The rice cake is one of the most delicious desserts of Chinese cuisine. Amazingly, this food has over 3000 years of history, dating back to the Zhou Dynasty when it was first made in China. On the culinary level, this has dazzled the taste buds of countless people. Yet, on the cultural level, this plays a pivotal role to celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year. Similar to Feng Shui, eating rice cakes has always been believed to bring luck. Literally, in Chinese, the word rice cake has come to mean “getting higher” in life, and the rice cake has come to be of monumental significance in their culture.
To make these delicious delicacies, you will need the following ingredients.
This serves a company of six. Adjust the recipe proportionally to fit your needs.
Ingredients:
– 1 pound of glutinous rice flour
– 2 eggs
– 2 1/2 cups of milk
– 2 teaspoons of baking powder
– 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
– 4 tablespoons of sugar
– 1/2 cup of walnuts (chopped or whole)
– 1/2 cup of sweetened red bean paste (optional)
Procedure
1. Mix glutinous the rice flour, eggs, milk, baking powder, vegetable oil, and sugar into a bowl. Stir thoroughly. This is a critical part of the procedure, as a thorough mix allows an even distribution of the flavors. You might consider using an electric mixer to do this for you. This stage is complete when the color is even.
2. Pour batter into an oiled baking pan. Make sure that you do not apply too much oil or too little. Depending on what type of baking pan that you use, the application of oil varies. However, just remember that too much oil often interferes with the mild taste of the rice cakes. This recipe is based upon using a 9 x 13 baking pan, so make sure that you have more than one baking pan if you are using anything smaller.
3. Scatter some walnuts into the batter and add some dollops of red bean paste. It is important to not concentrate them into a single area too much, or the flavors would be too extreme. It has been a critical aspect of Chinese cuisine to have balanced tastes of sweetness. In addition, if you have difficult finding these two ingredients, it is fine to not include them at all. Like a pizza, some like toppings and others like it plain. Try to add toppings to match your taste, but just make sure it is sweet or conflicting flavors will result.
4. Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake the mixture for 70 minutes. Oven types may varies, so the real intensity of the heat often varies as well. Therefore, use 70 minutes only as a benchmark, not a guideline. If the top is a little bit brown, you should turn off the oven and let it cool down.
5. Take out and let cool for a few minutes and cut and prepare for serving. It is preferable to eat them while warm as the rice cakes are softest.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe and are more interested in Chinese culture!
