Happy New Year 2021! The Lunar New Year is also coming soon, so today I would like to share with you a natural Huat Kueh recipe. There are many ways to make Steamed Rice Cake. And this recipe uses rice flour, natural pigment red yeast rice, and yeast to ferment. It tastes more reassuring and lacks the astringent taste of baking powder, but it just takes a longer time to prepare. This Huat Kueh is very chewy, and the texture is honeycomb. It taste moist, and it has a light pandan leaf and coconut milk fragrance, taste very nice.
Brand of Rice Flour
I personally recommend using the Erawan brand rice flour imported from Thailand. It tastes better without the peculiar smell of powder. I used to sift the flour, it can get rid of impurities and it is better to stir. The batter of this steamed cake is more watery. And this kind of batter will make the steamed Huat Kueh taste moist.
ECO Friendly
Besides, I also recommend using ceramic cups for better cake release and it is also ECO friendly. After taking the steamed rice cake out to cool, you can gently push it inward along the edge of the cup, and then gently pry it with a knife or fork to remove it cleanly and neatly. Since the steamed rice cake needs to be kept at a high temperature during the steaming process, it is important to preheat the cup. After the water is boiling, let the cup preheat for about 1 minute. Then turn to low heat and prepare to pour the batter. Remember to turn to a low heat, otherwise you will get burnt by the steam. Then pour the batter until it is almost full so that the steamed rice cake will come out beautiful.
The interesting part about the Huat Kueh made with yeast is “surprise”. Just like the classic quote of Forrest Gump, “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get”. Every time I open the lid of the steamer, it seems like I am opening a gift. Sometimes it will be beautiful, and sometimes it may be badly fermented due to some factors.
Huat Kueh (Hoat-koé/Huat-kué) is also called Fatt Koh. In Hakka, it is called Bo Ban, which is a kind of rice process food popular in Zhejiang and South China. In Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, Huat Kueh is a traditional Chinese New Year food and can also be used for pray or gifts to relatives. By the way, the turnip cake is also a savory cake people like to eat during Chinese New Year. Because it has a “Good Luck” meaning.
If you like this recipe, kindly share it with family and friends~
Red Yeast Rice Huat Kueh (Steamed Rice Cake)
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Print Pin Comment & RateINGREDIENTS
- 250 g Rice Flour
- 320 ml Water
- 80 g Coconut Milk
- 140 g Caster Sugar
- 1 tsp Red Yeast Rice Powder
- 1 tsp Instant Yeast
- 2 Pandan Leaves
- A Pinch of Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Boil the pandan leaves in 350ml of water, turn off the heat and soak for 10 minutes after boiling.
- Pour 320 ml of pandan water into a measuring cup.
- Add red yeast rice powder and caster sugar, stir well until melted.
- After the water is not hot, add instant yeast and stir until mixed well.
- Add the sieved rice flour and stir evenly until mixed well. Cover and ferment for 1 hour and 30 minutes or double the size.
- Add a little salt and coconut milk to the fermented batter, and stir well.
- Put the cups in the steamer to preheat.
- Turn to low heat and pour batter into the cups until it is almost full.
- Close the lid and turn to high heat and steam for 20 minutes.
- After steaming, let it cool and then release the cake from the cup.
INSTRUCTIONS VIDEO
NUTRITION
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Happy New Year! Wish you all the best in 2021!
How come my huat Kuo I didn’t open like a flower ?
This is not the type blossom Huat Kueh. You can see my photo.
Hi Shashira,
I tried this recipe and it was GREAT. The sweetness and santan just nice (not overpowering), but one thing is i feel it’s a bit dense, i’m not sure why, maybe you can help to advise?
Hi Jamie,
Glad you like it 😌
Is it the texture same like mine? This type of traditional huat Kueh is chewy, dense and have honeycomb texture. Maybe you are looking for the fluffy blossom texture huat Kueh?
Hello Shahira,
Can i eliminate the read yeast rice powder from this recipe?
Can i replace the water with tody? If yes, how will the recepi proportion measurements like?
Yes, can. but that is another recipe. I did not made it, unable to give you the exactly measurements.