Hakka Yam Abacus Seeds .. 算盘子

 I am a Hakka (Dabu) girl:) My grandparents from are Hakkas from the Dabu county of the Guangdong province. They migrated here (Malaysia) since young. I lived with my grandparents when i was little in a big house of 10 rooms, 1 big sitting room, 1 big dinning room and a huge kitchen. My grand ma(AH Nen) was a good cook. My mum learned most of her Hakka delicacies from my grand ma and now i learn from my mum:) 
Dabu Hakka address their grand father as Ah Tar and grand ma as Ah Nei..interesting right:D

我的祖父祖母是来自客家, 大埔镇, 广东省. 年轻时就来到了南. 在这落地生根. 所以呢, 我之小就是个客家大埔妹现在就是位大埔'安娣' :p
我之小就跟祖父祖母住在老屋. 老屋是间10房, 1个大厅, 1 个大饭厅和1个超大的厨房. 祖母的厨乙很棒, 能煮好吃的客家菜和做好吃的糕点. 我妈妈的客家菜大多都跟祖母学的. 我呢!! 就跟我妈妈学的.

这到算盘子是道大埔, 客家菜. 是一道很好吃充满香气和有的咬的一道菜. 哈哈:p 为什么说是有的咬呢?? 如果你有吃过你就知道我在说'有的咬'的意思. 是芋丸口感QQ加上配料如黑木耳, 香菇, 鱿鱼, 虾米, 肉碎和青葱的脆和爽口. 

This yam abacus seed is made of yam and tapioca flour. It taste chewy, gooey and full of yam aroma. The rest of the ingredients like cuttlefish strips, shredded mushroom , mince meat, pounded dried shrimps and spring onion makes this dish even tastier.

Wanna try a piece?? 来来...请你吃吧!! :D

We, Hakkas eats Fried Yam Abacus Seeds (Suan Pan Zi) on festive occassion. 

The Hakkas (which liternally means guest people) were named such because they were a migratory group. Their cuisine tends to be made from very hearty ingredients that will keep (think salt and oil). (No wonder my mil and fil (which is hopoh hakkas) always have strong flavour in cooking. Their food is quite salty and oily sometimes.) Hence the use of the hardy yam here. Also Hakkas have a stereotype of being good with money, so the yam gnocci taking on the image of the seeds of the abacus counting board allude to that.

(Part of this information is from here.. this post is also writing about Hakka suan pan zi.)

Yam dough have made into yam abacus seeds and it is ready to cook..算盘子做好了,可以拿去煮了:)

This is my little Sous chef..LOL..see how busy he is :D He even make something different to the  yam abacus seed...看看, 我的小厨师很忙哦! 他在帮忙把算盘子捏好. 他还捏了他自己的花样 XD

This is the yam abacus seeds done  by my little Sous chef...Oh!!! let see what is the different...一盘捏好的算盘子, 要送去煮了...看!!有不一样的形状哦!! (我家小厨的杰作(><*)

The top 2 pieces is done by mui and the bottom 2 pieces is done by the Sous chef..lol He is trying to be naughty making a special kind of his own..lol!!

上两棵是阿mui做的而下方是小厨(mui的小儿)做的哦..

是不是2000年后的新生后的感觉?? 哈哈

Suan Pan Zi/ Hakka Yam Abacus Seeds

Recipe source: mui's mum/ ah nei(grand ma)

Prepared the yam abacus seeds

Formula: 2.5 part yam to 1 part tapioca flour (mum's preference)

The ratio of yam and flour depends on individual preference. My Mum prefer a more yam fragrance flavour, yam abacus seeds. Commercial wise are using less yam and more flour or half to half (1 part yam to 1 part flour) which make the yam seeds keep longer in freezer but it gives a much starchier, chewier and less yam fragrant seeds. Trying out varies combination of how much yam to how much flour will leads you to your favourite balance of flavour and bite.

Ingredients;

600g ( 1 斤) yam 

240g tapioca flour
a little hot water

1. Peel and cut yam into slices. 
2. Steam yam for 15-20 minutes or until soft and cooked (check if a chopstick will poke through the yam)
3. Place steamed yam into a large mixing bowl and mashed it into paste with a masher or a fork.
4. Add tapioca flour, add hot water (boling hot) and using a mixer with K beater attached to blend well. (Do not blend to mashed yam because doing this will cause the yam to become starchy n not floury.)
5. When it comes into a dough. Pinch a small piece roll into a small ball. With your thumb(bottom) and pointer finger(top) make a slight depression in the centre so that it will look like a abacus beads. Do try to make all(the abacus yam seeds/beads) in the same size so that they will cooked evenly. 

Time to cook the yam abacus seeds by boiling.

1. Boiled the yam abacus seeds in a large pot of hot boiling water. Boiled them in small batch so that it is easily to managed. Stir a little to prevent them from sticking together. Boiled until the seeds floats on the surface of the hot water about 10-15 minutes.
2. Dish out the seeds with a strainer and add 1-2 tbsp oil mixed well to prevent the seeds from sticking. Rest the seeds in a sieve to drain away extra water.

Prepare the side ingredients to fried the yam abacus seeds

1 whole dried Cutterfish (about 25g) soaked till soften and cut into strips
4-5 cloves  garlic .. finely chopped
30g dried shrimps (har mi) .. washed, soaked for 10-15 minutes
drained, keep the soaked water and pounded or chopped finely
4-5 pieces  mushroom .. soaked till soft and sliced into strips
30g large cloud ear mushroom (black) .. soaked till soft and slice into strips
250g mince pork .. prefer with a little fat
2 tbsp spring onion .. chopped
2 tsbp coriander .. chopped
some cooking oil

Seasoning:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp fish sauce

To do:

1. Heat up enough cooking oil in a wok. 
2. Add in chopped garlic, stir fried until fragrant.
3. Add in pounded dried shrimps and strips cuttlefish. Stir fried until these are really fragrant and dried. **how do you know whether this is ready?? Just see the cuttlefish strips, if its ready the cuttlefish strips will jump and wiggle in the wok..that mean it dry and ready :D
4. Add in mushroom strips and cloud ear strips. Stir fried for 2 minutes.
5. Add in a little more oil if there is not enough oil. Add in mince pork, stir fried for 5 minutes or until it is cooked.
6. Add in salt, pepper and fish sauce, stir fried to combine.
7. Pour in yam seeds and stir fried to combine.
8. Spoon in 2-3 tbsp of soaked dried shrimp water, then add in chopped spring onion and coriander and stir fried for 2 minutes.
9. Dish up and serve hot or warm..:D

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013, 

hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover.

Hope you will ENJOY this Hakka (Dabu) festive dish as much as i do...:D