Hakka Abacus Seed

Found a recipe for making Abacus Seed in the newspaper. I was thrilled as I always wanted to learn how to prepare this dish. After all, I married a Khek, and should fulfil my traditional duties of a wife, ie cook for the husband. Like Real!
First attempt at lunchtime failed although I followed every instruction in the recipe.
AAR: there were too little yam left after I slice off the rotten parts. I added too much water. Actually the instruction "add enough water to cover the yam" was misleading. Compensate the excessive water by adding 50% more tapioca flour. Using wrong type of flour; I added plain flour after I used up all the tapioca flour was the final straw that killed the abacus seeds. I scalded 2 fingers trying to kneed the piping hot dough. It was a disaster. Poor helper had to clean up my mess while I go and ask Eddie what Macdonalds value meal he would like to have for lunch.
Later afternoon, Aunt PS dropped by to visit QY. I complained and whined miserably about my failed abacus seed and burned fingers. She laughed and scoffed why I didn't i call and ask her for the recipe. We had one of these cooking session at her friend's place 2 decades ago to learn this dish, I didn't expect her to still remember the recipe. Besides, there weren't any proper recipe then cos it's all based on the ar-ga-ra-tion of an old lady (her friend's mother). She would have just tell me to add enough water to cover the yam too.
But instructions over the phone is different for having her in person at my place. My aunt is fantastic in the kitchen and I pestered her to show me how to prepare it since all the ingredients from afternoon still unused. We went out and found another yam. It is not easy to find a wet market still open on a Sunday evening.
So, for the benefit of those attempting to cook abacus seed...
Ingredients
1 kg yam, cut into small pieces to facilitate steaming, stir fry with 5 cloves of garlic for 3 mins. Add water to cover all the yam. Cover wok and steam until all the water evaporates, approx 20-25mins. Mash up the yam, mix with 130g of tapioca flour. Add more flour till dough does not stick onto fingers.

Make the abacus seeds from dough and cook in boiling water. Add some oil to boiling water to prevent the seeds from sticking together. Scoop out of water when the seeds float.

Adjust these ingredients' portions according to taste and preferences.
minced pork (500g)
black fungus (10 dried pieces)
Chinese shitake mushroom (10 medium size pieces)
Dried shrimp, chopped up coarsely
chopped garlic
green vegetable e.g. xiao bai cai (optional)

Fry garlic, shrimps, mushroom and black fungus till fagrant. Add pepper, salt, light soya sauce, a little fish sauce and a little dark soya sauce for colour. Add abacus seed, mix properly. Add vegetable last.

It was fun and so enjoyable making it second time round. QY came to help with making the seeds.