Pumpkin, Roasted Duck Meat Steamed Kuih

When I was a kid, my neighbor (I wonder where they've disappeared to?) used to make a delicious steamed pumpkin kuih (a twist to the steamed taro kuih), similar to this. She'd used pork and not duck. I happened to have some odds and ends pieces of a Chinese roasted duck sitting in the fridge ... too boney for anything and it would be such a waste to toss out. So I salvaged them, peeled and teased the meat and skin out of those bones, diced them up and added to this instead of the usual pork. I thought the amount was rather small and would have loved to have more of it so that the flavors can shine through a little more. 
I saw Sonia's no-meat version and knew I had to make it. (See it here).
The addition of the duck was a spur of the moment madness that turned out quite well. All inventors, musicians and artists have to be slightly mad to succeed ... not too sure about cooks tho.
(Those who have used rendered duck fat to cook ... you know the flavors of heaven).


INGREDIENTS

65 g shredded / finely diced Chinese Roasted Duck meat incl skin (This was all I had. I'd recommend more than this amount. Say, about 100 - 120 g)
200 g pumpkin, diced
250 g rice flour
20 g tapioca starch
450 ml water
70 g dried shrimps, soaked to soften, drained and coarsely chopped
10 shallots, sliced

Seasonings

1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp white pepper powder

For garnish

chopped spring onions
chopped red chillies (seeded)



METHOD

Grease a 9.5 " round and 1.5" deep cake tin. (I used a disposable foil tin).
Prepare steamer.
In a mixing bowl, combine rice flour, tapioca starch and water and stir to a smooth watery batter.
Add in all seasoning ingredients. Mix well.
Heat about 2 tbs spoons of oil in a pan. 
(*Note: I highly recommend a non-stick pan for this).
Saute sliced shallots til golden brown. Add dried shrimp and saute til fragrant.
Dish out half of the mixture for garnishing.
Add in pumpkin to the remaining half in the pan and stir til pumpkin is cooked. 
Stir in diced roasted duck meat.
Lower heat, and pour in batter., stirring quickly and continuously, until it thickens into a paste. (Do not allow it to get too thick, otherwise you'll be chewing rubber)
Pour paste into greased cake pan, level the surface with a spatula and steam over high heat for 50 mins.
Remove and cool before slicing. 
Garnish with the remaining shrimp/shallots mix, chopped spring onions and chopped red chillies.
Serve with a sweet chilli sauce.