soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, mix well.

Masukkan daun bawang, kecap asin, gula, garam dan merica dan aduk rata.

Leave it to cool.

Biarkan dingin

For the dumpling skin

Bahan untuk kulit

165 g Wheat Starch Flour (Tung Mein Fen) 

       tepung sari gandum

85 g Tapioca Flour

     Tepung kanji

5 Tbsp oil cooking oil

     sdm minyak goreng

1 tsp sugar

     sdt gula

A pinch of salt

     sedikit garam

450 ml hot boiling water

     air mendidih

banana leaves

     daun pisang
 oil, for oiling banana leave

Minyak utuk mengoles daun pisang

Method / cara membuat kulit

Mix two flours in a mixing bowl, stir to combine.

   Campurkan kedua tepung dalam wadah sampai rata

Add sugar, salt and cooking oil in the hot boiling water.

   Masukkan gula, garam dan minyak ke dalam air mendidih, aduk

Pour hot water into the mixing bowl and quickly stir to combine to become dough. Set aside to cool.

   Masukkan campuran air kedalam campuran tepung dan aduk segera sampai membentuk adonan (bentuk bola), sisihkan sampai dingin

Prepare the steamer.

Siapkan kukusan

To make steamed vegetables dumplings 

 Dust tabletop with  tapioca flour, take a small ball of the dough than roll  to form a thin circle about 3-4 mm (no thinner). I am using a mould that usually used for curry puff. I found it save me time and produce the same size and neat chai kueh. Or if you don't have one  you can use  a round cutter or a small bowl to cut out thin circle as to standardize the size
Taburi dengan tepung tempat gilingan adonan kemudian ambil adonan sebesar bola kecil dan giling berbentuk bulat setebal 3-4 mm (tidak terlalu tipis). Saya menggunakan cetakan yang biasanya digunakan untuk pastel. Pekerjaan jadi cepat dan hasilnya seragam sekaligus rapi. Jika tidak mempunyai cetakan, potong dengan cetakan bulat atau mangkok agar ukuran seragam.

 Wrap 1 tbsp of filling with each skin  fold into semicircle and seal the opening by pressing the edges together, or just close the mould and press it until the edges stick together and cut off the excess dough 

Masukkan isi ditengah kulit sebanyak 1 sendok makan atau sesuai dengan cetakan. Lipat kulit sehingga membentuk setengah lingkaran, kemudian tutup dengan membuat lipatan dipinggirnya, atau jika menggunakan cetakan......., tutup dan tekan cetakan sampai sisa adonan putus. 

Place the dumplings on a lightly oiled  banana leaf, place on a steaming tray, steam for 10 -15 minutes or until the skin is translucent  

Letakkan chai kueh di atas daun yang telah diminyaki, kukus selama 10-15 menit atau sampai kulitnya tampak bening.

 Remove the steamed dumplings and brush the surface with some oil. Serve hot with vinegar chili sauce

Keluarkan chai kueh dan beri sedikit minyak di permukaanya. Sajikan selagi hangat dengan sambal cuka