Taiwanese Ba Wan

My first attempt

After many month of research and finding ethnic ingredients in asian markets, I'm finally braved enough to make my first Taiwanese Ba Wan.  I have fond memories of eating these sticky chewy meat filled pastries in the little night stalls in Kaoshung ( did I spell this right?) in Taiwan.

 I found sweet potato starch.

 any corn starch will do

 This is the most common rice flour.  Make sure you do not get the "glutenous type" in a green bag.  The glutenous type is for making "Mochi"

This red bag rice flour is made of long grain rice.

 First mix 1 cup of rice flour with 7 cups of cold water in a large pot.  Stir well with a large whisk and remove all lumps.  place over high heat and continue to stir non stop for 30 min until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken.  ( It is very handy to have a willing teenager around) Once it boils,  continue to whisk and stir for a few more minutes.  Remove from heat and allow this to cool down to lukewarm before you add the sweet potato starch/corn starch mixture.

Meanwhile, mix 1 2/3 cups of sweet potato starch with 1 cup of corn starch in a bowl.

 Once the rice/water mixture has cooled down after 15 min, start adding the sweet potato starch/cornstarch mixture.  Use a flour sifter -slowly sift dry flour into the large pot.  It helps to have a strong teenager or dutiful husband to stir the pot while you leisurely  sift the sweet potato flour mixture in.  Continue to add the flour mixture until the consistency is like a thick cake batter. ( Well, more like sticky glue.  It should be firm enough to spread but soft enough to easily spread onto a bowl using a spatula.

 Grease 12-14 small rice bowls.  the flatter the bowl the easier to spread the batter.  Place about 3 tbsp of batter into the bowl, using a small rubber spatula to spread and coat the bottom evenly. ( takes some practice)
Add 2-3 tbsp of the meat mixture into the bowl,  Top with 2-3 more tbsp of rice glue and cover the meat mixture.

Important note: ( If you have any left over rice glue, do not throw it out.  You will be needing 1 cup of it to make gravy)

 Have a steamer ready with boiling water.  place the prepared bowls in and steam for 15-17 min depending on the size of your small bowls.  If you use flatter bowls, cook for 12 mins until the rice glue looks translucent.

 ready to steam

 waiting to be steamed.  The four front bowls are the smaller thinner bowls.  They are actually alot easier to work with.  I would recommend using the thinner (condiments ) bowls.  You can get them in asian grocery store.   They are usually made for dipping soy sauce.

 Final product with the spicy gravy.


Skin / outer wrapper:

1 cup of Rice flour
7 cups of cold water
1 2/3 cups of sweet potato starch
1 cup of corn starch




Meat filling:

Pork and marinades
1 1/2 lbs of ground pork
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp of braising dark soy sauce. ( I use Lee Kum Kee Braising soy sauce- My fav)

Marinade the pork 1/2 hour using pepper, rice wine and dark soy sauce.

10 dry shitaki mushroom. rehydrated, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup of finely cubed bamboo shoots.  Buy the large can with whole bamboo shoots.  Do not get the sliced bamboo shoots.
3 tbsp of dried shallots
3 stalks of green scallions finely chopped
1 -3 sprigs of cilantro chopped ( optional)
3 tbsp of vegetable oil
2-4 tbsp of more braising soy sauce to taste
3 tbsp rice wine
1 dash of Hondashi

Directions for meat fillings:

In a large saute pan, heat pan, add oil, saute dried shallots first for few minutes till very fragrant.  Add finely chopped shitaki mushrooms, saute for few more minutes until the mushrooms are lightly brown.  Add bamboo shoots and keep sauteing.  Add the marinated ground pork mixture. cook till pork is no longer pink.  Add more soy sauce to taste and the rice wine, Hondashi.  cook for 5 min till everything is dried and all juices evaporated.  Add seasoning, cilantro, scallions as desire.  take off heat and allow to cool for 10-15 min while you busy yourself with the skin/wrappers.

Spicy Gravy ( I like my spicy)

1 cup of rice glue ( skin/wrapper cooked mixture)
1/3 - 1/2 cup of water as needed to thin out the gravy
5 tbsp Ketchup
4 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tbsp of Siriracha sauce

Mix the rice glue, ketchup, hoisin sauce, siriracha in a small pot. heat, stir and add more water as needed to thin the mixture to desired consistency.

enjoy