Place the plate of sliced nian gao into the … If you don't have that much time, boil them for a few minutes until they are almost soft. I tried making the brown sugar syrup used in this recipe with ginger slices and infused the syrup overnight. I’d probably use 1 or 2 tablespoons of molasses. It is available all-year-round, however, it is popularly made or given as gifts during the Chinese New Year. Copyright © 2014 - 2020 Foxy Folksy All Rights Reserved. It is very common for Chinese recipes to use brown sugar slabs. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Stir until there are a few small lumps of flour in the batter. Asian Food, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Lunar New Year, Sweet, Vegan dim sum, rice cake. You can usually find kansui in Asian supermarkets or on Amazon. The trickiest part about developing this nian gao recipe was figuring out the correct amount of heat to put on the burner and the proper amount of water to fill inside the wok. However, the foil helps to ensure that the surface of the nian gao will look smooth once cooked. If you use rice flour for this recipe, the texture of the nian gao won’t be right. Clean the leaves under running water. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan (or any 9-inch circular metal pan). It will be difficult to cover the pan with foil and have it fit inside a small steamer basket, so I wouldn’t bother. As you can see, the nian gao made with kansui has a richer golden color. 3. If you use rice flour for this recipe, the texture of the nian gao won’t be right. Once done, it is cut into shape, dunked in beaten egg, and fried until they are golden brown and crisp! , which comes from glutinous rice or sticky rice. It just doesn’t look great. In a large bowl, whisk the glutinous rice flour, ground ginger, and salt together. Steamed nian gao coated in freshly shredded coconut is a super simple, easy and delicious way to serve the auspicious dessert! Then, in a separate bowl, make a well in the center of some flour and pour milk and the brown sugar water into it. In terms of nian gao, the pronunciation of “糕” also sounds like the pronunciation of the character “高,” which means “high” or “tall.” Therefore, if you eat 年糕 during Lunar New Year, the upcoming year will be “年高,” a higher, better year than the last. Healthy Nibbles © 2014 - 2021 All rights reserved. DISCLOSURE | PRIVACY POLICY. Once the sugar slabs dissolve, turn off the heat. Steam over medium heat for around 30-40 minutes or until inserted toothpick on the middle of the pan does not comes out easily and feels sticky instead of liquidy. I think the ginger flavor is very noticeable without being overpowering. There are plenty of ways to eat Nian Gao. I’ll explain why this is important below. Fa in Mandarin means to rise or expand, since the dough leavens into a luscious little poof, and it’s also a metaphor for growing in prosperity. Every year, Mama Lin makes a nian gao (年糕, neen go in Cantonese) for Lunar New Year. Fa gao are deliciously sweet, airy little steamed rice buns. Halfway through the steaming process, add more water to the wok as water evaporates over time. (Or in simple Pinoy logic, the sticky delicacy ensures good luck will stick with you!) Even though I added kansui to the batter, the cake still looked very pale instead of deep golden brown color (see photo above). Prepare 4 ramekins That’s why I think ground ginger is the better ingredient. Please tag @hellolisalin on Instagram or leave a rating and comment on the blog! I used metal tongs and they were annoying to use because the nian gao kept sticking to the tongs. . Healthy Nibbles is a member of the Amazon Associates Program. Your email address will not be published. You also don’t want to underfill the wok with water. The flavor of the nian gao won’t be affected. First of all, you don’t want to fill the wok with too much water, or cook the cake on too high heat because you will overheat the nian gao and your cake will look like what you see in the photo above (top). The batter likely will be quite stiff at the beginning, but will loosen up after about a minute of stirring. Place 1 tbsp of taro filling onto wrapper (I used 20gm filling since I had about 32 pieces of nian gao), lightly spread it out. Grease a rectangle or round pan (glass, ceramic, or aluminum) with oil and fill it with the batter. « Baked Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Buns, 叉燒麵包). Your email address will not be published. One of popular desserts eaten during this festive season is Chinese New Year’s cake (nian gao 年糕), that made with sticky, glutinous rice flour (mochi flour) with brown sugar because it’s symbolic of growing taller, achieving higher every year, that signifies a prosperous year awaiting ahead. Typically, Mama Lin uses the Thai-style glutinous rice flour, which comes in 1-pound see-through bags with a green label (see photo above). The amount that I receive is at no additional cost to you. It's a well-known fact that the Chinese have built their own communities in different countries world-wide popularly called "China Town". Those pans will cook the nian gao slightly faster because of the thinner layer of metal. Pan fry the nian gao in a nonstick pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping halfway. Then, cover the cake pan with foil. You need glutinous rice flour to give this style of nian gao its soft and stretchy texture. Set the bowl aside. You can usually find the steaming racks for a few dollars at an Asian supermarket or on Amazon (more expensive on Amazon). From my Taiwanese mother in law's recipe. using molasses, and I think that might be a good way to add color to the nian gao without using kansui. If you are having trouble slicing your Tikoy into your desired shape, coat your knife with oil first. Nian gao 年糕 – How to make (the quick and easy way) Step 1 Wrap the mold with banana leaves. If you are using regular brown sugar, this should only take a few minutes. The cake should look brown and slightly translucent. I love ginger flavor, so I added 4 teaspoons of ground ginger. Gradually stir the liquid into the bowl with the flours. I have tried making plain white ones for savory dishes as well as something similar to this with brown sugar and coconut milk. Add dissolved cornstarch and water to it and mix until the liquid has thickened.. Top with green onions and a little chilli oil. Slice the nian gao into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices and pan fry them in oil for a few minutes, until the sides blister. You need glutinous rice flour to give this style of nian gao its soft and stretchy texture. Join / Sign In. Stir until you can only see small lumps in the batter (see photo above). # MiraGas # FosteringMomentsTogether # Homemadewithlove # … Let that cook for a minute and add a touch of soy sauce. Keep the water boiling until the brown sugar slabs have completely dissolved. It is perfect as a breakfast or afternoon snack with your favorite hot drink! Making Tikoy is easier than you think! Place the nian gao slices on a large, heat-proof plate lined with oiled banana leaf. Condensation doesn’t build up as much underneath bamboo lids because they’re porous and the steam escapes from the top and sides of the lid. It's ready to eat when its firm to touch. But note that the foil also means that the cake needs a longer time to cook. Although I could taste some ginger flavor in the syrup, once the nian gao was completely cooked, I could barely taste any ginger flavor. Welcome to Foxy Folksy and I hope you enjoy reading and sampling our recipes as much as I enjoyed making them for you! Nian gao is a sweet rice cake made from glutinous rice flour. Fry eggs and slice with spatula into slices. If you can’t find Thai-style glutinous rice flour, you should be able to replace it with Mochiko or Bob’s Red Mill’s Sweet White Rice Flour. Get promoted to the next grade! ) The one on the left was made with kansui and the one on the right was made without kansui. This is not the same as the flour that comes in the red label bags, which is rice flour, usually made from long-grain rice. Stir the batter for several minutes. Hold onto the cake pan and tap it gently on the counter several times to get rid of any tiny air bubbles. Mama Lin tells me that the sweetness of brown sugar slabs are more “清甜,” which literally translates to “clear sweetness.” In other words, the sweetness of the brown sugar slabs is less malty. The sides of the cake should brown and blister. My dad often told us how during the tough days when he was a kid, Chinese New Year was the only time they got to eat meat. Place a fine mesh strainer over another bowl and pour the batter through the mesh. Next, snap the slabs of brown sugar into smaller pieces and place them into a saucepan. If you don’t use enough water, there won’t be enough steam generated inside the wok to cook the nian gao thoroughly. This is based on Mama Lin's recipe. Cover the wok with a lid and bring the water to boil on high heat. Then, fill the wok with water until there’s about a 1/2-inch gap between the water line and the top of the steaming rack. Once the water has boiled, carefully place the cake onto the steaming rack and cover the wok with the lid. how to cook nian gao. More modern varieties are Tikoy Rolls, Tikoy Turon, Tikoy Butchi, and Tikoy Sandwiches. You can probably substitute the ground ginger with 2 tablespoons of freshly zested ginger using a, Kansui is a common ingredient in Cantonese pastries, often used to deepen the color of food. Leave a Comment. This will help to get rid of the lumps in the batter. Would be very thankful for tips, It isn’t like this IN store bought*, sorry, Your email address will not be published. Prepare steamer by bringing a wok of water to a boil. Pour the batter into the greased pan. 300gm nian gao, cut into 2 inch long strips (mine were anywhere from 8-12gm each) Spring roll wrappers (125mmX125mm) Egg white to brush on edges 1. My mom usually uses a round pan made of a very thin layer of stainless steel (see photo above, right). By now, the nian gao should be floating. Make sure tikoy is … Sometimes, the Nian Gao is stuffed or filled with red bean paste or jujube. Don’t use drinking coconut milk, as there isn’t enough fat in it. Required fields are marked *. In the photo above, the slices of cake in the upper right portion of the plate were dipped in egg. I haven’t actually tested this cooking method, but I would imagine that the cooking time is similar. Nian Gao or Nin Gou in Cantonese (“higher year”), … For example, you usually add kansui to the outer casing of mooncakes to give it a deeper brown color. How To Cook Tikoy (Nian Gao) Tikoy or Nian Gao is a type of rice cake made from glutionous rice. Once the nian gao hardens overnight, it is easier to slice. Sesame seeds are added in this batter for extra crunch and texture. (See note 6) Insert a jujube into the center of the cake for decoration and to cover the hole made with the chopstick. The toothpick test doesn’t work well for this cake because your cake can still be undercooked even if the toothpick comes out cleanly. Then, let the liquids cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Dip nian gao sandwich in the egg batter. 2. The texture will be slightly different, but these rice flours are close enough substitutes. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage of qualifying purchases made through affiliate links. The centrepiece must be a whole chicken and fish, supplemented by dumplings, noodles, nian gao (glutinous rice cake) and citrus. I decided to use a regular cake pan for this because it holds more batter. My mom usually uses a round pan made of a very thin layer of stainless steel. The next time I cooked the cake, I steamed the cake on medium-low and filled the wok with less water. They usually come in vacuum-sealed packages like you see in the photo above, left. 1. She will dip the nian gao slices in nothing else but beaten egg, but trying her method out myself, I find that the egg do not stick to the nian gao well. Then, pour in the coconut milk, oil, and kansui into the saucepan and stir. You can find brown sugar slabs in Asian supermarkets. Nian gao 年糕 – How to make (the quick and easy way) Nian gao (also known as kuih bakul/tikoy) is the must-have delicacy for Chinese New Year. Keep the water boiling until the brown sugar slabs have completely dissolved. In Mandarin, this delicacy is called nian gao, which roughly translates to “sticky cake.” Pronounced properly, the nian gao can also mean “higher year.” To put it into a new year context, eating it symbolizes the hope for a better year ahead. Pour the batter into the greased pan. However, the nian gao won’t cook properly with too little water. The nian gao puffs up when it steams (then deflates when it cools). This looks great, the added ginger sounds quite intriguing. Place wrapper onto a flat surface, eg: a plate. For you to check if it is fully cooked, insert a toothpick in the middle part of the Tikoy. I have seen some recipes (like the one in The Woks of Life) steam the nian gao by placing the cake pans inside bamboo steamer baskets. Most commonly, nian gao refers to a steamed brown sugar rice cake that you decorate the house with for several days before eating. Mustard greens. If they are difficult to find, you can use dark brown sugar instead. It’s a tradition to hand out these sticky rice cakes to friends and family come Lunar New Year.Tikoy is also known as Nian Gao, meaning “higher year,” and so it is consumed in the belief that it brings prosperity in the coming year.