Hakka Abacus Beads

I am very happy that I successfully made the Hakka Abacus (Suan Pan Zi - 算盘子), though I am not a Hakka! I wanted to try this recipe on a vegetarian version, so I called my mum to ask the details of making it out from scratch!

My mum learnt this from her Hakka friend (their version are mainly using yam or taro) and she has made this in many occasions, which I always missed the chance to see the process. Over the phone, my mum also briefly mentioned that her friend once made this using sweet potatoes and the result was quite good.

Not being a fan of yam(due to health reason), I decided to try my sweet potatoes vegetarian version (*o*) ... here's the steps to share:

This is the type of Japanese sweet potatoes used (they are grown in Vietnam, and their inner colour is a little greenish yellow). All ingredients are based on "guesstimating"...so sorry, no exact weight! The colour of dough depends greatly on the type of sweet potatoes used; mine has a green tea colour.

Step 1

Arrange sweet potatoes (I used about 5 medium size) in a steamer and steam for 15 - 20 mins or until soft. Skinned sweet potatoes, mash them with a fork in a bowl. Add tapioca flour, a little salt, little oil and mixed well, knead to form a dough (if too dry, add some water - too wet, add a little more tapioca flour). Knead until the dough is not sticky.

Step 2

Divide the dough and roll into long shape and cut as shown above . Roll it into a small ball.

Step 3

Shape the small ball into abacus bead using thumb and finger.

Step 4

Bring a pot of water to boil with a little oil. Add in the abacus beads but allow some space in between, so that they don't stick with one another. Let it boil until abacus beads float to the surface. Transfer all cooked beads to a plate and set aside.

Step 5

Heat oil in wok, add in ginger and fry till golden brown. Add stripped mushrooms and black fungus, stir-fry briskly until aromatic. Add in some vegetarian minced meat and stir to mix well. Season with pepper, light soy sauce, mushroom essence and sesame oil. Lastly, add in all the abacus beads and stir-fry for 1-2 mins. Transfer to serving plate and garnish with coriander leaves (my mum suggested to stir-fry with lots of cut coriander leaves)...Yum..yum..chewy, chewy!

Remark: My veg. Hakka Abbacus is a dry version; if you prefer more sauce, add in some water in between of your cooking!

Note: I don't fancy mock meat. Therefore, the type of vegetarian minced meat I used, are made from mushrooms and soy beans fiber.