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Aug 12, 2012

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.






40 comments:

  1. makes me drool but i dare not attempt this dish. Tried making Taro cake 2x. Both times also failed miserably. First time was too watery. Second time was as hard as a rock :(

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    1. Awww ... that's too bad. I'm guessing undercooking and over-cooking the mixture. Maybe you could try turn off the heat once it starts to thicken but keep on stirring til it all becomes a paste.
      Don't give up. I'm sure it'll be 3rd time lucky! :) or better ... 3rd time success!

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    2. Like Kathy said I dun dare to try cos I don't know how mine will turn out to be. For now I just drool on your Taro cake.

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    3. It's not that difficult. You have to try at least once or twice. And this amount is quite small so there's not much waste if you screw up :)
      Good luck if and when you do try.

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  2. Oh I love your photo and the recipe looks fab...except the purchase of Chinese roasted duck meat would prove to be a bit of a problem in these parts. I'll just imagine what it tastes like. ;)

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    1. Hi Julia! Thank you! You can always use regular roast duck with no fancy herbs to clash with the dried shrimps. Hope you get to try it someday.

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  3. that picture is so pretty - so fall-like!

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  4. What a beautiful dish - how does one pronounce "kuih"? I've never heard of it before!

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    1. Thanks Charles. Hmm ... let me see ... gotta think of an English word that sounds like it .... as in "way" with a "k" in front. Kway.
      It's basically "cake" but not the crumbly sorts like the butter cakes or the sponges. Applies to local Asian tea time goodies, savoury and sweet.

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  5. Oooo...I would love this but my missus does not eat roasted duck. I love it! Sigh!!!

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    1. Really? Hmm ... I have come across folks telling me there's a smell that they don't like about ducks. They sure don't know what they're missing!

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  6. Looks VERY delicious! And complicated to make ( I mean for my skills :))

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    1. Thank you, Medeja. It isn't complicated at all. Just the part on getting the rice paste right so that it's not overcooked and gets too hard or undercooked and becomes too mushy :)

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  7. At first I thought it was a strange recipe-pumpkin, roasted duck and then steamed kuih. But the photo is gorgeous and upon further reading I understood what it was all about. Even without tasting, I know this is good. Must cuba one pf these days when I am rajin.

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    1. Thanks, Phong Hong! Ya, it's the "Or Kuih" with a twist. I think I prefer this now. Let me know if you like it when you do make it.

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  8. Wow, Ping...you are like a 'mad scientist'...ha, ha, not just amazing in your creations but have it right down to a 'science' with the salvaged duck pieces. Love this gorgeous dish, and yes, I do know how duck fat is pure 'heaven' especially dipping crusty bread in the warm duck fat~
    Beautiful presentation, my dear friend:) xo

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    1. Thank you so much! Haha! The "mad" part, yes. Ooohh, crusty bread in duck fat ... so sinful, yet so out of this world! Mmmmm ...

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  9. If I were to use roasted duck meat in this kuih, I am afraid, it will be gone before I even start to make the kuih. How about you let me sample this on our next meet up? LOL!

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    1. I know, me too! That's why this was from salvaged odds and ends.
      Let's do a trade. Your otak-otak for these. Howzat?

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    2. Can, can, name the date and time but got to give 1 week notice. need to order fish lah.

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  10. Ping, this is the memorable culinary moment: this is the first time I see the word "kuih".Reading your post and recipe I kept on opening my eyes wide. It looks mysteriously delicious and so exotic! If I make it one day I must first ask you for the prononciation classes ;-)
    Wow! I have just noticed it's steamed too! I think it's one of the most extraordinary dishes I have recently seen. I must prepare it! (Please say it's not difficult...)

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    1. :D You're funny! I'd just replied to Charles about the pronunciation .... that's k + way = kway, with a shorter drag on the y. Hope that helps.
      It's not difficult at all. The only tricky part is to not overcook or undercook the rice flour paste otherwise it gets hard or mushy after it's steamed.
      Strange how a common dish in one region can be so interesting to another :)
      I'm happy you're excited about this!

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    2. Thanks a lot for the answer. It's true: one man's staple can be an extremely exotic meal for someone else. This is one of the many things I love about meeting all the incredible cooks from all around the world through blogging... Thank you for this discovery and so many others.

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  11. oh, i like the thigh part of the duck and sometimes i have to be very careful when picking the duck pices, i 'll try to avoid the ' near bottom' part! haha! i think using duck meat in this pumpkin kuih is a whole new twist, clever!

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    1. Hehe ... we all do too! That's why we have the other bits left over for me to play with :)
      Thanks, Lena.

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  12. Adding the duck bits is genius. I couldn't agree more on experimenting in the kitchen. Don't try wouldn't know. When I mom has left over roast duck, I am so going to keep a stash and make this awesome kuih. Thanks for sharing and I love your sense of madness. That's what make you AWESOME Ping! xoxo

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    1. I've been called many things in my life but a genius? Oh noooo .... but thanks, Jo.
      I have to confess, laziness sometimes makes a home cook inventive and creative. Meaning to say, I was too lazy to go out and get the pork that's suppose to used for this. But a "lazy" moment turned out something good! Now, who says "lazy" is a negative word? Tsk. (PS Don't you go quoting this aunty's words).

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  13. Hi Ping, you 're so clever and innovation. Good idea never waste food. But your this roasted duck pumpkin kuih look extremely good, I'm drooling.... next time must bring my bib.LOL
    Your photo look gorgeous.

    BTW, I got 4 awards for you, drop by to collect when you free.

    Have a nice week ahead, regards.

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    1. Hey, Amelia! Thank you so much! And for the awards too! Four of them?! You spoil me! Coming over shortly. xo

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  14. Yes,1 crazy idea to use roasted duck but I love the idea,haha!

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  15. While I don't eat duck, I will say that this is a very inventive, beautiful looking dish. The pumpkin is so interesting here... I will steal the idea to incorporate with another protein. Yum!

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    1. Steal away, Kelly! I'd be most flattered! It actually does need a sweet fat type meat to make it work ... normally we use pork belly. Hmm ... I just thought of streaky bacon. Asian food isn't the healthiest stuff around :D

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  16. The kuih looks so tasty and tempting with pumpkin and roasted duck. I might try it with sausages. Thanks, Ping, for sharing the idea and recipe.

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    1. Thanks Angie. Sausages? That sounds interesting too! Salami might work.
      Looking forward to see your version!

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  17. Ping, you are so pandai can think of putting roast duck in steamed pumpkin kuih, sound like a good twist. Thanks for your mentioned .

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    1. Thanks Sonia. One can get pretty creative when clearing the fridge :)

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