Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih) (2024)

Recipe IndexJump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.

Yam Cake (Or Kuih) - Steamed cake made from yam pieces, dried prawns and rice flour, and usually served with a chilli dipping sauce.

Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih) (1)

Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih) (2)

Whenever I go home to Malaysia, I would always stuff myself crazy with all sorts of kuih (local sweet or savory cake). One of my favorite is or kuih, or yam cake made of yam (in the US, yam is referred as taro). I have never attempted making kuih in the US though.

Today, I have invited a fellow Penangite Su-Yin Koay of Bread et Butter to share the savory and mouthwatering or kuih recipe. Bread et Butter is a beautiful blog with many recipes: Malaysian, Chinese, baking, and all sorts of goodies.

You can also find culture guide articles bout Malaysia, Penang, etc. Please welcome Bread et Butter to Rasa Malaysia and do visit her wonderful food blog. Now I could only wish that I have some or kuih for my tea break today!

Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih) (3)

I was very excited when Bee asked me if I would like to write a guest post for her blog–I mean, this was Rasa Malaysia, one of my favourite food blogs out there!

She’s taught me so much about Malaysian and Chinese cooking, and it is truly an honour to have a chance to do this.

Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih) (4)

One of the things I’ve always enjoyed eating is yam cake (“or kuih” in Hokkien, where “or” = yam, “kuih” = snack or cake). It is a popular snack amongst the Malaysian and Singaporean communities, and is basically a steamed kuih made from yam pieces, dried prawns and rice flour.

It is then topped with deep fried shallots, spring onions, chillis and dried prawns, and usually served with a chilli dipping sauce.

I grew up eating my grandma’s or kuih, and I remember thinking how it would be so cool if I knew how to make it. However I would always be at school when she made or kuih, so I never really learnt how it was made.

And if I were being perfectly honest, I was only really interested in eating it… it also didn’t help that there was always a ready supply of it.

Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih) (5)

Of course, this changed when I came to England. I have yet to find a restaurant here that serves decent or kuih, which is highly disappointing. So I decided to ask my grandma for her or kuih recipe so I could have a go at making it myself.

And you know what – I don’t know why I never tried making this before, because it is actually pretty simple! Sure, there’s a bit of prep work involved in dicing the yam, but apart from that it’s quite a breeze.

The best part of her recipe is that it uses rice bowls as a measure. How brilliant is that? The ratio that’s used is 2 bowls water: 1 bowl flour: 1½ bowls yam.

Of course, this means nothing is perfectly accurate in terms of weight, but some degree of variation actually doesn’t alter the final product too much.

It also does not matter what size your bowl is, as long as it’s a Chinese style rice bowl (i.e. not a wide and shallow cereal bowl, for instance). Just follow the 2:1:1½ ratio and you’re sorted.

Table of Contents

How Many Calories per Serving?

This recipe is only 44 calories per serving.

What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

Angku Kuih (Red Tortoise Cake)

Bubur Cha-Cha

Malaysian Shaved Ice (Ice Kacang/ABC)

Roti Jala

For more great recipes like this, sign up for our newsletter. We’ll send daily recipes you’ll love!

Join

Sign up for our newsletter!

Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih)

Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih) recipe - This is basically a steamed cake made from yam pieces, dried prawns and rice flour. It is then topped with deep fried shallots, spring onions, chillis and dried prawns, and usually served with a chilli dipping sauce.

4.53 from 57 votes

Print

By Bee Yinn Low

Yield 4 people

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 50 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr

Ingredients

For the kuih:

  • bowls yam (diced into 1-2cm cubes)
  • 1 bowl rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons wheat starch
  • 2 bowls water
  • ½ - ¾ bowl dried shrimps (heh bee – I used ¾ bowl because I cannot express how much I love an abundance of it in or kuih)
  • 5 shallots (finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper

For the topping:

  • deep fried shallots (I buy mine ready fried from Chinatown)
  • spring onions (sliced finely)
  • red chillies (sliced finely)
  • dried shrimps (heh bee, chopped finely and fried (optional – you can just put more heh bee in the actual cake))

Instructions

  • Heat a pan over medium high heat, and fry the onions and dried shrimps until they become aromatic. This should take about 3-5 minutes.

  • Add the cubed yam to the pan, and fry it with the onion and dried shrimp mixture until it browns.

  • In a separate bowl, mix the rice flour, wheat starch and water, and stir until it forms a smooth paste. Take care to ensure there are no lumps in the mixture.

  • Add the flour mixture into the pan slowly, and stir until everything forms a thick paste.

  • Add the salt, pepper and five spice powder, and mix well.

  • Pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl/plate and steam over high heat for 45 minutes, or until cooked.

  • To serve, sprinkle with deep fried shallots, chopped spring onions, sliced chillies and chopped dried shrimp. Some chilli sauce on the side is also highly recommended.

  • * The wheat starch helps to make the kuih softer in texture. If you can’t find this, you can substitute it with an equal quantity of corn starch.

Course: Malaysian Recipes

Cuisine: Cake

Keywords: Yam Cake

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih)

Amount Per Serving (4 people)

Calories 44Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 1mg0%

Sodium 299mg13%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 1g2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.


Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih) (2024)

FAQs

Why is my yam cake so soft? ›

The texture of your yam cake can be affected by the amount of yam added and the ratio of flour to water used in the recipe. If too much water is added, the cake might become too soft. You can add more rice flour to the batter to make it firmer.

How long can yam cake be kept in the fridge? ›

Yam Cake: Can be kept in chiller for 8-10 days. Do not freeze it. To reheat, do not defrost, cut into thicker slices to pan fried, or for a even better taste, cut into thin strips and deep fried it. Another way is to steam it and eat it on its own.

Is steamed yam cake healthy? ›

Steamed yam cake (or taro cake) is a popular snack enjoyed by both Malaysians and Singaporeans alike. Our yam cake recipe is a healthy and vegan-friendly dish made of steamed yam, miso, fermented black bean paste and a flour batter. This dish is flavourful and very simple to make.

What is the significance of yam cake? ›

The taro cake, also known as yam cake, is a traditional Chinese dish with vegetable taro as its main ingredient. Similar to other cakes that can be found in the Chinese Lunar New Year, it symbolizes growth and rising, as well as achieving better results.

Which ingredient makes the cake very soft? ›

Baking powder is mixed with the flour. When water is added to this flour to make dough, baking powder undergoes a chemical reaction during which carbon dioxide gas is produced. This carbon dioxide gas gets trapped into the dough and bubbles out which causes the cake to rise making it soft and spongy.

How long before yams go bad? ›

Yams actually have a pretty flexible timeline. They can be used up to a month if stored in a cool, dark, dry space. Any other way, be sure to use within 1 week. Cooked, they will last in the refrigerator 3–4 days.

Can you put uncooked yam in the fridge? ›

Sweet potatoes have a long shelf life and most people store sweet potatoes in the fridge instead of the freezer. It's best for raw sweet potatoes to not be stored in the freezer because they will spoil faster. You can store baked sweet potatoes or cooked yams in the freezer.

Are yams good or bad for you? ›

Yams are rich in vitamins and minerals and are a nutritious food staple in many places outside the U.S. Wild yam root contains diosgenin, which has been shown to limit the progression of both osteoporosis arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Is it healthier to bake or boil yams? ›

Boiling may actually retain most of the antioxidant power of sweet potatoes, compared to roasting and steaming. If we compare baking to boiling microscopically, boiling helps thin out the cell walls and gelatinize the starch, which may enhance the bioavailability of nutrients.

Which is healthier sweet potatoes or yams? ›

Although both veggies are very close in fiber, protein, vitamin C, and magnesium, sweet potatoes are the healthier option because they are lower in overall calories, lower in carbohydrates, and higher in beta carotene (vitamin A).

How do Nigerians celebrate yams? ›

In many ways, it is a celebration of life, common accomplishments, shared culture, and the community's well-being. The ceremony begins with a collective prayer, followed by the community partaking of freshly harvested yam. The tubers are roasted, dipped in palm oil, and washed down with the local brew.

What is yam cake made of? ›

Yam Cake Recipe (Or Kuih) recipe - This is basically a steamed cake made from yam pieces, dried prawns and rice flour. It is then topped with deep fried shallots, spring onions, chillis and dried prawns, and usually served with a chilli dipping sauce.

How do you make a cake more firm? ›

You can try any of the following: adding a 1 oz. package of pudding (any flavor that complements the cake's flavor profile), adding 1-2 egg yolks (along with the eggs called for on the box), or substituting milk for the water called for on the box. I hope this is helpful to you. Happy baking!

Why are my candied yams soupy? ›

How do you keep candied yams from being runny? You may add some cornstarch and water to thicken up the glaze. I recommend mixing 2 tsp cornstarch and 2 tsp water and then stirring it into the glaze. After you add the cornstarch and water let the glaze cook for an additional 10 minutes or until it's thickened.

How do you make a hard cake moist? ›

5 Ways to Moisten a Dry Cake That's Already Baked
  1. Brush with simple syrup glaze. Velez recommends adding a simple syrup glaze to your cake layers if they end up coming out too dry. ...
  2. Soak your cake in milk. ...
  3. Fill the cake with mousse or jam. ...
  4. Frost the cake. ...
  5. Stick it in the fridge.
Apr 27, 2021

What makes a cake harden? ›

When you make the batter, the starch particles in the flour absorb water from the liquid, swell, turn into a gel and harden as the cake is baked. Over the next few days, however, the starch loses water again and begins to crystallise once more, hardening the cake.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Duncan Muller

Last Updated:

Views: 5923

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Duncan Muller

Birthday: 1997-01-13

Address: Apt. 505 914 Phillip Crossroad, O'Konborough, NV 62411

Phone: +8555305800947

Job: Construction Agent

Hobby: Shopping, Table tennis, Snowboarding, Rafting, Motor sports, Homebrewing, Taxidermy

Introduction: My name is Duncan Muller, I am a enchanting, good, gentle, modern, tasty, nice, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.