With its fragrant aroma, rich flavor, and beautiful color, taro steamed with soy sauce, pork ribs, and stuffed meat will definitely satisfy you both visually and taste-wise. Let’s get into the kitchen and make these three irresistible steamed dishes right away!
1. Steamed Taro with Soy Sauce
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Steamed Taro with Soy Sauce Serves 4
Taro 1 tuber Fresh shiitake mushrooms 100 gr Soybean paste 100 gr Wood ear mushrooms 50 gr Bell pepper 20 gr Cooking oil 500 ml Soy sauce 1 tablespoon Seasoning powder 1/2 tablespoon Sugar 1 tablespoon Cilantro a little
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh shiitake mushrooms
- The shape of fresh shiitake mushrooms looks like an umbrella, not bruised.
- Choose mushrooms that are medium-sized, with short stems, tightly capped, and a slightly yellow-brown color.
- Avoid selecting caps that are dark brown as they may be toxic, however, you should also be flexible in your choice since normally shiitake mushrooms will also turn dark brown when cooked.
- In addition, shiitake mushrooms have a characteristic, natural aroma.
How to choose fresh wood ear mushrooms
- Prioritize choosing wood ear mushrooms with large, thick ears and fewer baby mushrooms at the base.
- The color of the mushrooms should be dark amber, slightly shiny (for the top side) and coffee milk color (for the underside).
- Avoid choosing black wood ear mushrooms that look too dark, as this type may become mushy when soaked in water and is less crunchy.
Tools needed
How to prepare steamed taro with soy sauce
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Preparing the taro
Keep your hands and taro dry, then use a knife to peel the skin and soak the taro in diluted saltwater for 15 minutes to prevent your hands from itching.
After that, discard the saltwater, rinse the taro 2 – 3 more times with clean water and let it drain.
When the taro is drained, peel off the sides of the taro and cut the taro into slices about half a finger thick.
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Prepare the mushrooms
You wash the fresh shiitake mushrooms, then let them drain and cut the mushrooms in half.
To ensure that the wood ear mushrooms expand evenly and do not become mushy, soak the mushrooms in cold water for about 15 minutes, then remove, let them drain, and cut them finely.
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Fry the taro
You add 500ml of cooking oil to the pan, when the oil is hot, add the taro and fry on high heat for 10 minutes. To ensure the taro is evenly cooked, remember to stir the taro constantly.
Tip: To achieve golden and crispy taro, you should fry the taro over high heat instead of medium heat as usual. Additionally, ensure the taro is submerged in oil, and turn it regularly so that the taro is cooked evenly on the inside and golden on the outside without burning.
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Mixing soybean paste
You add 100g of soybean paste to the finely chopped wood ear mushrooms along with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 20g of sliced chili, then mix everything until the sugar dissolves.
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Steaming the dish
First, you heat the steamer over high heat.
You evenly spread 1/2 of the soybean mixture on a plate, then alternately place each slice of taro followed by the shiitake mushrooms on top. Finally, you pour the remaining soybean paste in the center of the taro and mushrooms. Then, place the dish in the steamer and steam over high heat for 15 minutes.
While steaming, you can open the pot lid 1 – 2 times to check the softness of the taro!
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Final product
The steamed taro dish with mushrooms and fragrant soybean paste is delicious, with the taro just cooked, soft, and chewy, the shiitake mushrooms being sweet, and the wood ear mushrooms being crunchy. The soybean paste helps the dish not to be greasy but even more delicious. You can sprinkle some cilantro on top to make the dish more visually appealing and fragrant, perfect for vegetarian parties!
2. Steamed Taro with Pork Ribs
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
35 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Steamed Taro with Pork Ribs Serves 4
Pork ribs 500 gr Taro 1 piece Minced garlic 2 tablespoons Spring onions a little Cilantro a little Common spices a little (seasoning powder/ sugar/ salt/ pepper) Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce 1.5 tablespoons Fish sauce 1.5 tablespoons Garlic oil 1 teaspoon
How to Make Steamed Taro with Pork Ribs
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Prepare the pork ribs
To clean the ribs, cut them into bite-sized pieces about the size of 2 large fingers, rinse briefly, then soak the ribs in diluted salt water for 15 minutes. Next, rinse the ribs 2 – 3 more times with clean water and let them drain.
Small tips for cleaning pork ribs to be clean and odor-free:
- After cutting the ribs, wash them briefly with water, then rub them with salt for about 3 minutes and rinse with water again.
- You can soak the ribs in water with the juice of 1 lemon for about 5 minutes and then rinse with clean water.
- Using rice vinegar or alcohol to wash the ribs will also eliminate the unpleasant smell.
- You can also briefly boil the ribs in boiling water with a few smashed ginger slices, then rinse with water.
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Marinate the ribs
Add to the pork ribs 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/3 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, then mix well and marinate the ribs for 15 minutes.
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Cooking Taro
You peel the taro, soak it in diluted salt water for 10 minutes, then rinse it with clean water 2 – 3 times and let it drain.
You divide the taro into 3 portions, one portion you place in the microwave with a little water and microwave for 3 minutes to cook the taro until soft, then you mash the taro. If you don’t have a microwave, you can steam it using a double boiler or in a steamer as well!
For the remaining 2 portions of taro, you cut them into bite-sized cubes.
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Cooking Ribs
You add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan, when the oil is hot, you add garlic and sauté until fragrant. When the garlic is golden, you add the ribs and stir-fry over medium heat until the ribs are sealed.
When the ribs are sealed, you reduce the heat, add 5 tablespoons of water to the pan, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/3 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, then mix well, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
When the water boils, you add all the mashed taro and cook for another 2 minutes so that the rib broth has a moderate thickness. Be careful not to let the rib broth become too thick, as it will not be tasty when steamed.
Besides the seasoning method above, you can adjust the seasoning according to your family’s taste for a better dish.
Tip: When stir-fried before steaming, the ribs will be firmer, more flavorful, and absorb the seasoning much better!
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Steaming ribs and taro
First, heat the steamer over high heat.
Spread the taro evenly in the tray, then place the cooked ribs on top and put it in the steamer to steam for 35 minutes. To check the softness of the taro, open the lid and check, add 1 teaspoon of fried garlic oil on top, then cover and steam for another 5 minutes.
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Final product
The pieces of taro are soft and absorb the sauce, the tender ribs are fragrant and infused with spices, very appealing. The hot dish served with hot rice is truly unbeatable!
3. Steamed taro stuffed with meat
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Processing
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Steamed Taro Stuffed with Meat Serves 4 people
Small taro 4 pieces Minced meat 200 gr Carrot 50 gr Green onion 20 gr Fish sauce 1.5 tablespoons Pepper 1/3 tablespoon Seasoning powder 1/2 tablespoon
How to Choose Good Pork
- For this dish, you can buy pre-ground pork at the market or supermarket; alternatively, you can buy pork to grind at home for better quality and satisfaction.
- You should choose meat that has a bright red-pink color, fresh, not too dark red and not too pale. Pork that is pale, greenish, and has a foul smell has gone bad, and you should not choose this type of meat.
- Pork that is firm and has high elasticity is good meat. You can test it by pressing your finger into the meat; if it bounces back immediately, is not slimy, and does not leak water or fluid, it is fine.
- Additionally, you should choose meat that has a mix of lean and fatty parts for a delicious dish that is not too greasy.
Tools Needed
How to Cook Steamed Taro Stuffed with Meat
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Mix the Meat Filling
You add 200g of meat into a large bowl along with 50g of diced carrots, 20g of finely chopped green onions, 1/3 tablespoon of pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning, and 1.5 tablespoons of fish sauce, then mix the mixture well. To ensure that the meat is evenly seasoned, marinate the meat for 15 minutes.
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Prepare the Taro
You peel the taro clean, soak the taro in diluted salt water for 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water 2 – 3 times and let it drain. When the taro is dry, use a knife to shape the middle part of the taro, then use a spoon to scrape out all the excess taro.
Tip: To keep the taro looking nice and not break, be careful not to scrape too deeply to the bottom or too forcefully!
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Stuff the Filling
To prevent the meat from overflowing while steaming and to make it look better, you only add a sufficient amount of filling to stuff into the taro, gently press the meat down with your hands.
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Steam the taro
You heat the steamer over high heat, when the steamer is hot, you put the taro in to steam for 20 minutes on high heat. In the first 10 minutes of steaming, you open the lid and check the doneness of the meat, then cover and steam for another 10 minutes.
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Final Product
The small, soft and fragrant taro pieces, inside are the minced meat cooked just right, rich, not dry, but sweet and fragrant thanks to the carrots and green onions. Whether eaten with rice or not, this steamed stuffed taro dish is very delicious and worth trying!
How to choose delicious taro
- Size: Choose medium-sized tubers, not too large and not too small.
- Shape: Choose tubers that are round and egg-shaped, with a rough skin, many roots, and dirt stuck on the skin.
- Color: Choose taro with a milky white flesh inside that has many purple streaks.
How to prepare taro without itching
- Leave the dirt on the taro skin and use dry hands to peel it. After that, soak the taro in diluted saltwater for 10 minutes before cooking.
- Note that during the soaking process, you should not put your hands directly into the taro.
- Wear gloves to peel the skin.
- If you accidentally get itchy from peeling taro, you can hold your hands over a fire, soak your hands in saltwater mixed with lemon juice, or crush green banana leaves and apply them to the itchy area for about 10 minutes to reduce the itching!
See more:
With all three unique recipes from taro, whether it’s steamed taro, steamed spare ribs, or stuffed with meat, they will make your family meal more appealing. Wishing you success!
*Image and recipe references from the YouTube channels Diệu Pháp Âm, Lina Cooking, and Feedy Món Ăn Ngon
