Sticky Red Bean Cake

Ingredients:

·        4 parts Gluttonous ice flour

·        1 part Sugar

·        1 part Water

·        1 can of Red Bean Paste

Recipe:

1.      Dissolve 1 part sugar in 1 part water over low heat

2.      Cool the sugar water with the rest of the water

3.      Add the sugar water to the flour and mix

4.      Fold in the red bean paste

5.      Steam until done (when a tooth pick comes out cleanly)

Sticky red bean cake is traditionally a dessert eaten during the Lunar New Year. In Chinese, this sweet dessert is called nian gao which sounds like the phrase “to grow every year” which is where the tradition comes from. You are supposed to eat it to grow taller. This was always my favorite treat and I look forward to it every year.

Many people find this dish strange because of its chewy texture and the fact that beans are being used in a dessert. Most of the time, beans are associated with salty foods, but they are also great in desserts like this one and others such as sweet red or green bean soup. The texture of sticky red bean cake is similar to mochi if you have ever tried that before.

This was the first time I have ever made it and also the first time my grandma has tried to teach someone how to make it. She is usually the one making all the food for the New Year celebration, but she has never followed a recipe. She always goes by gut feeling. This along with the fact that she only speaks Chinese proved to be a challenge while making this dish.

After spending about half an hour just trying to figure out what the recipe was, it only took about 10 minutes to actually make the cake. Just a few ingredients and some stirring was all it took to make this traditional dessert. I hope it turned out well.