This dish can be eaten as main meal or cook as a dish. Made from mixing mashed yam with tapioca flour, it has a chewy texture and strong yam aroma. It is then shaped in abacus seed shape, signifies wealth and prosperity usually an auspicious dish served during the lunar chinese new year.
Yam Abacus: (serves 4 pax as dish portion)
160g Yam
80g Tapioca Flour
50ml Hot Water
(Note that above ingredients is for a portion of 4. I shaped all of them, divide & cook half a portion and keep the ther half portion in freezer, for future use)
Ingredients for 2 pax:
30g Minced Pork
2pcs Dried Mushrooms (soaked & sliced)
5g Dried Shrimp (soaked & chopped)
2g Cloud Ear Fungus (soaked & sliced)
1pc Shallot (thinly sliced)
1 tbsp Cooking Oil
Seasoning:
Pinch of Salt
2 tbsp Water
2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
Dash of White Pepper
1/2 tbsp Cooking Wine
For boiling Abacus Seeds
500ml Water
1 tsp Oil (to add in boiling water)
1 tsp Oil (to add on cooked seeds to prevent sticking)
Garnishing:
Red Chillies / Chilli Padi
Spring onions / Coriander leaves
Step by Step to make Abacus Seeds:
1. Peel & cut yam into slices.
2. Steam yam for about 15 mins or till soft. Use a fork to mash till all smooth.
3. Add tapioca flour and hot water a little at a time. (You will need more or less water depending on the yam texture)
4. Mix and knead till dough comes together and not sticky.
5. Take a piece of dough weighing about 5-6g size each and roll it into a ball. Try to be consistent with each piece so that to make sure they cooked evenly.
6. Then slightly press to flatten and make an indent hole in the center using your finger/chopstick. I'm using a shaping tool here. Place them on a dry plate.
7. Continue with the rest of the dough until finish.
8. In a pot, boil water. Add in a tsp oil.
9. Add in yam abacus. You will see them all sinking to the bottom of the pots.
10. Slowly they will floats up to the surface and it's means they are cooked and ready to pick up with a strainer.
11. Place them on a plate and mix in some oil to prevent them from sticking together.
12. Set aside while you prepare to stir fry them later.
To stirfry the yam abacus:
1. Heat up some oil in wok.
2. Saute shallot till fragrant but not turning light brown yet.
3. Add dried shrimp and cuttlefish strips. Toss till they turning slight brownish.
4. Add in minced pork, mushrooms and cloud ear. Stir for a few mins till meat is cooked.
5. Add in abacus seeds, toss to mix evenly for a 1 minute.
6. Add in all seasoning and give a good toss to make sure all evenly mix.
7. Lastly add spring onions and quick stir.
8. Dish up and garnish with red chillies. Serve hot.
Happy Cooking.
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