Lunar new year cake / Nian Gao

This is Chinese New Year must have in every house, that is Steamed New Year Cake or Nian Gao. My mother didn't do it herself so I do not how it's make, we always get out our relatives, they gave us a lot of Nian Gao, So I search for this from the net, this recipe I found from The Misadventures of Miss Chievously's steamed new year cake (nian gao).



RECIPE – Chinese New Year steamed cake (nian gao). This recipe makes about 500mL in total.
Ingredients

• 400g glutinous rice flour
• ~250mL sugar syrup (2.5 sticks of brown sugar in pieces dissolved in 250mL water)
• oil for greasing (use a flavourless oil)

Method

1. To make the sugar syrup, chop up the brown sugar into small pieces, place it in a saucepan with the water on low to medium heat. Once sugar has completely melted, remove from heat source and allow to cool completely.
2. Gradually add sugar syrup to the flour until it comes together into a dough. It should take about ~250mL of sugar syrup, you may need more or less.
3. Knead the dough until smooth.
4. Grease ramekins/tins or whatever contraption you’re steaming the cake in. I used ceramic rice bowls. This recipe filled 2 bowls of 250mL capacity.
5. Steam on medium to high heat for 50-60 minutes. Make sure to check water level of your steamer and refill accordingly. When cooked through, the cake will be pulling away from the bowl slightly.
6. Run a knife along the edges of the bowl to remove cake. Wrap in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate.

So, normally I eat nian gao with shredded cocont, I cut the nian gao in slices and mix with shredded coconut and a bit of salt. So when you taste it, it sweet and a little salty. Another way, I like to pan fry the slice nian gao and taro or sweet potato.



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