Lunar New Yr recipe: Shanghai Steamed Rice Cake

This cake from chef-operator Kathy Fang of Fang, a modern Chinese cafe in San Francisco’s SoMa district, is a person of her family’s preferred desserts all through Lunar New Calendar year celebrations, which tumble on Feb. 12 this year. Steamed rice cakes symbolize advancement in the new yr and not like most rice cakes, which are sticky and chewy, this just one has a gentle, melty texture with a slight waxy bounce to it.

Unable to find this sort of Shanghai rice cake locally, Fang would make it from scratch just about every yr. The top secret to receiving it smooth and mild is to prevent packing the cake far too tightly within the bamboo steamer. Also: just take your time sifting the flour. Fight the urge to drive the flour via the sieve. It should really be fluffy.

Fang’s family generally enjoys the cake for breakfast with symbolic Lunar New Yr dishes, this sort of as golden egg rolls.

Shanghai Steamed Rice Cake

Serves 8

Substances

1 cup rice flour

¼ cup glutinous rice flour

¼ cup h2o

½ cup day sugar or ¼ cup cane sugar

Nuts and dried fruits, like walnuts, pumpkin seeds, dates, cranberries or apricots

Directions

Position equally the rice flour and glutinous rice flour in a substantial mixing bowl. Little by little incorporate drinking water to the bowl and get started mixing in a circular motion with your fingers to blend right up until the mixture holds with each other and can be formed when you press it.

Transfer the moist flour to a sieve and sift it, shaking the sieve, into a fantastic moist powder. Choose your time and struggle the urge to power the flour by way of the sieve. It ought to be fluffy.

Return the sifted flour to the bowl and add sugar. Mix until entirely incorporated.

Put together an 8-inch diameter bamboo steamer: Minimize two 8-inch rounds of parchment paper. Healthy just one into the base of the steamer. Position a steaming rack in the middle of a significant pot and insert h2o right up until it reaches ¾ of the rack height. Deliver drinking water to a boil.