Also commonly referred to as “p’ng (rice) kueh” or “Teochew red kueh“, the Teochew Peach-shaped Kueh is traditionally known as “红桃粿”, pronounced as “ung toh kway” in Teochew (a dialect of Chinese) which means “red peach snack/cake/pudding/dumpling”. Essentially, this Teochew delicacy is shaped like a peach, features a pink coloured sticky but tender skin that is stuffed with the most fragrant glutinous rice.
I’ve eaten this kueh since childhood but it was only last Saturday, that my mum handed down the recipe to me. We spent all day in the kitchen, talking about her perfection of the recipe over the years as we pumped out 40 beautiful pieces.
In our household, we’ve always eaten this during the Chinese New Year celebrations because the peach is regarded in Chinese lore as a symbol of longevity.
Teochew peach-shaped kueh
Ingredients
- 500 g Erawan brand rice flour
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 750 g hot water mixed with ½ tsp red or pink food colouring
- 4 shiitake mushrooms (if using dried variety, rehydrate), diced
- 3 lup cheong, diced
- 300 g pork rashers, diced
- 25 g dried shrimp
- 500 g glutinous rice
- 5 spring onion stems, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
Instructions
- Put the glutinous rice in a large pot filled with cold water and soak overnight. The next day, steam the glutinous rice for 20 minutes, stirring half way. Keep it covered and warm until you need it.
- Combine the rice flour and tapioca flour. With a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the hot water.
- While still hot, knead the mixture until smooth, adding the tiniest amount of rice flour if it’s too sticky, or drops of hot water if it is too dry. Place the dough in a plastic bag to ensure it doesn’t dry out while you work on the filling. It is crucial you set the dough aside to rest after kneading. Allow half to one hour which is generally enough time to prepare the glutinous rice.
- Heat the oil in a wok or pan and fry the pork. mushrooms, lup cheong and dried shrimps until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients (spring onions and seasoning).
- Combine with steamed glutinous rice and fry until well mixed.
- Divide dough into twenty small portions. Flatten with a rolling pin and place in the kueh mould.
- Add spoonfuls of the filling then fold in the edges, sealing the top of the mould and removing any excess dough as you go.
- Knock out the kueh from the mould and place on a lined steamer tray. Continue until you have enough to fill the tray. You will need to work in batches.
- Steam for 8 minutes and lightly brush with oil.
Notes
The seductive aroma of the fried pork, lup cheong, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimps and soy sauce will mesmerise you.
Pay special attention to your quantities of flour and water as well as steaming time. Imbalances of the flour in the dough can cause the skin to be tough and rubbery and steaming it for too long may cause it to fall apart. But when you do get it right, the Teochew peach-shaped kueh is pure comfort food.
These can be eaten straight from the steamer or pan-fried for a crisp texture. You can guess which I prefer 😉
I’ve also observed that there are a few different sauces which the Teochew peach-shaped kueh is commonly eaten with – a black coloured zesty sauce of vinegar, soy sauce and chilli; a sweet dark soy sauce, or a Vietnamese nuoc cham sauce of fish sauce, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar and chilli. My theory is that the latter was developed as tastes changed when some Teochew families (like my grandparents on both my mum’s and dad’s side) left their homeland for Vietnam. I quite enjoy all of these sauce versions but more importantly, I am glad I have ten of these steamed Teochew peach-shaped kueh left, safely stored in the freezer for when I crave a taste of my heritage.
P.S. The glutinous rice can also be eaten by itself, naked. Simple serve with fresh coriander sprigs for a hearty meal.
