Wu Kok (Crispy Taro Puffs)
These Crispy Taro Puffs (Wu Kok) with its delicate lacy texture are a dim sum delight. They are fluffy on the inside with a tasty filling.(Yields 12 pieces)
Keyword : crispy taro puffs, taro puffs, wu kok
Equipment
Ingredients
Taro Dough
- 1 lb taro ** (cut into ¼ inch slices) (450g)
- ¾ cup wheat starch (90g)
- ⅓ cup boiling water (80ml)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp five-spice powder
- 3 tbsp shortening
- Sufficient oil for deep frying
Filling
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 2 Chinese mushrooms (soaked and diced)
- ½ lb ground pork (225g)
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- ⅓ cup water (80ml)
- 4 oz shrimp (chopped) (113g)
- 2 tsp corn starch mixed with 2 tbsp water
- 3 green onions (thinly sliced)
Instructions
Filling
- Heat vegetable oil in a wok or medium pan. Add minced garlic and saute for 20 seconds. Then, add mushrooms and stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add ground pork and continue to stir fry to break up the ground pork.
- Season with hoisin sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and ground pepper.
- Pour in water and allow it to cook for 3 minutes.
- Add shrimp and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in cornstarch mixture and stir fry until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
- Turn off stove. Mix in green onions and transfer to a bowl to cool.
Taro Dough
- Steam taro slices for 12 minutes until very tender. Transfer to a large bowl and mash until smooth with a potato masher.
- In a separate small bowl, combine wheat starch with boiling water. Mix to form a paste. Transfer this paste to the big bowl with mashed taro.
- Add salt, ground pepper, sugar, five-spice powder, and shortening to the mashed taro and wheat starch paste. Mix well and and form non-sticky dough.
- Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough until smooth.
- Divide the dough into 12 portions of about 55 grams each.
Forming the Taro Puffs
- Roll one portion of dough between your palms. Flatten the dough and shape into a shallow oval cup.
- Place a tablespoon of filling in the center and bring the two longer edges together. Press to seal and shape into an oval like an egg with a flat bottom and a slightly edged top. Place on a plastic lined plate. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
Deep Frying the Taro Puffs
- Heat sufficient vegetable oil in a saucepan or small pot to about 375⁰F/190⁰C*** over medium low heat. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Place 2 to 4 pieces (depending on the size of your strainer) of formed taro puffs in a metal strainer. Carefully lower the strainer into the hot oil.
- Occasionally lift the strainer to make sure that the taro puffs are intact (i.e. not disintegrated). Lower the strainer back into the hot oil and continue deep frying until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Place fried taro puffs on a paper lined plate to absorb excess oil. Repeat with remaining formed taro puffs.
- Serve immediately as it or with your choice of sweet chili sauce or sweet brown sauce.
Notes
** For better results, please use fresh taro (if possible) instead of frozen taro.
*** If you do not have a kitchen thermometer, save a small piece of the taro dough for testing the oil. Once you feel the oil is sufficiently hot (after about 5 minutes), drop this small piece of dough into the hot oil. The oil is hot enough if the dough fries up immediately with a profusion of tiny bubbles in the hot oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 302kcal
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