Nian Gao is a Chinese Glutinous Rice Cake usually eaten during Lunar New Year. It’s soft, sticky and sweet! This recipe is simple and easy to follow.
Also known as Kuih Bakul in Malay, Nian Gao is an auspicious Chinese cake that is usually made for Chinese New year. “Nian” means sticky, and “gao” means cake, which literally means a sticky cake. However this phrase has a second meaning, “high year” which symbolises a year high/rich in prosperity.
Read more about the story behind nian gao here.
This method of making nian gao only requires 2 hours of steaming, which is a very short time compared to the traditional 10-12 hours. I don’t know about you, but I definitely ain’t got time for that!
The 3 ingredients in nian gao
- water
- gula melaka, which is Malaysian coconut palm sugar
- glutinous rice flour
Because we’re steaming the nian gao for only 2 hours, we’re using gula melaka, which gives the glutinous rice cake a deep colour and fragrance. If you don’t have access to gula melaka, you can also use brown sugar.
Do I have to use banana leaves?
Lining the cake tin with banana leaves help to prevent the nian gao from sticking, but also makes the nian gao aromatic and fragrant. If you really can’t get banana leaves, you can grease the cake tin and/or line with parchment paper.
Why did mould form on my Chinese cake?
Mould may appear on top of the nian gao if the nian gao is still warm when you seal it. Make sure that the nian gao is completely cool before storing it at room temperature.
If there is mould, remove it with a clean damp cloth, seal tightly and refrigerate.
How to eat nian gao
Nian Gao isn’t usually eaten as it is, so here are some of my favourite ways to serve it:
- recipes coming soon!
If you made this recipe, do leave a comment and rating below because I love hearing your feedback. Make sure to tag me on Instagram @eatwkriss so that I can see your recreations!
Nian Gao 年糕/Chinese Glutnious Rice Cake | V + GF
Ingredients
- 120 g gula melaka sub with brown sugar
- 400 ml water
- 300 g glutinous rice flour
- banana leaves
- red dates optional
Instructions
- Heat water and gula melaka in a small pot until the sugar has dissolved completely. Set aside to cool.
- Soften banana leaf by placing in boiling water for 30 seconds. Cut away the tough ends.
- Use a 6-inch round cake tin. Cut the banana leaf into strips and layer them around the wall of the tin. Place multiple layers to prevent the nian gao from sticking to the pan. Cut out two rounds of banana leaves and line the bottom of the cake pan the same way you would with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, sift in glutinous rice flour. Pour in the sugar syrup and whisk to combine. Strain the mixture to remove lumps. The batter will be slightly thick and pourable.
- Pour in the prepared cake tin and top with a red date (optional). Steam for 2½-3 hours.
- Remove from the steamer and let cool completely. Seal it completely and let sit at room temperature for two days to allow it to firm up before cutting into it.
Notes
My mum told me the traditional is using the white sugar but not the others sweetener. The white sugar will changes its colour into brown (like caramel) after steaming.
yup, that’s true! but traditional nian gao is also steamed for more than 10 hours. this is a shorter version, so using gula melaka helps with colour and also makes it fragrant 🙂