Thai Fried Chinese Chives Cake Recipe (Kanom Kui Chai)

• 100g chopped Chinese chives
• 1/2 cup rice flour
  
• 2 1/2 tbsp potato flour
  
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 crushed red bird eye chillies

Special Cooking Equipment Used

• steamer
  

Cooking instructions

Step 1: Add 100g of chopped Chinese chives, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a bowl and mix in thoroughly, then leave for about 30 minutes so that the chives will soften.

Step 2: In the meantime we can make the sauce, so add 2 crushed red bird eye chillies, 1 1/2 tbsp of dark soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp of white vinegar, 1/2 tbsp of water, 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 1/2 tbsp of sugar to a condiment pot, and mix everything together.

Step 3: Next add 1/2 cup of rice flour and 2 1/2 tbsp of potato flour to a jug, give it a quick mix, then slowly pour in 1/2 cup of water whilst continually stirring. Keep stirring until the mixture is as lump free as possible.

Step 4: Once 30 minutes has passed, pour the flour mixture into the bowl of chinese chives and mix together. Then pour the mixture into a mould that is suitable for steaming, place it into a steamer, and steam for 20 minutes on a high heat.

Step 5: Once the chives cake is cooked, test it with a knife to make sure its cooked properly and is not soggy, then cut the cake up into bite sized pieces, and then deep fry the pieces for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown, ensuring that you turn them so they cook evenly. This stage is optional – you could serve them straight from the steamer if you don’t want to fry them. Once they are cooked, drain them and place them on some paper towel to absorb any excess oil, then serve with the dipping sauce we made earlier!