Water Chestnut Pudding 馬蹄糕

Debating: shall I do this post in Chinese or English, or mix?!  =D  Will do it in English this time.  Mom has been trying to make this water chestnut putting 馬蹄糕 for at least 4 times with different brands of water chestnut starch.  The result has disappointed her each time, either the texture of the pudding got issues, or the smell of the starch stinks.  Finally she has found a perfect brand of water chestnut starch and she has made this pudding with satisfaction.  I'm posting her master piece here!  =)

 Mom's water chestnut pudding, looks good, taste great and its texture is gummy.  A very successful pudding.

 This is her recipe, she got it from her friend Gladys.  Water chestnut starch - 11oz; water chestnuts - 11oz (peel & diced); rock sugar - 1 lb 2 oz; oil - 1 tbsp; water - 1/2 cups.

These are the steps, I will translate this into English below.

I like taking shots like this, so....bare with me!!  LOL!

Water chestnuts

Peel and dice.

This is what a box of water chestnut starch looks like.  Note, this brand is from Pan Tang 泮塘.  Mom said DO NOT BUY THIS BRAND!!  It has a bad pig smell and the starch didn't combine together.

This brand is from Chi Kong 岐江 (Chi Kong, using a Cantonese spelling too!).  After testing different brands for so many times, Mom said this is the best brand so far.  So, BUY THIS BRAND!

11oz of water chestnuts starch...

...Mix with 1 1/2 cups of water first (use a big bowl).

Stir well and leave it aside for now.

In a saucepan, melt 1 lb 2 oz rock sugar with the remaining 5 cups of water.  Bring it to boil.

Once its boiled, add 1 tbsp of oil to it and stir in all diced water chestnuts.

Bring it to boil.

Almost there...

Once its boiled, pour the water chestnut syrup into the starch mixture and stir.

Keep stirring (fast) and the mixture will then thicken.  If you get this, you aren't there yet, keep stirring!

 Mom has used an egg whisk here to stir, so stir 'till your egg whisk can't move anymore, then the mixture is done.

The mixture might get a bit thicker but that's fine.

Pour it into a steam pan.

Here is Mom' bamboo steamer.

Steam for 30 minutes...

...Until the pudding is transparent.

Here is a closer shot at the pudding.

This is what it looks inside.  It's still sort of white in the middle...should have steamed for an additional 15 minutes, totalling 45 minutes.  This pudding is still completely cooked, its just the color that's all.

Done!  Serve warm! =)

Taking a shot under the light, pretty transparent.  =D

Okay, there are two different water chestnut puddings here.  The color of the bottom one is very transparent (this is what it should look like) while the top one is very cloudy.

Reason being is, the bottom one is made from this brand Chi Kong 岐江.  Texture came out being very gummy （Q 口彈牙）.

Yet, this white cloudy pudding was made from the brand Pan Tang 泮塘.  Mom said starch was not forming together and the mixture remained very 'watery'.  Color is not right, texture is soggy and it smells bad...  Anyway, don't buy this brand!!