Squash Cake aka Kim-kwe Keh

Description:
This week, my mother-in-law taught us how to make her special Kim-kwe Keh. I consider this a passing on of her legacy as a really good cook and homemaker, and I am grateful. I consider this recipe as a special gift that I will treasure. I'm glad both my kids like this a lot; it's a healthy Asian snack that I hope their kids will enjoy too when the time comes.

Ingredients:
1.5 kilos squash
3-5 cups of water, as needed
375 g rice flour
1.5 cups broth from hibe and dried mushrooms

Filling/ Topping:
150 g ground pork
1/8 cup hibe, rinsed very well and soaked, then minced
4 pcs dried shiitake, soaked and minced
4 pcs shallots, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Remove skin and seeds from squash and grate. Put grated squash in a sauce pot and add 3 cups water. Cook squash until soft and moist, adding more water as needed. (Approximate weight of cooked squash is 1.8 kilos.) Scrape the bottom of pot to prevent scorching.

Prepare filling. Saute shallots in oil until fragrant and light brown. Add in drained hibe, and continue to sauté. (You may set aside a portion of this mixture to serve as toppings.) Add the ground pork and shiitake mushrooms, and continue sautéing until brown and fragrant. Add in oil as needed to prevent drying and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine rice flour and broth, then add to the squash. Add filling mixture, season with salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Pour in lined loaf pans/ round molds, then flatten top. Steam for 1 hour or until done. Let cool completely before serving.

Note: Squash cake has a shelf-life of about three days in the chiller.

Serving Squash Cake:

Slice squash cake into about ½ inch slices. Pan-fry until golden brown on both sides, then serve with hoisin sauce or sweet chilli sauce.