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When making glutinous rice cakes, attention is key to avoid crumbling or deformation. However, fret not! With a little finesse, you can craft not only mouthwatering treats but also visually stunning delicacies perfect for the March 3rd celebration.
1. Traditional Method for Delicious Glutinous Rice Cakes
When making glutinous rice cakes, attention is key to avoid crumbling or deformation. However, fret not! With a little finesse, you can craft not only mouthwatering treats but also visually stunning delicacies perfect for the March 3rd celebration.
1. Ingredients for Glutinous Rice Cakes:
- 1 packet of glutinous rice flour
- Grated coconut
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Glutinous rice flour
- Vanilla essence
Glutinous rice cake flour comes in two types: water-based and dry. Water-based flour is the traditional manual method where soaked rice is ground and left overnight in a hanging bag to separate the flour from water. This results in an incredibly smooth, white, and especially elastic dough, requiring less kneading.
However, due to the time-consuming nature of this method, today, glutinous rice cake flour is mainly made from dry rice. After soaking, the rice is ground finely, and the dry glutinous rice flour is kneaded with water before molding. Although this preparation is quicker, the cakes may lack the smoothness and whiteness of water-based flour, and the maker needs to spend more time kneading the dough.
The traditional way of making glutinous rice cakes may seem challenging but is surprisingly straightforward. Once the dough is ready, take a portion, flatten it, add the filling, and gently shape it into a round cake. Drop it into a pot of boiling water. Ensure the water is at the right temperature—do not add the cakes before the water is boiling. Release the cakes in batches to avoid the mishmash of raw and cooked cakes when retrieving them. Have a bowl of hot water ready for cooling after the cakes float, indicating they are cooked. Quickly scoop them into the bowl to cool before transferring them to a plate.
Finished product of celestial rice cakes
Immersing the cakes in boiling water helps them cool quickly, prevents sticking, and ensures the cakes remain firm when placed on a plate. After placing the cakes on the plate, sprinkle some vanilla powder for a fragrant touch, add a dash of sesame seeds to give the cakes complexity and enhance their sponginess. Drizzle a few strands of coconut to elevate the chewiness of the cakes.
Continue the process with similar batches of cakes. By doing so, you'll successfully create the traditional, delicious, and visually appealing celestial rice cakes. Here's a little tip: the poem 'Water Rice Cakes' by Madame Huyen Thanh Quan is sure to make the process even easier:
My body is both white and round
Floating and sinking with the water's boundless sound
