Some people felt that making Nian Gao is troublesome; This simple and easy recipe might change your perception.
Making traditional steamed Nian Gao can sound intimidating to some people. Some just can’t be bothered to prepare banana leaves or steaming for hours.;
This simple and easy recipe might change your perception.
In this recipe, there’s no need to use banana leaves to make it and it only takes a short time for steaming.
I’ve had share my other traditional Nian Gao recipe, but the version I’m sharing today is one of the best I have ever tasted; It’s not too sweet and really tasty.
Aside from the base ingredients, this recipe includes Red Bean and Jujube (aka Chinese Dates or Red Dates). The dates add a sweet caramelise flavour, while the Red Bean add pops of nuttiness in each bite.
You can omit the orange zest in the white batter, but it make so much difference; It really adds a lovely fragrance.
As for the yellow batter; It is necessary to use a good quality of Palm Sugar for a better flavour. The original Palm Sugar rather soft or crumbly; Whereas the rock hard ones shows that is has added sugar.
PANS
You can use any shape of pans; Aluminium, Silicone or even Stainless Steel all works well. Just make sure that you grease them with generous amount of oil to prevent stickiness.
If you grease your pan with enough oil, you won’t get any trouble when unmould it.
STEAMING
I highly recommend to use Bamboo Steamer for steaming, if you use Stainless or plastic steamer, makes sure that you cover each pan with Aluminium Foil so the water condensation doesn’t ruin the taste of your Nian Gao.
After steaming, the Jujubes have been cooked and completely soft, fully blended with the taste of the sweet red beans, orange zest and Glutinous Rice.
I used to cover and store my cooked Nian Gao in the fridge overnight so it will be less sticky when I cut it
You can slice and fry them with a bit of oil for a smoky caramelised coating! ; I am sure you will be addicted to it 😅
Warm, chewy and sweet glutinous rice cakes… It was the best thing to have on Chinese New Year!
Happy Chinese New Year Everyone….Wishing you a prosperous year of the Rabbit! 🐰❤️
RED BEAN JUJUBE Nian Gao
Yield: Two Pudding Pan (450 ml each)
Active Time: 2½ Hours
Total Time: 5 Hours
INGREDIENTS
Sweet Red Bean:
60 g Red Bean
1000 ml Water
1/8 tsp Salt
30 g Granulated Sugar
White Batter:
100 g Granulated Sugar
100 g Hot Boiling Water
1/4 tsp Salt
100 g Water (Room Temp.)
100 g Glutinous Rice Flour
50 g Rice Flour
50 g Tapioca Starch
Zest from 1 Orange
Yellow Batter:
100 g Palm Sugar (Grated)
50 g Hot Boiling Water
1/8 tsp Salt
50 g Water (Room Temp.)
50 Glutinous Rice Flour
25 Rice Flour
25 Tapioca Starch
55 g Pitted Jujubes
INSTRUCTIONS
Sweet Red Bean
- Rinse the beans under running water and transfer it into large pot. 60 g Red Bean
- Add clean water and salt (adding salt at the beginning of cooking create more tender results); Bring it to a boil. 1000 ml Water; 1/8 tsp Salt
When the water starts to boil; take it off from the heat, cover and let it rest for 1 hour. - After 1 hour take the lid off, put it back to the stove and continue cooking over medium heat for about 1 ½ hours.
- After 1 ½ hours you can see that the beans are tender and creamy.
Turn down to low heat, add in the sugar while keep stirring (allow some of the water to evaporate while the sugar flavour the beans). 30 g Granulated Sugar - When the bottom of the pan is almost dry, sweet beans are ready.
Take it off from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature before you use it.
White Batter
- Grease the pans with generous amount of oil to prevent stickiness and prepare the Bamboo Steamer.
- In a medium bowl combine Granulated Sugar, hot boiling water and Salt. Mix until all the sugar dissolved. 100 g Granulated Sugar; 100 g Hot Boiling Water; 1/4 tsp Salt
- Pour in the room temperature water. 100 g Water (Room Temp.)
*Never add the flour while the mixture still hot; hot water helps the sugar dissolve faster while the room temperature water cooling it down. - Add in the Glutinous Flour, Rice Flour and Tapioca Starch; Mix it really well. 100 g Glutinous Rice Flour; 50 g Rice Flour; 50 g Tapioca Starch
- Strain the mixture (don’t skip this step)
- Add the orange zest and cooked sweet red beans (you can omit the orange zest but it make so much difference, it really adds a lovely fragrance); Mix well. Zest from 1 Orange; Cooked Sweet Red Bean
- Divide the batter into 2 equal portions, pour it into each pans and steam into Bamboo Steamer over high heat for 25 minutes (if you use Stainless or plastic steamer, makes sure that you cover each pan with Aluminium Foil so the water condensation doesn’t ruin the taste of your Nian Gao);
- In the meantime, you can start prepare the Yellow Batter.
Yellow Batter
- Wash the Jujubes and pat dry; Cut the middle to remove the cores (kindly follow video instructions).
- In a medium bowl, combine Palm Sugar, hot boiling water and Salt. 100 g Palm Sugar (Grated); 50 g Hot Boiling Water; 1/8 tsp Salt
- After all the sugar dissolved, pour in the room temperature water. 50 g Water (Room Temp.)
- Strain the mixture; as sometimes there are some impurities in the sugar.
- Add in the Glutinous Flour, Rice Flour and Tapioca Starch; Mix it really well. 50 g Glutinous Rice Flour; 25 g Rice Flour; 25 g Tapioca Starch
- Once the white batter is done, lay a layer of Jujubes on top. 55 g Pitted Jujubes
- Divide the yellow batter into 2 equal portions; pour the strained yellow batter on top of the Jujubes.
- Steam over high heat for 45 minutes (in the middle of cooking, you must remember to add water to the steaming pot, don’t let it burn)
- Once it’s done, let it cool to room temperature first, then you can enjoy soft chewy rice cake immediately.
* I used to cover and store them in the fridge overnight so it will be less sticky when I cut it. - You can slice and fry them with a bit of oil for a smoky caramelized coating (make sure that you use non-stick pan).
NOTES
- The cake should be stored in the fridge (in an airtight container).
- It can be stored for 1 week (in the fridge) OR 1 month (in the freezer).