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        Tedious as the preparation was, it was all worth it afterall. Another craving satisfied with the relatively edible Chai Tao Kway that I attempted for the 1st time- all from scratch. (Much better than my murtabak made from scratch a few months ago). 

        Missing home (aka Family) is always paralleled with missing local food. Recurrent images of slurping down those good ol’ hawker fare do not help alleviate the hunger pangs and specific cravings. The only good thing out of it all, is actually attempting S’porean hawker fare here in Perth. I’ll never bother trying these recipes in S’pore, as you can get the food almost anywhere back home, at reasonable prices too.

Steamed Carrot Cake

        Initially I was suspicious of the online recipes I found when I googled Chai Tao Kway. Of the relevant few that I found, shittake mushrooms, lap cheong (Chinese sausage), fried shallots and dried shrimps were listed as ingredients. The glaring confound listed was turnip (or daikon radish) instead of carrots (hmm.. isn’t “Chai Tao Kway” Carrot Cake??). The recipes seem to refer to a mix between the square pieces of ‘carrot cake’ found at dim sum places, and “Orh Kway”- the breakfast item made with taro (yam). Or maybe I’m just confused.

Herbal Winter Melon Soup

        Not knowing what to pair it with for dinner, I resorted to making rice and herbal soup; specifically, Herbal Winter Melon Soup. I hear you go, “Huh? Winter Melon soup does not go with the chinese herbs”. But as I have nothing to lose (except my housemate throwing eggs at me and refusing to take a bite), I was willing to take the risk of ‘1st times’… After consulting various sources online and my periplus mini cookbook, I modified the recipe to suit personal tastes (i.e. prawns added).

Fried Dark Chai Tao Kway

Dark Chai Tao Kway with Prawns
Ingredients (Serves 4)

260g      Rice flour
1 1/2tb  Tapioca flour (I used Corn Flour because of availability)
240ml    Room-temperature/cool water
640ml    Boiling water
1pc        Large-sized radish, grated
3pc        Dried Shittake mushrooms, minced (after
             reconstituting in water)
1/3cup   Dried Shrimps, minced (after reconstituting in water)
2pc        Shallots, finely sliced
3cloves  Garlic, minced
2/3cup   Spring Onion
2           Eggs, beaten
3tb        Chai Poh
8pc        Medium-sized prawns
2pc        Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage; optional)
1tb        Sambal paste, add more if spicyness is desired.
2tb        Chilli paste (with chilli oil), (e.g. Lao Gan Ma’s “Feng Wei Ji La
             Jiao” brand)
             Sweet Soya Sauce or Kecap Manis (as much or
             little desired,approx 4tb or more)
             Salt and pepper, to taste
             Cooking Oil

1. Fry the shallots and dried shrimps in oil until fragrant. Add the minced
    mushroom and grated turnip. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Add the all the water to both types of flour and stir until a
   consistent milky-looking liquid is achieved. Stir in the above fried
   ingredients into the flour.
3. Pour the mixture into shallow, round metal tin (like a baking tin), 
    and place in steamer.
4. When the turnip cake has firmed up (slightly spongy at the top is
    ok), remove from steamer, cool the ‘cake’ and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
5. Remove the ‘cake’ (e.g. overturning it onto a plate), and cut
    into bite-sized cubes.
6. Saute the garlic and spring onions in oil. Scramble the beaten egg
    on a side of the wok/pan. Add the prawns and chai poh. 
7. Add the turnip cake pieces, chilli pastes, and sweet soya sauce.
    Integrate everything with thorough stir-frying.

Note: If possible (and skilled), slightly charred pieces of the ‘cake’ may be tastier, but I was unable to achieve that, so the dish was slightly ‘wet’, rather than crisp.