Steamed Yam Bean Dumplings (Chai Kuih)
These dumplings are typical chinese street-food snacks. They are filled with stir-fried savory turnip, also known as yam bean or jicama. The wrapper is made from wheat starch, also known as tang men fun and tapioca flour which give it a soft, translucent, slightly chewy bite and springy texture.
- Prep time
- 2 hr
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Yield
- 65 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 300 g wheat starch (also known as tang mein flour)
- 300 g Tapioca flour
- 4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1.1 litre hot water
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the ingredients needed to make the dumpling skins.
- 2
In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine wheat starch and the tapioca flour.
- 3
Add in salt.
- 4
Followed by sugar.
- 5
Using a dough hook on low speed, mix everything till well combined.
- 6
Pour in BOILING water and on low speed, stir immediately to mix well.
- 7
Then add in the vegetable oil.
- 8
Knead into a dough.
- 9
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl onto a floured surface.
- 10
When the dough is cooled slightly, knead with your hand until smooth.
- 11
Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
- 12
Divide dough into 6 portions.
- 13
For each portion, flatten the dough into a thin sheet on a floured surface with a rolling pin.
- 14
Cut the thin dough into round shapes using a round cutter. This will standardise the size of the dumpling wrappers.
- 15
Continue to roll and cut into round wrappers for the rest of the smooth dough.
- 16
To make the dumplings, first fold the wrapper into a semi circle, sealing slightly on one end.
- 17
Place one heaped tablespoon of savory turnip filling into the centre of the wrapper.
- 18
Pleat one side of the edge of the wrapper and secured to the other side into half moon shape.
- 19
Continue to pleat to the end and wrapped it up tightly.
- 20
And you're done!
- 21
Repeat the same for the rest of the round wrappers and filling.
- 22
Arrange the dumplings onto a greased steaming tray.
- 23
Place the dumplings on the greased steaming tray in a steamer.
- 24
Steam over high heat for about 12 minutes or until the skin turns translucent.
- 25
Remove from steamer once the dumpling skin turns translucent and brush with some fried garlic or shallot oil while still hot.
- 26
Put the warm vegetable dumplings on serving plate, garnish with some fried garlic, chillies and chopped spring onions before serving.
- 27
These dumplings are nice eaten on its own or with chilli sauce. The skin stays soft even when cooled and the turnip fillings is so sweet and juicy.