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Snack

Nian Gao (Brown Sugar Sticky Rice Cake)

A chewy, glossy cake of glutinous rice flour and brown sugar, steamed for an hour. Its name sounds like β€œhigher year,” a wish for a better year ahead. Eat it in slices, or pan-fry them.

⏱ 5 hr 15 min (15 min prep, 1 hr cooking, 4 hr waiting) 🍽 Serves 12 · 1 wedge (or 3 pan-fried slices) make aheadfreezer friendly vegetarianvegangluten freedairy free

In our collection Lunar New Year: menu and shopping list β†’

πŸ“… Add to my plan

None of the nine major allergens are in the usual versions of these ingredients. Check labels anyway; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 12 servings
  • 1 cup Brown sugar, packed, dark if you have it
  • 1ΒΌ cup Water
  • 1 lb Glutinous rice flour, sweet rice flour, not regular rice flour
  • 2 tbsp Canola oil, plus more for the pan
  • 2 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted, for the top (optional)

Make it yourself

Out of brown sugar? Make it β†’

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

Steps

You’ll need: 8-inch round cake pan, parchment paper, wok or large pot with a rack and lid for steaming, whisk, saucepan.

  1. Heat the brown sugar and water, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Cool until just warm.
  2. Put the rice flour in a bowl and slowly whisk in the syrup and the oil to a smooth, thick batter with no lumps.
  3. Line the pan with oiled parchment. Pour in the batter and smooth it. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  4. Set the pan on a rack in the wok over boiling water, cover, and steam 50 to 60 minutes, adding boiling water to the wok as needed. It’s done when a chopstick in the center comes out clean and the cake looks translucent.
  5. Cool completely, then let it firm at least 4 hours or overnight before cutting. Oil your knife.
  6. To pan-fry: cut into ΒΌ-inch slices, dip in beaten egg if you like, and fry in a little oil until crisp outside and soft inside. Glutinous rice is very sticky and chewy. Cut it into small pieces for young children, and eat slowly.
Make aheadMake up to 3 days ahead; it firms up and slices more cleanly.
❄️ FreezerWrap slices well and freeze up to 3 months; pan-fry from thawed.
β†Ί LeftoversKeep wrapped at cool room temperature 2 days or in the refrigerator up to a week (it hardens; steam or pan-fry to soften).
πŸ§’ With kidsKids can whisk the batter. Glutinous rice is very sticky and chewy. Cut it into small pieces for young children, and eat slowly.
Dates swapPress pitted red dates or chopped dates into the top before steaming.

Goes well with

βšͺ Tangyuan: Black Sesame Rice Balls in Ginger Syrup

Good to know

Cooking Fats Compared

An original Teddy Rook Book recipe, written for our Lunar New Year collection; safety steps follow USDA. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.