Nearly Dim Sum, At Home

I love dim sum, but I’ve always just left it as something I could only have outside of home. Part of its wonderfulness is the experience - grabbing random bits off the carts, trying new and strange-looking things, and of course competitive gluttony with friends. Recently this changed a bit as I stopped at the Asian grocery on my way home from dim sum, and saw the big block of taro cake on the shelf. I had to try it.

The next morning I woke early (amazing what going to bed before midnight can do!), and pondered my purchase. A quick Google didn’t turn up any particularly interesting ideas, so I decided to go a bit mad. I had made a bunch of mole last week, and had tons of leftover sauce. I also had a papaya ripening on my windowsill, in need of a purpose. So, I decided to blend some ideas together:

Now add your scallions, flipping your cakes around to make sure the scallions cook and the cakes get a good coating. Once they are nicely cooked, remove the cakes from the pan and let them cool a minute or two on a paper towel to wick off the excess oil.

Serving the cakes with fresh papaya really makes this dish: the sweet fruit balances the spicy and slightly oily cakes, and if the fruit is chilled, that makes for a nice contrast as well. Drizzle with soy sauce if you like - I’m a big salt fiend so I do. It’s almost like having dim sum at home.

Enjoy!