A dim sum classic, this Chinese taro cake, also known as yam cake or orh kuih, is fragrant, tender, and packed with fluffy, steamed taro pieces in every bite. All you need is a handful of ingredients, and it is ready in under an hour.
We especially love serving it for the reunion dinner on Chinese New Year, alongside other favorites like vegan wontons, Hunan tofu, and vegan orange chicken.
We are recreating another of my childhood favorites: Chinese steamed yam cake! I used to have it a lot growing up, whether at our local dim sum place or at street stalls in the wet market.
It is great served on its own, or alongside other Chinese favorites, including soy sauce green beans, tofu lettuce wrap, and fried rice vermicelli.
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💚Why you will love this Chinese taro cake
- A beloved Malaysian Chinese recipe guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser
- Fragrant and aromatic, with fluffy yam pieces with every bite
- Includes both the traditional and plant-based versions
- Fairly easy to prepare and ready in an hour
🧄What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Taro (Thai yam) - Pick one that is blemish-free and heavy for its size.
- Rice flour - Make sure to use regular rice flour, NOT glutinous rice flour. I prefer using Thai rice flour.
- Oyster sauce - To make the plant-based version, opt for vegetarian oyster sauce like this Lee Kum Kee's stir-fry sauce.
- Dried shrimp - I had omitted to make mine plant-based, but feel free to include it. Instructions on adding dried shrimps to the batter are provided below.
- 5-spice powder - A popular Chinese spice blend that can be found in Asian markets or your local grocery.
- Other add-ins - It is common to add Chinese sausage for extra flavor and texture.
🔪How to make taro cake
Step 1: Combine rice flour, salt, sugar, and 5-spice powder. Then, add water and stir to combine.
Step 2: Fry shallots (and dried shrimps, if using) until fragrant, then add garlic.
Step 3: Add the taro pieces and fry for a few minutes until browned.
Step 4: Pour rice flour mixture into a square or round pan. Cook until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a thick soup, stirring consistently.
Step 5: Pour the yam cake batter into a square pan. Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture down.
Step 6: Steam for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing and enjoying your taro cake!
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✅Helpful tips
- Wear gloves when handling taro - it contains calcium oxalate, which can irritate sensitive skin.
- Do not overcook the batter - When cooking yam batter, cook only until the batter offers slight resistance to prevent a chewy yam cake.
- Checking on doneness - Insert a toothpick down the middle; if it comes out clean, your taro cake is done steaming.
- Cool before slicing - It will firm up as it cools, yielding cleaner slices.
- Toppings - Fried shallots, chopped green onions, and dried chiles are common.
🥟How to serve
This Chinese taro cake can be served on its own as a snack, but it is also great with the pairings below:
- Dipping sauce - Soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Tim Cheong (Malaysian sweet sauce)
- Make homemade dim sum - Serve it with Chinese steamed buns, dumplings (pork, shrimp, or tofu dumplings), vegan egg rolls, and any other dishes of your choice.
- As an appetizer or side dish - We especially love serving it with Szechuan tofu and Chinese vegetable soup to make a hearty meal.
❄️Storing suggestions
Storing - Leftover steamed taro cake can be refrigerated for 4-5 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze yam cake slices for up to 3 months.
Reheating - Allow frozen cakes to thaw overnight in the fridge, then proceed to heat them in the microwave or steam until heated through.
Fried taro cakes - Alternatively, you turn leftovers into fried taro cakes. Pan-fry them for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until both sides are golden and crispy.
🍽️More Asian dishes
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📖 Recipe
Chinese Taro Cake (steamed yam cake)
Ingredients
For rice flour mixture
- 1 cup rice flour (150g)*
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (20g)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon five-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 ¼ cups water (540ml)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce vegetarian if needed
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Other ingredients
- ½ cup dried shrimps 20g (omit for vegetarian option, see notes)**
- 2 shallots diced (or 1 medium red onion)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ lb taro peeled and cubed (225g)
Toppings
- 1 stalk green onion chopped
- 1 red chili sliced
- 2 tablespoons fried shallots
Instructions
Prepping the ingredients
- If using dried shrimp, soak in water for 30 minutes, then chop it into small pieces.
- In a bowl, add all dry ingredients for the rice flour mixture. Stir to combine.1 cup rice flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon five-spice powder, ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- Pour water, oyster sauce, and sesame oil into the dry ingredients and whisk until all ingredients are well combined. Set aside.2 ¼ cups water, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Making taro cake batter
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan. Add shallots and dried shrimps (if using) and fry until fragrant.2 shallots
- Stir in garlic and cook for a minute.4 cloves garlic
- Add yam pieces next. Fry for a couple of minutes or until yam cubes are lightly browned.½ lb taro
- Whisk the rice flour mixture, then pour it into the pan. Stir consistently, and cook until the mixture has slightly thickened and has the consistency of a thick soup.
- Pour the yam cake batter into a square pan lined with parchment paper. Using the back of a spoon, gently press the mixture down.
Steaming yam cake
- Insert a steamer basket into a pot or wok. Add water right up until the height of the metal rack. Bring the water to a boil.
- Steam the yam cake for 45 minutes or until it is cooked through. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted down the middle.
- Allow yam cake to cool for 30 minutes, then top with fried shallots, chopped green onion, or other toppings. Slice it up, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Wear gloves when handling taro - it contains calcium oxalate, which can irritate sensitive skin.
- Do not overcook the batter - When cooking yam batter, cook only until the batter offers slight resistance to prevent a chewy yam cake.
- Cool before slicing - It will firm up as it cools, yielding cleaner slices.
- Other add-ins - You can also add chopped Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong) or sliced shiitake mushrooms to the batter.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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