The flavor of the nian gao won’t be affected. I’ve also seen a recipe from The Woks of Life using molasses, and I think that might be a good way to add color to the nian gao without using kansui. While it can be eaten all year round, traditionally it is most popular during the Chinese New Year. My favourite way to eat it is deep fried. Often wrapped in paper and commonly eaten on Chinese New Year's eve, the sweet variety of year cake that's more native to southern China is made with sugar, and can be … I tried making the brown sugar syrup used in this recipe with ginger slices and infused the syrup overnight. You can usually find kansui in Asian supermarkets or on Amazon. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. , which comes from glutinous rice or sticky rice. Turn off the heat. Plus get a FREE eCookbook + Printable Recipe Cards. You can probably substitute the ground ginger with 2 tablespoons of freshly zested ginger using a microplane zester. Once done, it is cut into shape, dunked in beaten egg, and fried until they are golden brown and crisp! It’s a But many modern bakers have introduced baked versions too. Nowadays, we see purple and green varieties with Ube (Purple Yam) and Pandan flavors. banana leaves The best way to impart ginger flavor to the cake, I found was to use ground ginger. You need glutinous rice flour to give this style of nian gao its soft and stretchy texture. If you don’t use enough water, there won’t be enough steam generated inside the wok to cook the nian gao thoroughly. ... Nián gāo (or nin gōu in Cantonese) is a chewy, sticky cake made of rice. Steam the cake over medium heat for 50 minutes to 1 hour if you are using a thicker cake pan, about 45 to 50 minutes if you are using a thinner pan. Nian gao’s hallmark stickiness may trouble even the most skilled chefs, but like the cake’s monster-repelling powers, its very stickiness is said to have supernatural sway. Assuming that your house isn’t hot and humid, you can leave the nian gao on the counter for 1 to 3 days. I haven’t actually tested this cooking method, but I would imagine that the cooking time is similar. Transfer fried tikoy on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. The nian gao puffs up when it steams (then deflates when it cools). Brush the pan with oil before pouring the glutinous rice mixture so you can easily dislodge it later on. Did you know why we eat "Nian Gao" during Chinese New Year ⁉ Nian Gao(年糕 ) is also known as 'year cake' and it is a sweet rice cake. Asian Food, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Lunar New Year, Sweet, Vegan dim sum, rice cake, Your email address will not be published. In the olden days, the traditional method of making nian Nian gao has many varieties including the types found in Shanghai cuisine, Fujian cuisine and Cantonese cuisine originating from Guangdong. I love ginger flavor, so I added 4 teaspoons of ground ginger. I usually store the nian gao in my fridge after 3 days. Cover the wok with a lid and bring the water to boil. Nian Gao Recipe Instructions. Required fields are marked *. It is available all-year-round, however, it is popularly made or given as gifts during the Chinese New Year. Hold onto the cake pan and tap it gently on the counter several times to get rid of any tiny air bubbles. Steamed or pan-fried sticky rice cakes (nian gao/年糕) are a festive sweet dish and an important part of the traditional Lunar New Year meal in Chinese cuisine.The literal name for this dessert, nian gao, means "sticky cake" (粘糕), but it's also a homophone for nian gao (年高), which means "growing taller" every year. . One of my favourite things to eat during Chinese New Year is Nian Gao (年糕) It’s a Chinese new year cake that is sticky and made from glutinous rice flour , wheat starch, salt, water and sugar. Yes, I finally made Nian Gao (Tikoy/New Year Cake). The classic ingredients are sugar, water, and rice flours and the sugar and water are cooked together and then beaten along with the rice flours. Use Green Tea Boba (Bubble Tea) powder to color and flavor half of the dough. Prepare two 8-inch round baking pans by brushing the insides with vegetable oil.. Add 2 cups of water and the ginger to a medium-sized pot, bring it a boil, then let it … Once the water has boiled, lower the cake onto the steaming rack and cover the wok with the lid again. How to make Black Tapioca Pearls for Bubble Tea (Milk Tea). 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. Add the water to the saucepan, cover it with a lid, and bring the water to boil. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan or any circular 9-inch metal pan (see note 4). However, pan frying makes a big difference. It may be savory or sweetened. In some regions of China, nian gao can also refer to white unsweetened rice cakes that are sliced and stir fried into a savory dish. I’ll explain why this is important below. « Baked Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Buns, 叉燒麵包). # MiraGas # FosteringMomentsTogether # Homemadewithlove # cookwithlove want to fill the wok with too much water. Nian gao . Your email address will not be published. If kansui is difficult for you to obtain, you can omit the kansui completely. Celebrate Lunar New Year with nian gao (年糕), a steamed rice cake made of glutinous rice flour and brown sugar. 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! My favorite way of enjoying this cake is slicing it into thin pieces and pan frying them in oil. The traditional method involves grinding the glutinous rice, remove the excess water from the rice paste, mix with sugar, and subsequently going through a prolonged steaming process for up to 20 hours. The term Nian Gao is a homonym for higher/taller year. Pandan Nian Gao. They lack fragrance and flavor and so I seldom ever buy them. They usually come in vacuum-sealed packages like you see in the photo above, left. For many Aussies, celebrating New Year in … It is also know as Tikoy (in Hokkien) or Kuih Bakul (in Malay language). Leave a Comment. Nian gao is sweet rice cake, usually eaten to celebrate Chinese New Year. Keep the water boiling until the brown sugar slabs have completely dissolved. Ingredients. Add the water to the saucepan, cover it, and bring the water to boil. Besides, different areas have different types of New Year cake. This will help to get rid of any lumps that remain in batter. There needs to be enough water in the wok to generate adequate steam to cook the nian gao completely. It just doesn’t look great. Gradually stir the brown sugar liquid mixture into the bowl with the flours. The Chinese word 粘 (nián), meaning "sticky", is identical in sound to 年, meaning "year", and the word 糕 (gāo), meaning "cake… That means eating foods with names that sound similar to new year’s greetings. When steaming things inside the wok, she’ll place a stainless steel steaming rack to elevate the cake inside the wok. You do not want to fill the wok with too much water. A Nian Gao is made for the Lunar New Year celebration in hopes of a good year ahead. 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. No need to buy or wait for someone to give you these Chinese New Year's cakes for luck and prosperity. Every year, Mama Lin makes a nian gao (年糕, neen go in Cantonese) for Lunar New Year. You can use more or less depending on how much you like ginger flavor. The next time I cooked the cake, I steamed the cake on medium-low and filled the wok with less water. Don’t use drinking coconut milk, as there isn’t enough fat in it. Your email address will not be published. Here, they make their Tikoy a bit darker and sweeter like the Japanese Mochi. This is not the same as the flour that comes in the red label, which is rice flour, usually made from long-grain rice. Cifantuan. It can be eaten steamed or fried, and apparently uncooked, which I find odd. If the water touches the bottom of the cake pan during the steaming process, you may run into the risk of overheating the cake, which will cause deep creases to form on the surface of the cake. ) I usually add about 1/3 of the hot liquid at a time and then stir the batter before adding more liquid. Nian gao is a traditional Chinese New year cake that is made from glutinous rice flour. 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. using molasses, and I think that might be a good way to add color to the nian gao without using kansui. The batter likely will be quite stiff at the beginning, but will loosen up after about a minute of stirring. Pour the batter into the greased pan. The photo below illustrates how kansui affects the color of the steamed cake. If kansui is difficult for you to obtain, you can omit the kansui completely. What is Chinese New Year nian gao (年糕)? It’s not necessary to cover the pan with foil, but it helps to ensure that the nian gao will cook more smoothly on the top. Place a fine mesh over another bowl and pour the batter through the mesh. 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. Bowl 1 - Add brown sugar (8 oz) and boiling water (6 oz), stir until the sugar has dissolved. From then on, the villagers would make similar cakes every year, and named the … Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan (or any 9-inch circular metal pan). My favourite way to eat it is deep fried. You can make them at home with this quick and simple tutorial using 3 pantry staple ingredients only. I tried to hide my mistake by sprinkling shredded coconut over the cake. You can usually find the steaming racks for a few dollars at an Asian supermarket or on Amazon (more expensive on Amazon). Topic. It is perfect as a breakfast or afternoon snack with your favorite hot drink! This article needs additional citations for verification. I typically use full-fat coconut milk, but lite coconut milk should work too. The Chinese name for this food is “Nian Gao”. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage of qualifying purchases made through affiliate links. It was originally used as an offering in ritual ceremonies before it gradually became a Spring Festival food. Those pans will cook the nian gao slightly faster because of the thinner layer of metal. According to Michelle Tchea, it's even better than chocolate cake. Those pans will cook the cake slightly faster because they’re made of a thinner layer of metal. 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). This is based on Mama Lin's recipe. But note that the foil also means that the cake needs a longer time to cook. The only issue is that you’ll need a larger bamboo steamer (one that is at least 10-inches in diameter) to fit a 9-inch cake pan. The Nian Gao is traditionally made to be offered as a sticky yummy bribe for the Kitchen God Zao Jun, or 灶君, who, each Chinese New Year, reports to the Jade Emperor on whether your family has been naughty or nice the past year. It is available all-year-round, however, it is popularly made or given as gifts during the Chinese New Year. It’s a Preparation . My mom usually uses a round pan made of a very thin layer of stainless steel (see photo above, right). Traditionally, the paste is poured into a cake pan and … Celebrate Lunar New Year with nian gao (年糕), a steamed rice cake made of glutinous rice flour and brown sugar. Again, you want to make sure there’s sufficient steam inside the wok to cook the cake evenly. In a large bowl, whisk the glutinous rice flour, ground ginger, and salt together. I used metal tongs and they were annoying to use because the nian gao kept sticking to the tongs. For example, you usually add kansui to the outer casing of mooncakes to give it a deeper brown color. The best way to impart ginger flavor to the cake, I found was to use ground ginger. Nian gao (年糕 nián gāo), also called "rice cake" or "Chinese New Year cake", is a traditional food which made from glutinous rice flour and eaten during Chinese New Year. For the batter, I’m adding ground ginger to give the nian gao more flavor. I usually cover the cake with foil overnight. Traditionally, families will put the nian gao out as decoration for several days before cutting it up to eat. Pour in warm water and mix until the batter becomes smooth. However, the foil helps to ensure that the surface of the nian gao will look smooth once cooked. Nian gao – Literally translated as the “year cake,” nian gao is usually eaten during Chinese New Year because its sticky and glutinous quality is traditionally believed in Chinese mythology to seal the Kitchen God’s mouth shut. Feel free to add more ground ginger if you want a more intense ginger flavor. Next, snap the slabs of brown sugar into smaller pieces and place them into a saucepan. This also ended in a disaster as I undercooked the nian gao. Yes, I finally made Nian Gao (Tikoy/New Year Cake). The character “年” means “year” and “糕” roughly translates to “cake.” Put together, 年糕 means new year’s cake. https://www.chinatravel.com/focus/chinese-new-year/nian-gao Set the bowl aside. If you insert a chopstick into the center of the nian gao and dig out some of the cake, the cake should look brown and slightly translucent. Try to use a bamboo or wooden spatula to flip over the pieces of cake. How it … Place a fine mesh over another bowl and pour the batter through the mesh. Those who don’t have a microwave can opt for the steaming method. Once the sugar slabs have completely dissolved, turn off the heat. So it is no wonder that there are several varieties of their traditional delicacy out there. I spoke to the cook who made the Tikoy I bought. Made of glutinous rice flour, water, and sugar, this traditional Chinese New Year snack is always a hit! Prepare two 8-inch round baking pans by brushing the insides with vegetable oil.. Add 2 cups of water and the ginger to a medium-sized pot, bring it a boil, then let it simmer for 10 minutes over low to medium heat with the lid covered.. 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. Nian gao is a popular dessert during Lunar New Year. This will help to get rid of the lumps in batter. Stir the batter for several minutes. You can usually find kansui in Asian supermarkets or. My mom likes to add a teaspoon of kansui in the batter to deepen the color of the nian gao. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Making Tikoy is easier than you think! One of my favourite things to eat during Chinese New Year is Nian Gao (年糕) It’s a Chinese new year cake that is sticky and made from glutinous rice flour , wheat starch, salt, water and sugar. The various idioms and meanings behind Nian Gao and all of its various toppings; Nian Gao is a popular dessert and gift during Lunar New Year! The first time I cooked the nian gao without Mama Lin’s supervision, I clearly overcooked the cake. Nian Gao or Nin Gou in Cantonese (“higher year”), is a sweet glutinous sticky rice cake that is enjoyed year round, but often a must-have during Chinese New Year, as the name sheds light to give … Pandan Nian Gao. The layer of foil will protect the cake from the condensation. Place a steaming rack inside a large wok (at least 14” wide). Gao loosely means "higher up," so when said aloud, nian gao is meant to signal higher success in the new year. If the water touches the bottom of the cake pan during the steaming process, you may run into the risk of overheating the cake, which will cause deep creases to form on the surface of the cake. If you use rice flour for this recipe, the texture of the nian gao won’t be right. Steam the cake over medium heat for 50 minutes to 1 hour if you are using a thicker cake pan, about 45 to 50 minutes if you are using a thinner pan. Wikipedia. Once the sugar slabs dissolve, turn off the heat. The cake symbolizes growth, progress, and advancement. Although I could taste some ginger flavor in the syrup, once the nian gao was completely cooked, I could barely taste any ginger flavor. The one on the left was made with kansui and the one on the right was made without kansui. Then, cover the cake pan with foil. Garnish with a red date and it is ready! … We call it tikoy in Hokkien, my mother tongue. This is a 3 ingredient recipe - brown sugar, rice flour and water! One popular dessert eaten during Chinese New Years is 'Nian Gao (年糕). In Chinese culture, you eat dishes that carry auspicious meanings during new year celebrations. The toothpick test doesn’t work well for this cake because your cake can still be undercooked even if the toothpick comes out cleanly. If you can’t find Thai-style glutinous rice flour, you should be able to replace it with. So eating this means you will be bestowed with better living the … ... Nián gāo (or nin gōu in Cantonese) is a chewy, sticky cake made of rice. Pour the batter into the greased pan. The deep wrinkles on the cake will smooth out slightly overnight and the cake will still taste fine (see photo above, bottom). A 9-inch cake pan like mine should be fine. Let the liquids cool for 5 to 10 minutes. You should see wisps of steaming coming up along the sides of the wok (but not too much either). As you can see, the nian gao made with kansui has a richer golden color. The term Nian Gao is a homonym for higher/taller year. For you to check if it is fully cooked, insert a toothpick in the middle part of the Tikoy. Cook Time 90 minutes. 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). Tikoy, or Nian Gao, is a traditional Chinese sweet rice cake dessert made from glutinous rice flour. It can be eaten steamed or fried, and apparently uncooked, which I find odd. Gao loosely means "higher up," so when said aloud, nian gao is meant to signal higher success in the new year. Nian Gao isn't really sticky unless it's warm. If it doesn't, run a knife at the edges of the pan and dislodge the Tikoy carefully. For example, you usually add kansui to the outer casing of mooncakes to give it a deeper brown color. If you use a smaller cake pan, where the batter fills up 90% of the pan or more, the cake will touch the foil when it cooks, which will ruin the smoothness of the cake. The post talks culture and includes tips for the recipe. Kansui is a common ingredient in Cantonese pastries, often used to deepen the color of food. I tried making the brown sugar syrup used in this recipe with ginger slices and infused the syrup overnight. Glutinous rice dish in Chinese cuisine, originating from Shanghai. Copyright © 2014 - 2020 Foxy Folksy All Rights Reserved. you can steam, pan-fry, or bake nian gao , but i’ve always preferred it baked, just like my mother used to make it. Conversely, reduce the amount of ground ginger if you don’t like ginger as much or omit it completely. 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. Snap the slabs of brown sugar into smaller pieces and place them into a saucepan. But many modern bakers have introduced baked versions too. Course Dessert. Nian Gao(年糕), a chewy sweet rice cake or known as kuih bakul, is a popular dessert for lunar new year celebration and made from glutinous rice flour. We call it tikoy in Hokkien, my mother tongue. Foods similar to or like Nian gao. More modern varieties are Tikoy Rolls, Tikoy Turon, Tikoy Butchi, and Tikoy Sandwiches. Hence, nian gao is most appropriate to serve during this auspicious festival. I think the ginger flavor is very noticeable without being overpowering. Prep Time 15 minutes. Nian Gao Recipe Instructions. If you decide to cover the cake pan with foil, make sure that there is about a 3/4-inch space between the top of the cake pan and the batter. After steaming making the nian gao over 10 times over the course of several years, I have finally figured out how to cook the nian gao properly on my stove. From time to time, you will see affiliate links to Amazon.com. She described how she cooked this rice cake. If you use a smaller cake pan, where the batter fills up 90% of the pan or more, the cake will touch the foil when it cooks, which will ruin the smoothness of the cake. You can usually find kansui in Asian supermarkets or. 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. If the water touches the bottom of the cake pan during the steaming process, you may run into the risk of overheating the cake, which will cause deep creases to form on the surface of the cake. Nian gao is sweet rice cake, usually eaten to celebrate Chinese New Year. (See note 5 about overfilling/underfilling the wok with water.). Depending on which region of China you’re from, nian gao can look slightly different. Tikoy is so well-embraced by Filipinos that there is even a Tikoy festival held and celebrated in the southern province of Quezon. 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. Once every year at the beginning of Chinese New Year, the nian comes out of its hiding place to feed, mostly on men and animals. 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). Also known as new year cake as the name translates, it is considered good luck to eat nian gao because it has the symbolism of increasing prosperity every year. Stir until you can only see small lumps in the batter (see photo above). In a bowl, mix glutinous rice and sugar. Many people in rural areas still observe this ancient method to make New Year cakes: First, put some steamed rice into a big stone container. Nian literally means Chinese … Required fields are marked *. Once the water has boiled, carefully place the cake onto the steaming rack and cover the wok with the lid. How 'Nian Gao' Is Made The texture will be slightly different, but they’re close enough substitutes. It’s been a while since I last ate fragrant tikoy wrapped in banana leaves like the ones found in Malaysia. 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 texture is similar to other food made … It symbolizes good luck and prosperity to those who will eat it. This is often referred to as “Shanghai nian gao” in English. Nian is one of the key characters in the Chinese New Year with scholars citing it as the reason behind several practices during the celebration such as wearing red clothing and creating noise from drums and fireworks. Although I could taste some ginger flavor in the syrup, once the nian gao was completely cooked, I could barely taste any ginger flavor. Refrigerate overnight to let it set and harden a bit. I made a slight modification by adding ground ginger to the batter to give the nian gao more flavor. Making Tikoy is easier than you think! Even though I added kansui to the batter, the cake still looked very pale instead of deep golden brown color (see photo above). The pronunciation of Nian Gao sounds like 'year high' (年高), which symbolizes a higher income, a higher position, the growth of children, and generally the promise of a better year.. You also don’t want to underfill the wok with water. Flavor Profile. Healthy Nibbles © 2014 - 2021 All rights reserved. . Often wrapped in paper and commonly eaten on Chinese New Year's eve, the sweet variety of year cake that's more native to southern China is made with sugar, and can be given as a gift for good fortune for the new year. This is not the same as the flour that comes in the red label, which is rice flour, usually made from long-grain rice. Technically, lots of cakes (taro cake, turnip cake, sponge cake, etc) qualify as a "New Year Cake", but this is the recipe that comes to mind when people speak of Nian Gao. 200 ml water. The batter will feel stiff at the beginning, but should loosen up after about a minute of stirring. If you want to try this, mix the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to thin out the egg. If they are difficult to find, you can use dark brown sugar instead. However, the nian gao won’t cook properly with too little water. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. You can also flavor the dough. 50 g pandan leaves cut into small pieces. Please check your email for a confirmation of your subscription. Modern legends. You can find brown sugar slabs in Asian supermarkets. it’s usually eaten to celebrate chinese new year, and the name even literally translates to “year cake”. One of the reasons it's eaten during this time is because the words "Nian Gao (粘糕)", meaning "sticky cake," sounds just like the words 年高, which means something along the lines of "growing taller every year. Cover the wok with a lid and bring the water to boil on high heat. Made by tightly wrapping a piece of youtiao with glutinous rice. Halfway through the steaming process, add more water to the wok as water evaporates over time. She told me how she steamed the Tikoy for 24 hours straight. I haven’t actually tested this cooking method, but I would imagine that the cooking time is similar. The nian gao puffs up when it steams (then deflates when it cools). Most commonly, nian gao refers to a steamed brown sugar rice cake that you decorate the house with for several days before eating. You do not want to fill the wok with too much water. It is often given as a gift when visiting friends and family during the holiday. And of course, Filipinos being their usual creative selves, have come up with different ways to make this. This is not the same as the flour that comes in the red label, which is rice flour, usually made from long-grain rice. * Nian gao (“sticky cakes”) are rice cakes made from glutinous rice flour and some regular rice flour. What is Nian Gao? steam the nian gao by placing the cake pans inside bamboo steamer baskets. Wikipedia. You need glutinous rice flour to give this style of nian gao its soft and stretchy texture. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It is similar to the Hokkien version of this sticky cake. You could tell this pudding-like cake, with a gelatinous texture was exceptional. I’d probably use 1 or 2 tablespoons of molasses. The food I introduce today is rice cake, made from rice flour and water with either glutinous rice flour is added or not. When you are steaming something inside a wok, condensation builds up underneath the cover of the wok lid.