Taro Cake with Cured Meats 臘味芋頭糕

A classic Cantonese dim sum dish, Taro Cake with Cured Meats (Lap Mei Wu Tau Go) is a savory and aromatic cake made from shredded taro, rice flour, and a rich medley of Chinese cured meats like preserved sausage and cured pork belly, along with dried shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp. It's steamed until firm, then often pan-fried to achieve a crispy exterior before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 700g taro, peeled and diced (approx. 1.5 cm cubes)
• 80g Chinese preserved sausage (lap cheong), diced
• 50g Chinese cured pork belly (lap yuk), diced
• 30g dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and diced
• 20g dried shrimp, soaked and finely chopped
• 2 shallots, minced
• 200g rice flour
• 30g corn starch
• 450ml water (for batter)
• 200ml water (for cooking taro)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 0.25 tsp five-spice powder (optional)

Steps

1. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp in warm water until softened. Drain, then dice the mushrooms and finely chop the shrimp. Dice the Chinese preserved sausage, Chinese cured pork belly, and peel and mince the shallots. Peel and dice the taro into approximately 1.5 cm cubes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice flour, corn starch, and 450ml water (for batter). Stir well until no lumps remain and set aside.
3. Heat cooking oil in a large wok or pan over medium heat. Add diced Chinese preserved sausage and Chinese cured pork belly and stir-fry until fragrant and slightly crispy. Add minced shallots, dried shrimp, and diced shiitake mushrooms, continue to stir-fry until aromatic.
4. Add diced taro to the wok. Stir-fry for a few minutes. Then add 200ml water (for cooking taro), salt, sugar, white pepper, and five-spice powder (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until taro is tender and most water has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
5. Pour the taro mixture into the prepared rice flour batter. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined. The mixture should be thick but pourable.
6. Grease a 20 cm (8-inch) square or round steaming pan. Pour the taro cake mixture into the greased pan, spreading it evenly.
7. Bring water in a steamer to a rolling boil. Place the pan with the taro cake mixture into the steamer. Steam over high heat for 45-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Ensure there is enough water in the steamer throughout the process.
8. Once steamed, remove the taro cake from the steamer and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. For best texture and flavor, pan-fry slices until golden brown and crispy on both sides before serving.

Related recipes

More Hong Kong recipesPork recipes

Stir-fried Long Beans with Preserved Olive Vegetables and Minced Garlic Roast Duck Rice Yuenyeung Money Bag Tripe Stir-fried Spring Vegetables with Bean Sprouts, Crispy Garlic and Salted Fish Stir-fried Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce