Savoury Steamed Pumpkin Cake Recipe – sugar-free, dairy-free and gluten-free !
Steamed Pumpkin Cake
This traditional Chinese savoury snack is commonly served during breakfast or tea-time with tea or coffee. The cake can be eaten as it is, though some prefer to take it with soy and chili sauce. This steamed cake does not require any sugar, dairy product, wheat flour, margarine and butter. It is great for people looking for gluten free, low fat and low sugar diet.
This sugar-free healthy cake makes you feel fuller longer and prevents overeating. It is great for pot-luck and party. I made this cake for parties and gatherings, and friends often asked me for the recipe.
There are several variants to this cake where the pumpkin can be substituted with yam or white radish. If white radish is used instead of pumpkin, you will be making the famous “Lok Bak Gou” (White Radish Cake) commonly served in Dim Sum restaurants.
Ingredients
500g of pumpkin
250g of rice flour
1000ml of water
100g of chicken meat
70g of dried prawn
3 dried mushrooms
2 tsp of oil
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 red chilli
1 stalk of spring onions
1 tsp Salt
¼ tsp pepper
Preparation :
1) Soak the dried prawn and mushroom for half an hour or until they are soft.
2) Skin and cut the chicken meat into cubes.
3) Mince the garlic.
4) Skin the pumpkin and cut it into small cubes.
Method:
1) Add 500ml of water to the shifted rice flour. Stir well.
2) Heat two tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry garlic and dried prawns until crisp and fragrant.
3) Add in chicken meat and stir-fry until it is cooked.
4) Add in pumpkin and 500ml of water to cover the pumpkin. Continue stir-frying.
5) Add the salt and pepper. Simmer the pumpkin until it is soft or can easily cut through.
6) Pour in the rice flour mixture, and stir it till it turns sticky.
7) Pour mixture into a 21cm round cake tin and level the surface with a spatula.
8) Steam it over boiling water at low fire for 35 minutes.
9) Prepare toppings while steaming the cake. Cut shallot into slices and fry it till light brown. Slice the red chillies and spring onions.
10) Remove the cake from the steamer and sprinkle topping ingredients immediately on the hot cake.
11) Wait for the cake to cool down before cutting into slices and serve.
The cake can be kept in the refrigerator up to a week. Before serving, heat it up in the microwave oven or steamer. Alternatively, it can be cut into rectangle and pan-fry until light brown. The pan-fried crisped pumpkin cake is utterly delicious.
- Simply Acar - an irresistible Southeast Asian salad
Acar Acar is a type of salad popular in Southeast Asia especially in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. It is widely cooked among the Chinese, Malay and Indians. Due to different cultures... - Azuki beans or Red Beans - high in nutrients, high ...
The Origins The red beans or Azuki beans (also known as adzuki or aduki beans) are major crop in Japan and China where they are harvested in November and December. In Japan, this small, approximately 5 mm,... - Bitter gourd, Carrot, Mushroom Chicken Soup - the Wo...
Bitter gourd, Carrot, Mushroom Chicken Soup Bitter gourd, Carrot, Mushroom Chicken Soup is one of my favourite home-cooked soups. Chinese believes that this soup is excellent to remove the body heat or...
Comments
SJ on October 25, 2011:
I think I'll make pancakes instead. Interesting that the flour amount is greatly reduced, using 3 tbsp, but I'm probably using 1/3 cup.
Ingenira (author) on October 24, 2011:
Sorry, SJ, I have never tried any substitute for rice flour. If you really like to try, why don't you try the recipe with wheat flour, but with reduced ingredients, to see how it turned out. Let me know the results.
SJ on October 24, 2011:
Spoil the flavor? Texture? Or will it fall apart or be too doughy? What can I use instead of rice flour?
Ingenira (author) on October 24, 2011:
Never try that before, but my instinct says wheat flour will spoil the dish.
SJ on October 24, 2011:
Can I substitute wheat flour for the rice flour if I don't really care about the texture, or would that not work?
Ingenira (author) on August 04, 2010:
Thanks, Nellieance. I love pumpkin soup too, and it's certainly a good one to take on the chilly wintry days.
Nellieanna Hay from TEXAS on August 04, 2010:
Ingenira - this looks so delicious I can hardly stand to not make some! I wouldn't think of it as "cake" as we're accustomed to the concept, but I love what it IS. I happen to love pumpkin and learned to make pumpkin soup in New England on a trip there. It's a lovely thick, creamy soup which is sooooo good on chilly wintry days. I love soups, by the way. Of course, here a tradition for our winter holiday feasts is pumpkin pie, which is a dessert, sort of a custard filling in a pastry 'shell'. It's spicy with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc. - & it is sweet, but doesn't have to be too sweet. It can be eaten by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a special treat. I'm not a big dessert eater but for holiday feasts, this is great. Pecan pie is another treat I love at those times.
I will have to try making the pumpkin cake and see if I can make it as yummy as your picture of it looks! Thanks!
Lamme on August 01, 2010:
This sounds very different. I'm always interested in trying new foods, I think I'll try this. Thanks for an unusual recipe!
Ingenira (author) on June 30, 2010:
thanks Habee, I wish I have the priviledge to taste your cooking too.
Holle Abee from Georgia on June 30, 2010:
sounds like something I'd enjoy! Thanks!
Ingenira (author) on June 13, 2010:
Thanks, Betty. Steamed cake is something really "Chinese", and no baking powder, soda is required. :) The method is easier than baking a cake, well, no mixer is required, only a frying wok. :)
Betty Reid from Texas on June 13, 2010:
This is fascinating. It's a bit complicated for me, since I never steam anything, but it looks delicous. I love to find new pumpkin recipes, and anything with shrimp and mushrooms is bound to taste great.
Hummingbird5356 on April 21, 2010:
This looks quite tasty, I may try it.
