Yam Abacus By Mom

Today is a boring Sunday in Ah Mah's house. Sis and her kids is on holiday in Chiangmai and left me and the kids plus Mom and Dad at Ah Mah's house. Mom called me up yesterday night over dinner that she will make 'Yam Abacus' and ask me to teach her to make 'Pau'. I told her to prepare the Char Siew filling and I will bring back the pau flour.

Reach Ah Mah's house at about 11.30 am and once reach the kids started running around as though they are just out from the jail. Me, helping Mom in the kitchen. Mom started to prepare her yam abacus and this is her 1st attempt as she saw the recipe over a Chinese newspaper and she is so eager to try out.

While she is preparing to cook, I started to take phototgraphs of her cooking the yam abacus and I 'kena taruk' from her why I keep snapping her photographs. She keep nagging, nagging and nagging and finally I give up and get into the house and copy her 'Yam Abacus' recipe. Emmm... not too bad but one comment from me is that, its better to add some chilli padi into it. Taste better and again I 'kena taruk' from her cos she is bit of 'kiasu' wanted people to praise her. Her reason to me is that the kids cannot take spicy food, so she ommit out the chili padi. Anyway, me and Joe think its nice.

Here is the recipe :

Ingredients A

600 gm yam cut into chunks, steamed till soft and mashed finely

300gm tapioca flour

1 tsp salt

some boiling water to mix (if necessary)

2 litre boiling water, 2 tbsp oil ( to boil the abacus )

Ingredients B
1 tbsp chopped garlic

3 tbsp chopped dried prawns

2 tbsp dried squids, shreds finely

200gm minced pork

3 mushrooms, soaked and shreds finely

3 tbsp wood's ear fungus, soaked and shreds finely

1 stalk leek, shreds finely

Seasoning

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp chicken stocks granules

1 tsp dark soya sauce

Salt to taste

Some pepper and sesame oil

1 cup water

Garnishing
Some spring onions and coriander leaves

Method :

1. Combine all ingredients A and mix into a pliable dough. Divide into small portions and form into the shape of a abacus. Cook in boiling water until they float up. Remove and rinse with cold water and set aside.

2. Heat some oil in a pan. Sautee chopped garlic till fragrant. Add in the dried prawns, minced pork, and dried squids and stir-fry till fragrant and aromatic.

3. Next add in shredded mushroom, leek and wood's ear fungus, and stir-fry again till fragrant. Add in the seasoning ingredients and bring to a boil. Stir in yam abacus and stir-fry till dry. Taste and dish up.

4. Garnish with spring onions and coriander leaves. Serve hot.

This is my mom, Yam Abacus. SOooooo delicious.

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After having our lunch, its my turn to teach her to make the pau skin using my recipe. This round my little girl KPC again wanted to make the pau together with PoPo. Again my Mom, start to nag, nag and nag.

Le-Ann makes few of her own version of mini pau and she he is helping PoPo to wrap the filling. PoPo and KongKong mentioned to me that her pau turned out to be ugly but cute and adorable.

Now Mom got so excited with the successful recipe and she is going to try again and make more pau next week.