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Hakka Abacus Beads (Yam Gnocchi with Minced Pork) Recipe 算盘子

Thursday, March 10, 2011 | Labels: , , |

I am fully Hakka which means both my parents are from the Hakka clan but regretfully my spoken Hakka leaves much to be desired.  I am also a little embarassed that my blog hardly feature Hakka recipes.  Today's feature is a classic Hakka dish which is popularly known as abacus beads in Chinese - these beads are actually little yam (taro) gnocchis which are made out of mashed yam and tapioca flour.  The 'beads' are then traditionally cooked in a savoury mixture of soy sauce, ground pork and dried shrimp bits.  As this dish is so simple, the freshness of the yam is extremely important since it would affect the texture of the gnocchis.  The texture of these beads are tender on the inside and chewy on the outside.  This dish is also a two-day affair where after steaming the yam, it is mashed up with tapioca flour and then shaped and left to rest overnight after being steamed again before being stir-fried which according to my mom would produce a better texture.

hakka abacus beads

This is truly a dish that brings me back to my roots.  Hakka cuisine is generally known for its' earthiness and simplicity, nothing too fancy.  Abacus beads is just one of many classic Hakka dishes - I am already planning my next Hakka feature, perhaps the ever popular salt baked chicken which is one of my favourite methods of preparing chicken.   As with many dishes, there are many schools of thought (yes, there are many sub-clans within the Hakka clan as well) on preparing this simple dish like say instead of steaming, some prefer to boil the yam beads.  With the stir-frying step, we usually just use minced pork, dried shrimp bits and some garlic but you can add other complementary ingredients like mushrooms, slices of crunchy wood-ear fungus and dried tofu pieces.

Hakka abacus beads

Step-by-step photos for shaping yam after the jump.

Ingredients:

1 whole yam/ taro - remove skin
8 tbsps tapioca flour/ tapioca starch

1/4 cup of dried shrimp (soaked)
1/2 pound of pork, minced (or buy ground pork)
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Handful of cilantro and green onions (garnish - optional)
Dash of light soy sauce
1/4 cup water

hakka abacus beads

Method:

Shaping:

Yam or taro

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Remove skin
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Prepare the yam beads the night before cooking.  After removing skin from the yam, slice it up and place on a plate for steaming.  Steam the yam pieces for about 20 minutes on high heat until soft.  Remove from heat.

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Mash up the soft yam pieces with a potato masher or fork.  Now, add tapioca flour and mix well with a fork.   
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Form into a soft dough (will be crumbly).

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With clean hands, start shaping the yam dough into little balls. Make a slight indentation in the middle lightly with your thumb or finger. Place on plate (will be steamed again). Repeat with remaining dough.


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Steam the yam beads over high heat for about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once cooled, cover and place in fridge.

Stir-frying:

Remove the yam beads from the fridge and allow to rest till room temperature.  While resting, mince the pork with a cleaver or alternatively use ground pork.  Saute the garlic in hot oil until fragrant.  Add minced pork and dried shrimp bits and fry till aromatic.  Add 1 tbsp of light sauce.  Add the water.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and cover for about 5 minutes.

Place the yam beads into the wok and stir around until sauce thickens a little, about 5 minutes.  Remove from wok and serve hot.  You can stir the yam beads for longer if you want the sauce to be thicker.  Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions (scallions).

hakka abacus beads

12 comments:

My Little Space said...

Jen, your abacus version look so different. Like having soup. My hubby side is Hakka but my parents are pure Cantonese. I learn all the Hakka dishes from hubby's side. But not this! I'm not sure why. While I learned it from my neighbour. ha.. Thanks. Hope you're having a lovely evening.
Kristy

My Little Space said...

Jen, your abacus version look so different. Like having soup. My hubby side is Hakka but my parents are pure Cantonese. I learn all the Hakka dishes from hubby's side. But not this! I'm not sure why. While I learned it from my neighbour. ha.. Thanks. Hope you're having a lovely evening.
Kristy

Tastes of Home (Jen) said...

Hi Kristy, yeah I think there are so many different versions since there are so many types of Hakka as well. Thanks for dropping by! Always nice to hear from you :) You too!

TasteHongKong said...

Look forward to reading more Hakka recipes from you. I too make yam balls with tapioca flour but usually as desserts. You really entice me to turn it into a savory dish next time : ).

wiffy said...

I am taking an interest in 算盘子 after seeing all the yummy recipes like yours. I am going to take away some to try next time I see the stall =D

Cooking Gallery said...

I have never had this, but this looks so intriguing and I can imagine that I would love this dish once I have given it a try... I have to find out whether I can find taro in Germany...!

Edible Arts said...

oh wow this looks delicious!!
i want 1 large bowl please! ^ ^

Tastes of Home (Jen) said...

thanks CG! this is a classic Hakka dish :)

Tastes of Home (Jen) said...

thanks EA! sure will FEDEX one to you! :D

Edible Arts said...

ive got an award for you, i hope you can drop by my blog and pick it up & see the little message i wrote for you as well~~ (:

Little Corner of Mine said...

I never have Hakka abacus beads before, would love to try it. Yours look delicious!

tigerfish said...

Hee heee....gnocchi Hakka-style! Interesting. At least you tried making something related to your heritage...:) that's good!

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