Yam Cake 芋头糕

Ingredients

5 shallots
Half a mid size yam (using Ikea rice bowl, it's about 1.5 bowls) - washed and diced into cubes
2 bowls full of water (using the same type of bowl)
1 bowl full of rice flour
2 heaped tablespoon of cornflour
1/3 bowl of dried shrimp (hei bi) - soaked, washed and chopped up into small pieces.
Optional - fist full of dried mushrooms - soaked, washed and chopped up into small pieces

Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of wu xiang powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- Sesame oil

Method
- Fry the shallots with sesame oil till fragrant.
- Add the dried shrimps and mushrooms and fry for about 2-3 mins. Add more oil if needed.
- Add the yam and a splash of water. Fry for about 5 mins under high heat.
- When the yam is slightly softened, turn the heat down to low.
- Mix the rice flour, cornflour and water well, pour it into the yam mixture.
- Stir and mix together at a brisk pace and add seasoning (wu xiang powder, salt and pepper) to taste.
- The mixture would become thicker and lumpy as you continue stirring, remove from heat source and stop stirring when it reaches a thick but not dry consistency.
- Pour into a metal / non stick cake tin or pan and place it in a steamer. Steam for about 1 to 1.5hrs till the paste has set.

Do not attempt to cut the cake when it's still hot. Let it cool till room temperature. It'll harden further and less sticky.

Serving suggestions
- Cut into smaller slices, fry both sides of the cake.
- Add fried shallots, dried shrimps (fried), spring onions to serve.