Easy Chinese New Year Rice Cake 年糕 is a much simpler way to get the traditional taste without the traditional labour. The traditional method requires kneading for long periods of time to achieve the soft and elastic texture. Modern methods of processing glutinous rice flour destroys most of the nutritional benefits. But if you’re like me, you’re only eating this once a year. So easy trumps nutrition on this one for me.
And here is the story of the Chinese New Year Rice Cake…
Around 2,500 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the emperor of Wu captured the emperor of Yue. Decades after, there was a new successor of Wu. He could not resist the temptations of a beautiful mistress gifted by the Yue Kingdom. She was one of the renowned Chinese ancient beauties, Xi Shi. Over the course of 17 years, she helped bring down the Wu Kingdom and restored glory to the Yue.
Prior to the fall of the Wu Kingdom, a high ranking official named Wu Zixu warned the Wu emperor of potential invasion from Yue. The emperor ordered Wu Zixu to build a brick wall surrounding the Wu Kingdom. However, Wu Zixu continued to advise the emperor of the revenge seeking Yue Kingdom. Possibly with the persuasion of Xi Shi, the Wu emperor became suspicious of Wu Zixu’s intentions and ordered his execution. Awaiting his execution, Wu Zixu told his family that he had no doubt that the Yue will besiege Wu. He told them that when the people are starving, dig three feet under the brick wall and you will find food.
After Wu Zixu died, everything he predicted came true. To avoid capture by Yue forces, the Wu emperor committed suicide. When there was no more food, they remembered Wu Zixu’s last words. They dug up dried bricks of dehydrated glutinous rice cake. Apparently, Wu Zixu had already prepared for the enemy cutting off their food supply and had buried bricks of rice cake during the building of the brick wall. The civilians survived but the Kingdom fell. Since this event took place around Chinese New Year, people started to call rice cake, “nian gao”, which translates to “(new) year steamed cake”. From then on, many people sliced rice cake into the shape of a brick to commemorate this noble official of Wu.
Here in the West, we recognize “nian gao” as a steamed pudding like cake that is sweet and either brown or orangey in colour. You would slice it, dip it in egg and fry it. However, this is mainly a Cantonese dish. There must be hundreds, if not thousands of ways to make “nian gao”. They can be steamed, fried, deep fried, put in soup, sweet or savory. Pretty much any cake that is made from rice flour can be called a “nian gao”. Another more commonly known “nian gao” is the one you find at Shanghai restaurants. They are white, flat, have rounded corners and are cooked like noodles. There is a similar version in Korean cuisine.
My version of the Easy Chinese New Year Rice Cake 年糕 is the Cantonese version. It is orangey, sticky, and soft. And did I mention easy to make? For alternative ways to enjoy this delicacy, follow my instructions for Fried New Year Rice Cake or New Year Rice Cake Bites!
Easy Chinese New Year Rice Cake 年糕
Ingredients
- 400 g Glutinous rice flour
- 350 g Cane sugar in slab form (piàn tang) aka “brown slab candy”
- 400 ml Coconut milk (1 can)
- 200 ml Water
- 2 tsp Wheat starch (澄粉/澄面/小麦澄粉)
- 1 tsp Oil
- 1 Red date
Instructions
- Pour 1 can of coconut milk into a pot, add 350 g of cane sugar slabs, and 200 ml water. It’s alright if there is slightly more or less coconut milk. Just be sure that the total of the liquid amounts to 600 ml.
- Heat the pot to medium and melt the sugar. It’s done when all the sugar is dissolved and mixed together. Cool completely to room temperature before mixing it with the rice flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 400 g of glutinous rice flour and 2 tsp of wheat starch and mix well.
- Slowly add the cooled coconut milk mixture into the flour mixture.
- Use a whisk to mix until smooth.
- Use 1 tsp oil to grease a container for steaming
I used an 8” glass pie plate - Pour the mixture through a sieve into the greased container.
- Cover with a piece of tinfoil and steam at medium-high heat for 60 minutes.
- After 60 minutes, use a chopstick or toothpick to poke the centre of the cake to check for doneness. If there is residue sticking on the chopstick or toothpick, then it’s not done. Steam for another 10 minutes and check again.
- Once the cake is done, put a red date where the chopstick or toothpick hole is.
- It can be served hot or after it cools down.
- If you would like to use the rice cake to make Fried New Year Rice Cake, then put the cake into the fridge overnight before slicing for best results. Instructions can be found here.
- If you would like to use the rice cake to make my New Year Rice Cake Bites, then do not put it in the fridge. Instructions can be found here.
So good! Your recipes are so smart, all the proportions are perfect, no left over or wasted rice flour or coconut milk! Perfect!
Your rice cake looks great!!! Thank you for the compliments! ❤️ Happy Cooking!
Can you replace the coconut milk with another liquid (not evaporate milk)?
Hi Doreen! You definitely can replace it with water or milk or any other liquid that is not acidic. Good luck and happy cooking!