Taro Puffs

Dim Sum and Other Snack Foods

Taro Puffs
Ingredients:
1½ pounds taro, peeled
2/3 cup wheat starch
1½ teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
½ cup soft lard
4 dried black mushrooms, soaked until soft, stems discarded,caps diced finely
½ cup bamboo shoots, diced
12 ounces ground pork
1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for deep frying
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 Tablespoons oyster sauce
Preparation:
1. Boil the taro or steam it until soft; about half an hour, then mash it or cut it into cubes.
2. Mix mushrooms and bamboo shoots and set them aside.
3. Heat the wok or pan, add the oil, then the pork and stir-fry until it loses its pink color. Next, mix in the cornstarch and sesame oil and set this in a shallow dish to cool.
4. In a bowl or on a board, mix the taro root, wheat starch, half cup of boiling water, salt and sugar, and the lard and knead until well blended.
5. Set this and the taro mixture, both covered separately, in the refrigerator for four or more hours.
6. Make balls of the cooked taro dough mixture and stuff each one with a teaspoon of the pork mixture. Then seal so the pork is inside the taro mixture.
7. Deep fry a handful of the balls in preheated oil until tan, drain them and fry a few more. Cut each one in half and serve them hot or warm.

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