“Steamed together at last.” This time we used half white radish and half taro, and the cake is all the more aromatic for it — deep, and with the two ingredients answering each other. Another one you will not easily find at the market. Do try it.

Recipe:
A:
Pork belly (cut into thin strips) 180 g
Soy sauce 1.5 tbsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Dried shiitake 10 g
Dried shrimp 15 g

B:
Rice flour 400 g
Rock salt (table salt) 2 tsp
Caster sugar 2 tbsp
White pepper 1/2 tsp

Water 300 g

C:
Taro 420 g
Carrot 60 g


D︰
White radish 420 g
Water 1000 g

E:
Cheng Chi fried shallots 50 g

Method:

1. Cut the pork belly into strips and fry in oil until broken up, then add the soaked and shredded shiitake, the dried shrimp and the soy sauce and fry until fragrant. Set aside.


2. Mix the rice flour, salt, caster sugar and white pepper, then stir in the water. Set aside.

3. Blitz the white radish with a little water in a blender to a purée, and bring it to the boil with the water from the recipe. Add the shredded carrot and shredded taro, bring back to the boil and cook for another 2–3 minutes.

4. Pour the hot mixture into the batter, stirring so that it gelatinises fully and turns white.


5. Fold in the fried pork belly and the fried shallots.


6. Pour into a mould lined with cellophane — I use the 23 cm inner pot of a rice cooker (the 10-cup size). Steam with 2 cups of water in the outer pot; when it switches off, add another 2 cups, and when it switches off again it is done.