This is my submission for Hive Top Chef competition | Your Oldest Recipe : created by @qurator
Sago with pork filling is a snack of the royal court in ancient Thailand. It is a Thai steamed snack known for its harmonious flavors and sophisticated texture. It is delicious in a way that tends to captivate anyone who tries it.
Hello everyone! 🤗
- I'd like to recommend a popular Thai snack called Saku Sai Moo. It's a steamed dumpling where chewy tapioca pearls encase a savory-sweet pork filling. While traditionally round, I've made them in beautiful rose-shaped molds today. You can commonly find these at local markets, but they're also not difficult to make at home. I love their unique flavor and texture, it's a snack I never get tired of. 😃
- The texture is the star,the outer shell, made from steamed tapioca pearls, is delightfully soft, chewy, and pleasantly springy to the bite, without being mushy. This creates a perfect contrast with the filling inside, which retains a surprising crunch from the sweet preserved radish and roasted peanuts, even after steaming. This textural surprise is one of the joys of eating it. The minced pork, stir-fried until slightly dry, adds a crumbly, non-greasy quality that complements everything perfectly.
INGREDIENTS
- 200g Small Tapioca Pearls
- 150g Minced Pork
- 150g Sweet Preserved Radish (Chai Po)
- 150g Palm Sugar
- 100g Roasted Peanuts, crushed/chopped
- 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- 50g Shallots, thinly sliced
- 30g Garlic, coarsely chopped
- Vegetable Oil (for frying the garlic)
- 2 tbsp Sam Kru (A paste of garlic, white peppercorns, and coriander root, finely pounded)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare Tapioca
- Soak the small tapioca pearls in clean water, ensuring all pearls are submerged. Soak for 15 minutes. Once time is up, drain thoroughly in a colander and set aside.
- Heat a pan with vegetable oil. Fry the coarsely chopped garlic until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat. Separate the fried garlic from the oil, reserving both. This is the garlic oil and fried garlic garnish.
Prepare Filling
- Coarsely chop the sweet preserved radish ( Thai called Chai Po).
- Using the same pan, add a little more oil (or use some of the reserved garlic oil). Add the Sam Kru paste and stir-fry until fragrant and slightly golden.
- Add the sliced shallots and stir-fry until softened and fragrant. Add the minced pork and stir-fry until cooked through.
- Add the chopped preserved radish and stir-fry until heated through. Then, add the palm sugar and light soy sauce. Stir-fry until the sugar has completely melted. Let the mixture simmer for a bit until the liquid reduces and thickens slightly.
- Add the crushed roasted peanuts. Stir everything together until well combined and the mixture looks fairly dry. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool completely.
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Prepare the silicone molds (approx. 5cm size). Lightly grease the molds with the reserved garlic oil.
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Place a layer of the drained tapioca pearls into the greased mold. Press down gently so the pearls settle into the pattern of the mold ( rose shape).
- Roll the prepared filling into a round ball and place it in the center.
- Top with more tapioca pearls, pressing down gently to fill the mold completely. Place the filled molds into a steamer basket.
- Steam over boiling water on high heat for 15 minutes. Once done, remove from the steamer and let them cool completely.
- Once cool, gently remove the dumplings from the molds. You can lightly brush them with a little more garlic oil to prevent sticking.
- Arrange on a plate, garnish with the reserved fried garlic, and serve immediately.
- When you eat Saku Sai Moo, it starts with the soft, chewy texture of the sago dough. This is followed by a filling that is sweet first, then savory, fragrant with the aroma of samor herbs (ginger, pepper, coriander root), with a subtle, spicy heat sneaking through. Then comes the satisfying crunch from the preserved turnip and peanuts, finishing with the fragrant richness of fried garlic. It's a delicious, well-rounded, and balanced flavor.
- The combination of soft, crunchy, and crumbly textures in a single bite is the highlight that makes this dish so compelling. The flavors are so intense and rich that you just can't stop eating.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by this post. I hope if you come here, you'll get to try it for yourself. See you next time! 😃
With love ❤️ @piyamas