The appeal is a pale, soft, silky layer of rice batter under a savory mushroom filling scented with fried leek. The trouble is batter that turns lumpy, and cakes that come out thick and firm when the spoon is too heavy.
The trick is in the stirring: work the batter over low heat until it feels heavy on the spoon, then keep stirring for about 2 minutes off the heat so it turns completely smooth before wrapping.
This batch weighs about 1kg, at roughly 102 calories per 100g.
Method
Peel the carrot, rinse it and chop it finely. Trim the shiitake stems, soak the caps in salted water for 3 minutes, wash them, drain them and chop them small. Mince the leek. Rinse the tofu, pat it dry and mash it.
Fry the leek over medium heat until fragrant, then add the tofu, carrot and mushroom and stir fry.
Season with 1 teaspoon vegetarian seasoning powder and 1/2 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, stir fry over high heat for about 2 minutes, add 1 tablespoon annatto oil and 3g black pepper, then turn off the heat.
Cook the dipping sauce: put 35ml vegan fish sauce, 200ml fresh coconut water and 22.5g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend in a small pot, stir over medium heat until dissolved, turn off the heat once it boils, pour it into a bowl and add sliced chili.
Mix the batter: combine 120g rice flour, 30g tapioca starch, 1 teaspoon vegetarian seasoning powder and 1 tablespoon cooking oil, then pour in 250ml water gradually while stirring.
Set the pot over low heat and stir without stopping until the batter thickens and feels heavy on the spoon.
Wipe the banana leaves clean and cut them to size. Spread 1 tablespoon batter thinly over a leaf, add the filling, fold the leaf over and tie the cakes in pairs for easier steaming.
Steam over rapidly boiling water on high heat for 15 minutes.
Tips
Two more minutes of stirring off the heat gives a smoother batter.
Choose tofu that is white, light in the hand and smells of soybean, and pass over any that looks yellowed.
Mashed tofu needs to be blotted really dry before it goes in the pan, since any water left makes the filling pasty and bland.
Spread the batter thin and even across the leaf so the cake stays thin and supple rather than thick and firm.
Tying the cakes in facing pairs keeps their surface flat through steaming.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.