Friday, February 22, 2013

STEAMED SWEET POTATO HUAT KUIH WITH RAISINS ( SWEET POTATO MUFFINS )





Every year when comes to the 9th day of Lunar Day ( Chinese New Year ), this is what I need to make for praying the God of Heaven ( Ti Kong ).

Huat Kuih is in Hokkien Dialect means being Prosperous. This steaming cake also similar to muffins but they are more soft and fluffy.

Today, I would like to share one of my favorite blogger recipe which I've been kept for years.


Recipe Courtesy From : Lily's Wai Sek Hong
                                      ( http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2006/09/tarosweet-potato-fatt-koh.html )

INGREDIENTS :

Yeast Dough:

2 tsp instant yeast
150 g luke warm water
50 g all-purpose flour


Batter:

500 g orange color sweet potatoes, steamed and mashed
400 g all-purpose flour ( remove 3 tbsp and replaced with 3 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch )
4 tbsp double action baking powder
150 g thick coconut milk / coconut cream from can
375 g sugar ( divide 200 g sugar boil with coconut milk and 175 g sugar whisk with eggs )
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract ( whisked with eggs )
1 cup raisins


METHODS :

To Make The Yeast:

1. Mix the instant yeast with the luke warm water and let it stand until frothy.

2. Then mix in the all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth. Let it rest for 30 minutes until it raised to doubles.


To Make The Huat Kuih

1. On the stove top using a small pot, cook the coconut milk and sugar until dissolved. Let it cool completely.

2. Using a blender, pureed the boiled coconut milk mixture with mashed sweet potatoes and whisked eggs mixture. Sieved the thick pureed sweet potatoes mixture into a mixing bowl by pressing it through the sieve.

3. Then add in the all-purpose flour and stir it well either with a whisk or with your hand. I used my hand in all the mixing methods and that's how I saw my Mom did before.

4. Then add in the fermented yeast dough and stir with your hand until well mixed.

5. Rest the batter for at least 3-4 hours, covered with cling wrap and a wet warm cloth until it had doubled in volume and frothy. Then add in the raisins and stir well.

6. Using a 6 muffin cup tin, lined some cupcake liners. Then using an ice-cream scoop, scoop the sweet potato batter into the lined muffin tin for almost to the rim of the cups, about 8/10.
NOTES : I top the batter until very full and the outcomes really amaze me

7. In a high boil steamer, add in 2 tbsp of vinegar. Steam the muffins in the very high heat for at least 20 minutes with a cloth covered the steamer lid to prevent any water dripping. Steamed those muffins until cooked and smile or split open.

8. Repeat the rest until the batter is finished.


NOTES FROM LILY'S
If the muffin does not smile or split open, dip a spatula into a small bowl of corn oil and then make a cross on top of the sweet potato batter that been scooped in the muffin tins.