Abacus Beads Recipe

Abacus Beads Recipe

500g yam or taro, peeled and cut into 1cm pieces

150g tapioca flour

300g dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked overnight and diced

100g minced topside of beef

100g minced shoulder pork

30g dried cuttlefish, cut into thin strips

30g dried shrimps or haybee, soaked for 20 minutes, drained then pounded

3 to 5 cloves garlic

salt to taste

5 cups vegetable oil

Seasoning:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon fish sauce (nampla)

Method:

Sprinkle some salt over yam and steam for 15 minutes until soft and cooked; mash while still hot and mix with tapioca flour to form a dough.  Make into small balls resembling abacus beads and, using thumb and finger, make a slight depression in the center of each ball.  Boil a large pot of water and add the yam balls, stirring well to prevent them from sticking together.  Remove with a strainer and coat with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil to prevent sticking.  Set aside.  Heat oil in wok and deep-fry cuttlefish for 3 to 4 minutes until crispy; drain on paper towels and set aside.  Remove all the oil, leaving 6 tablespoons of it in the wok.  Stir-fry garlic until fragrant.  Add pounded dried shrimps and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.  Add mushrooms, beef, pork and fried cuttlefish and stir-fry for 4 minutes.  Add seasoning and fry well.  Add yam balls and stir-fry for 2 minutes.  Serve on their own or as part of a meal with rice.