This Hakka taro roll is a little-known recipe that you might only see during the Lunar New Year. Julienned taro and some ground beef are mixed with dried mushrooms, dried shrimp, Chinese sausage and peanuts. The mixture is rolled in tofu skin to hold it together, steamed and pan-fried until crispy.
While it’s a little obscure and not necessarily a dish that will get a lot of attention, it’s simply delicious and an important recipe to document.
Recording a classic Hakka recipe
If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you know that we cover a wide range of Chinese (and non-Chinese) recipes.
I particularly like sharing very traditional recipes of dishes that perhaps you have only eaten a few times, when a grandparent or parent prepared it for special occasions.
Many of these recipes are at risk of being forgotten and I feel a deep sense of responsibility to document them in English. This is both to ensure that overseas Chinese can remember and pass them on, but also to share delicious new recipes with people who have never tried them!
So, like everyone, I often look at the Internet and watch a lot of cooking videos. This year, on Chinese websites, I saw several videos demonstrating how to make this Hakka Taro Scroll for Chinese New Year.
THE Hakka people they were native to the central plains of China, migrating through southern China to areas such as Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Jiangxi, as well as other regions within China and abroad. There are thought to be 80 million people of Hakka descent in the world today!
We shared a few other Hakka dishes, such as Hakka Stuffed Tofu, Stuffed Bitter Melon, Duck with Sour Plums, Salt Chicken, and Eggs with Preserved Radish.
I love Hakka food, so I’m constantly looking for new Hakka recipes. I decided to try this recipe. After some testing and tweaking, we landed on a recipe that the whole family likes. It turned out to be a real crowd pleaser – even my nephew loves it!
What is Taro?
Sarah recently published a post all about taro. Here’s a quick summary: Taro is a brown, hairy root with a potato-like texture. It has a deliciously buttery flavor and is available in both large and small sizes.
In this recipe we use larger taro, which has a starchier texture than small taro, which is stickier. Handling raw taro can irritate sensitive skin, so you may want to wear gloves when peeling and slicing it.
I think taro is a beloved ingredient among the Hakka people, as there are many taro dishes from that region. Recipes like our Steamed Pork Belly with Taro, Taro Rice, Braised Duck with Taro, and Taro Cake all have connections to Hakka cuisine. There are others we haven’t tried yet, like 客家算盘子 (kèjiā suànpán zǐ), which are “abacus pearls” similar to stir-fried dumplings, made with taro and starch.
Features of the Hakka Taro Roll
If you’ve ever had Taro Cake, another Chinese New Year treat, you know the general flavor profile of this dish.
Nutty taro combines with umami-rich savory elements including dried shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, peanuts, ground pork and dried shrimp. The addition of five spice powder gives it a unique fragrance.
The biggest difference between this taro roll and taro cake is that there is less starch binding them together. As a result, you can really appreciate the taste and texture of taro: soft, creamy and buttery.
A very thin sheet of bean curd skin holds the roll together. (Similar to our Vegetarian Duck – 素鸭). You steam it, slice it and fry it until crispy. The result is a complex yet familiar and comforting snack.
Serve it for breakfast, as an appetizer or as one of the festive dishes you serve for your 年夜饭 (nián yèfàn), the traditional New Year’s Eve meal. Enjoy!
Recipe instructions
In a large bowl, add taro, ground pork (or chicken), mushrooms, peanuts, dried shrimp, sausage, scallions, egg, salt, sugar, five-spice powder, the sweet potato starch and the water.
Use a rubber spatula to mix well, until you have a thick, pasty filling. Flatten the filling at the bottom of the bowl so that it is even. Use the spatula to divide it into about 4 equal portions.
Cut the tofu skin sheet into quarters. The pastry is usually circular, so fold it in half and cut it with kitchen scissors, then fold it in half again and do the same thing. If the tofu sheet is dry and breaks when you try to fold it, brush it lightly with water to soften it.
Fold the uneven sides to make a rectangle. Each individual quarter should be approximately 9×11 inches (23×28 cm).
To wrap, place a portion of filling on the short end of a tofu skin quarter, compressing it into a solid log that stretches the length of the tofu skin, about 2 inches in diameter. Again, if the sheet is dry, you can brush it with water.
Wrap the tofu skin tightly around the log of filling.
Place it seam side down on a heatproof plate that fits the wok for steaming. Repeat with the remaining bean curd skin and filling, placing the rolls on a heatproof plate so they don’t touch each other.
Prepare a wok with a 5-8cm steam rack. Fill with enough water to come just under the grate. Get more information on how to set up a steamer. Bring the water to a boil, place the pot on the grill and cover. Steam over medium-high heat for 35 minutes (check periodically and add more boiling water if necessary).
Remove from the heat and let the sandwiches cool completely (covered) before slicing. Cut rolls at a slight angle into ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick pieces.
You can eat them as they are or fry the cut pieces in an oiled pan over medium heat. Pan-fry for about 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Tip for the future!
You can prepare these sandwiches up to 2 days in advance, steam them and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat them, steam them to reheat them or simply slice and pan-fry them.
Hakka Taro Roll
This Hakka taro roll with minced meat, mushrooms, shrimp, Chinese sausage and peanuts is a little-known delicious recipe that you might only see during the Lunar New Year.
serves: 10
Preparation: 1 Now 30 minutes
Cooked: 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours
Prevents the screen from going dark
Instructions
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In a large bowl, add taro, ground pork (or chicken), mushrooms, peanuts, shrimp, sausage, scallions, egg, salt, sugar, five-spice powder, sweet potato starch and water. Use a rubber spatula to mix well, until you have a thick, pasty filling. Flatten the filling into the bottom of the bowl so that it is even and use the spatula to divide it into about 4 equal portions.
-
Cut the tofu skin sheet into quarters. If the tofu sheet is dry and breaks when you try to fold it, brush it lightly with water to soften it. Fold the uneven sides to make a rectangle. Each individual quarter should be approximately 9×11 inches (23×28 cm).
-
To wrap, place a portion of filling on the short end of a tofu skin quarter, compressing it into a solid log that stretches the length of the tofu skin, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the tofu skin tightly around the stuffing log and place it seam side down on a heatproof plate that will fit in the wok for steaming. Repeat with the remaining bean curd skin and filling, placing the rolls on a heatproof plate so they don’t touch each other.
-
Prepare a wok with a 2- to 3-inch steamer rack and fill with enough water to come just under the rack. Get more information on how to set up a steamer. Bring the water to a boil, place the dish on the grill, cover and steam over medium-high heat for 35 minutes (check periodically and add more boiling water if necessary).
-
Remove from the heat and let the sandwiches cool completely (covered) before slicing. Cut rolls at a slight angle into ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick pieces. You can eat them as they are or fry the cut pieces in an oiled pan over medium heat. Pan-fry for about 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Tips and Notes:
You can prepare these sandwiches up to 2 days in advance, steam them and store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat them, steam them to reheat them or simply slice and pan-fry them.
nutritional data
Calories: 239kcal (12%) Carbohydrates: 24G (8%) Protein: 14G (28%) Fat: 10G (15%) Saturated fat: 3G (15%) Polyunsaturated fats: 2G Monounsaturated fats: 4G Trans fats: 0.002G Cholesterol: 107mg (36%) Sodium: 613mg (26%) Potassium: 502mg (14%) Fiber: 3G (12%) Sugar: 1G (1%) Vitamin A: 97UI (2%) Vitamin C: 4mg (5%) Soccer: 76mg (8%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
