Small, saucer-shaped steamed rice cakes with a soft, smooth, slightly bouncy texture, each topped with a spoonful of savoury stir-fried preserved radish. A quintessential Singapore breakfast of Teochew origin.
Chwee kueh is a quintessential Singapore breakfast of Teochew origin. The name means water cake in Teochew. Small, saucer-shaped steamed rice cakes with a soft, smooth, slightly bouncy texture are each topped with a spoonful of savoury stir-fried preserved radish (chai poh). Heritage stalls have made it for decades, and its simplicity makes it a pure expression of Teochew steamed-cake heritage. It is eaten at breakfast across the island's hawker centres.
Soft, smooth, slightly bouncy rice cakes topped with a glossy, intensely savoury, crunchy preserved-radish relish fried with garlic and chilli. Eaten warm in one bite, it is mild, salty and the clean taste of a Singapore morning.
The batter is a simple mix of rice flour and water (sometimes with a little tapioca for bounce), steamed in small saucer-shaped moulds until set into soft, smooth cakes. The topping is the soul: preserved radish (chai poh) is soaked to desalt, drained, then fried with garlic, chilli and oil until crisp and intensely savoury. A spoonful goes on each warm cake. The contrast of the mild cake and the punchy topping is the point.
Variations
A chilli version adds more chili to the topping. Some use tapioca flour for more bounce.
On the Palate
Where Chwee Kueh sits in the Singaporean flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
6 steps · 20 min
- 15 min
Mix 150g rice flour, 20g tapioca flour and 400ml water with a pinch of salt to a smooth batter; rest 30 minutes.
- 25 min
Lightly oil small saucer-shaped moulds; pour the batter to just below the rim.
- 312 min
Steam over high heat 12-15 minutes until set and slightly cupped at the edges.
Watch outSteam just until the batter sets and the tops dimple slightly cupped, twelve to fifteen minutes — oversteam and the cakes go tough instead of soft and smooth.
- 45 min
Soak 100g preserved radish (chai poh) in water 10 minutes; drain.
- 512 min
Fry the radish with 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp chilli paste and 4 tbsp oil over low heat 15 minutes until crisp and savoury.
Watch outFry the preserved radish slow, a full fifteen minutes, until crisp and deeply savoury — this punchy topping is the soul against the plain cake; rush it and it tastes flat.
- 64 min
Spoon the warm topping onto each cake; serve immediately.
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