Savory Steamed Rice Dumplings

Savory Steamed Rice Dumplings will forever change your breakfast goals with its amazing flavors of garlic and Chinese dried radish.

Savory Steamed Rice Dumplings, or as what we commonly refer to as "Chwee Kueh" in Singapore, is a popular breakfast dish back home. "Chwee Kueh" literally means "water rice cake". It is a really simple dish - a rice flour and water mixture that is steamed in small cup-shaped containers or saucers and topped with a savory dried radish topping.

After 2 1/2 months, my mom's visit has come to an end. Before she left yesterday, we asked her what she'd like to do or eat. Although she was going back to Singapore where Singaporean cuisine was readily available, she wanted me to cook Hainanese Chicken Rice for lunch. And I made some "Chwee Kueh" for her breakfast as well.
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I have not made these rice dumplings in a while and made a mistake by filling the mold cups almost to the brim and that caused the dumplings to sink a little in the middle while steam cooking. But that worked in our favor as the little indentation served as a cup to hold more toppings, although the bottom of the rice dumpling was a little too densed for my liking. So, do note not to fill up your molds too much when you make this.

Savory Steamed Rice Dumplings
adapted from "Singapore Hawker Food"

Recipe
Topping Ingredients
14 oz Chinese Dried Radish
4 tbsp Chopped Garlic
15 tbsp Cooking Oil
1 tbsp Sugar

Dumpling Ingredients
2 1/2 cup Rice Flour
2 tbsp Caltrop Starch or Cornstarch
6 1/3 cups Water
1 tsp Salt

Cooking Method
1. Soak chinese dried radish in water for 15 to 30 min. Drain and mince in food processer.
2. Heat oil in a pot and place the dried radish in. Simmer on med/low heat for 40 min.
3. Add chopped garlic and stir well. Simmer for another 10 to 15 min or until fragrant. Remove from heat.
4. Add salt into water and bring it to boil. Remove from heat.
5. Add rice flour and starch into water and mix well.
6. Pour mixture into molds. (Small 2 inch diameter cups) Fill about 1 inch deep.
7. Steam cook for 15 to 20 min.
8. Serve with radish topping and sambal chilli, if desired.