Teochew Chai Kueh / 潮州菜粿

I craved for Chai Kueh (steamed vegetable dumpling) for long finally managed to make it yesterday. Well, it is widely available here in Penang but I am a little picky about this kueh. I like soft but not mushy skin, it also should not be sticking to teeth when chewing.

Thanks to one of my virtual friends shared her recipe with me. My chai kueh did not turn hard after I left them in the room temperature several hours. I had chai kueh for my breakfast, lunch and dinner! Well, I love all things made with glutinous rice flour, bouncy in the mouth. T did not care much about this type of steamed kueh, he always goes for something fried.

Recipe source:
Skin - Soo Eng Kee
Filling - My Kitchen

Ingredients (makes 12 pcs):
125g wheat starch aka tung min flour
50g tapioca flour
40g glutinous rice flour
1/4 tsp salt
275ml hot water
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Fillings:
1 medium-size jicama, cut into strips
1 small carrot, cut into strips
100g fresh shiitake mushroom, sliced (optional)
2 stalks spring onion, chopped
100g minced pork or chicken, marinate with salt, pepper, sesame oil and cornflour
2 heap tbsp dried shrimps, soaked and drain (reserve the water)
1 bulb shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Methods:

1. Filling: Heat the oil, add in shallot, garlic and dried shrimp. Saute till fragrant, add in minced meat and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add in jicama, carrot and shiitake, cook till all liquid is evaporated. Then, add about 1 cup of water (including water reserved from soaking dried shrimp) and seasonings. Cover, cook with low heat till all water is evaporated. Stir in spring onion, turn the heat off and allow to cook.
2. Skin: Sift together all the flour and salt, make a well in the center and pour in the hot water. Stir with a spatula untill well combined then knead when it is cool enough to handle to form a soft dough. Divide and shape the dough into 12 equal portion balls.
3. Assemble: Roll out a dough ball into a circle, about 1.5mm in thickness, add a heap tablespoonful of filling then fold the dough over to make a semi-circle then pinch or pleat edges to seal.
4. Arrange the dumplings on a greased banana leaf (I used multipurpose baking paper), steam in the preheated steamer with low/medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Transfer onto a greased (I used sesame oil) serving plate.

Cook's notes:

1. This is similar to Steamed Chive Dumpling but less translucent as it contains glutinous rice flour. This skin recipe can also be used for chive dumpling.
2. Jicama and carrot can be shredded but I prefer chopping style as it is crunchier.