Note: We have a newer version of this recipe here, with recipe video included.
These dumplings are typical chinese street food snacks. They are filled with stir-fried savory turnip, also known as yam bean or jicama. The yam bean fillings can be prepared ahead of time. The recipe for the yam bean fillings is here. The wrapper is made from wheat starch (also known as tang mein flour) and tapioca flour which gives it a soft, translucent, slightly chewy bite and springy texture.
Steamed Yam Bean Dumplings (Chai Kuih)
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Ingredients
- 300 g wheat starch, also known as tang mein flour
- 300 g Tapioca flour
- 4 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1.1 litre hot water
- Prepare the ingredients needed to make the dumpling skins.
- In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine wheat starch and the tapioca flour.
- Add in salt.
- Followed by sugar.
- Using a dough hook on low speed, mix everything till well combined.
- Pour in BOILING water and on low speed, stir immediately to mix well.
- Then add in the vegetable oil.
- Knead into a dough.
- Remove the dough from the mixing bowl onto a floured surface.
- When the dough is cooled slightly, knead with your hand until smooth.
- Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
- Divide dough into 6 portions.
- For each portion, flatten the dough into a thin sheet on a floured surface with a rolling pin.
- Cut the thin dough into round shapes using a round cutter. This will standardise the size of the dumpling wrappers.
- Continue to roll and cut into round wrappers for the rest of the smooth dough.
- To make the dumplings, first fold the wrapper into a semi circle, sealing slightly on one end.
- Place one heaped tablespoon of savory turnip filling into the centre of the wrapper.
- Pleat one side of the edge of the wrapper and secured to the other side into half moon shape.
- Continue to pleat to the end and wrapped it up tightly.
- And you're done!
- Repeat the same for the rest of the round wrappers and filling.
- Arrange the dumplings onto a greased steaming tray.
- Place the dumplings on the greased steaming tray in a steamer.
- Steam over high heat for about 12 minutes or until the skin turns translucent.
- Remove from steamer once the dumpling skin turns translucent and brush with some fried garlic or shallot oil while still hot.
- Put the warm vegetable dumplings on serving plate, garnish with some fried garlic, chillies and chopped spring onions before serving.
- These dumplings are nice eaten on its own or with chilli sauce. The skin stays soft even when cooled and the turnip fillings is so sweet and juicy.