Chinese Savoury Rice Pudding with Preserved Raddish (碗仔粿 "woon-zai-gou"/水粿 "zhui-kueh")

Ah...Anyone likes to eat this kueh / rice pudding? This kueh / rice pudding is used to be one of my favourite breakfast option as well. My mum used to get it from the market in the morning when she went out marketing. It wasn't expensive then...and we could easily get this kueh in Kuala Lumpur. However, I was surprised to hear from my Penang friends that this kueh was rarely sold in Penang! Hence, they were delighted when I made this kueh to church meeting as it brings back lots of childhood memory! :)

Believe it or not, I do not know how to bake any cakes or kueh and cooking was the least thing I ever do before migrating oversea. I used to be a full time working mum. Had been very busy like many other working adults, striving to earn a living and earn more for the family.

I still remember this kueh during my last day of work before leaving the country. My Division Head bought me this kueh as farewell...Yes, this kueh is indeed hard to get it here, but I am glad that I wasn't afraid to explore recipes. No regrets! Blessed are my friends who have tried my rice pudding from my very first attempts! Thank you for being my food testers in many occasions. And thank you for the encouragements that keep me going / growing!! :)

Here's how I made my rice pudding...This recipe made about 12 bowls of rice pudding.

The batter:
- 450g rice flour
- 1950 ml water
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 0.75 tsp (ie 3/4 tsp) salt mixed with 6 tbsp cooking oil and 1.5 tsp alkaline (lye) water (碱水) (Note: some people omit lye water.)

Preserved raddish topping / To serve with...
- about 13 tbsp cooking oil
- 100g pork mince
-  6 tbsp dried shrimps (finely chopped)
- 15 tbsp preserved raddish (finely chopped) - Choy Poh 菜脯碎  (Note: I used the sweet preserved raddish)
- 6 tbsp finely chopped garlic and shallots
- sugar, salt and pepper to taste (Note: I normally added little bit each time after tasted until I am satisfied with the balance taste of sweetness/ saltiness).
- 1 to 1.5 tsp of cooking caramel
- 0.5 cup of water

Some small bowls (note: about the size of chinese rice bowls)
- Brush little bit of cooking oil inside each bowl

Method:-
1) Mix all the batter ingredients, strain it into a pot. Cook it over low heat by stirring constantly until it turns thick liquid (but not dry and hard).
2) Remove the thick liquid from heat.
3) Fill up each greased bowl with the hot batter until 3/4 quarter full (or slighly less than 3/4 quarter full)
4) Steam with high heat in a steamer for about 25 minutes until cooked. (Note: I am using a cook top steamer. You might need longer time if  you are using an electric steamer)
5) Remove from steamer. Leave cool before cutting.

(The look of just steamed rice pudding. Leaving them cool before cutting.)

(The look of rice pudding after removed from the bowls.)

6) For the topping, heat up about 13 tbsp of cooking oil, saute the chopped garlic and shallots until aromatic. Add in the chopped dried shrimps, stir fry it for about 1 minute before adding the pork mince and the preserved raddish. Continue to stir fry until the pork mince are cooked. Add in the 0.5 cup of water and the cooking caramel. Continue to stir fry for about a minute. Then, add in some sugar, pepper and salt to taste.
7) Once done, serve this preserved raddish topping with the cooled rice pudding.

Bon Appétit!!