Ah Ma's Collection 2: Yam Glutinous Rice 芋头糯米饭- steam method

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A grainy splendor

Teochew Chu Bi Png...One of my favourite breakfast is the dark soya fried rice vermicelli, topped with an egg and a crispy deep fried chicken wing. Whichever fave vendors I patronised, they will also offer a tray of glutinous rice next to the rice vermicelli that I could have queuing for 15 mins on weekend morning peak, never ever I get drawn drooling over the rice. The glutinous rice was just cooked in dark soya sauce with a meagre amount dried prawn and some red peanuts sprinkled at the top...farcry from my Ah Ma 's version. 

Ah Ma, an immigrant from Swatow, province of the Teochews sailed to Singapore to escape from persecution by the Communists. Along with her packed a luggage of recipes she fed her family since her teen years. This dish is the simplest of all her cooking and kueh making. I, being a passionate lover of yam and a true blue Teochew, it is a vegetable root that I try not to exclude in my chinese cooking unless someone can persuade the vendor to blacklist me. Here I am, throwing in a handful of them into the oil to seal the "powderish" texture and product differentiating from the other Ah Chews' chu bi png. The more wormy purplish lesions you see when the root is halved, you're in luck for a gastronomic bliss. 

Most recipes would instruct you to soak the glutinous rice overnight or 4 hours, pls XXXX that line off. A 1 :1 ratio rice to liquid and using the steaming technique sets you sailing to a delicious bowl in half an hour. And should my appetite takes another direction in one of my abnormal hormones days, I can use this yam rice later on as a filling for the making of Or Png Kueh or wrap with beancurd skin and panfried. A 3-in-1 recipe...hey you got a good deal here!

All in a pot cooking

Yam Glutinous Rice 芋头糯米饭

Recipe: for 1 person

• 1/2 cup glutinous rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 25g yam
• 50g minced pork
• 1 mushroom
• 5g dried prawns
• 1 tbsp red peanuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 shallots
• 2 springs chinese celery
• 1 1/2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp mirin
• salt sugar pepper to taste
• fried shallots /parsley for garnish

Method:

1. Rinse glutinous rice (no soaking)
2. Chop into small pieces...yam, mushroom, dried prawns
3. Fry garlic and onions till light brown
4. Add in yam, mushroom, dried prawns and minced pork and seasonings.
5. Continue frying till fragrant n lightly browned.
6. Add in rice and quick stir
7. Off fire immediately .
8. Pour in the water.
9. Give a stir of all the ingredients.
10. Add salt sugar pepper to taste
11. Scoop to serving bowl and steam 15 mins.
12. Stir in chinese celery n cover 15 mins before serving.

Cook's pointers:

• 15 mins steam time is sufficient. Keep cover on the next 15 mins and the rice will grainy soft and fluffy.

Workshop @ Palate Sensations Singapore - 65-6589 8843

food quote:   巧婦難為無米之炊： "The cleverest housewife can't cook a meal without rice ：Nobody can accomplish anything without the necessary means.