Friday 27 July 2007

BAAK TONG GOH (SWEET RICE CAKE)

2 cup American long grain rice (Calrose/Texas Long Grain)
2 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup sugar
4-5 drops "Yuet Heung Yuen" Lye water (found in Asian supermarkets)
1/2 t. Fast Rising Instant Yeast
1 T vinegar

  • Dissolve yeast & 1 T of sugar in water
  • Blend rice & water for 18 minutes in a blender
  • Add yeast mixture to rice mixture with sugar
  • Add drops of lye to the mixture and stir
  • Add vinegar and stir
  • Let sit at room temperature, covered for 5 hours
  • Steam for 12 minutes in oiled, plastic-wrap lined pan on high heat

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recipe. I've tried others and so far this is the closest I have come to what we get in the restaurant. The only thing is that it is very sticky, I can't cut it nicely with a knife(oiled knife, plastic, etc). One other site had a user comment about not using calrose rice(which I did). What type of rice would be recommended(if this is indeed my problem)? Thanks.

Cakebrain said...

As far as I know, the Texas long-grain rice variety is the best for this recipe. I've tried other long-grain varieties and it hasn't worked out at all. I've never had any problems with too much stickiness. Perhaps you need to wait for the baak tong goh to cool down sufficiently before cutting into it with an oiled knife? I cover it with oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temp for an hour or two before cutting into it.

Anonymous said...

Just stumbled upon your blog. Gotta say I'm so happy I did. Your recipes look amazing and the "Ancient Chinese Recipes" bring me back to my childhood too. My maternal grandmother is Toi San as well. I wasn't very close to her, but I do remember the goodies we got to sample. My favourite thing to eat was "Ling Fun Goh" or Tapioca flour pudding. I know they have it at NewTown Bakery, just wondering if you happen to know the recipe so I can try to make some too.
....Thanks for blogging and all the great recipes!

Cakebrain said...

Hey Anonymous,
You know, if your maternal grandmother was Toi Saan, then we probaby are connected in some way! It seems everyone in that generation knew each other and hung around Chinatown as youth. I don't actually think I have heard of Ling Fun Goh. Is it a sticky pudding-type dessert? Or a cake? Is there another name for it? What does it look like? I'll have to go look in the New Town Bakery in Chinatown because now you've piqued my interest.

L said...

Hi! I agree that we might be all connected. My mom is a 3rd generation CBC, she knows a lot more about my maternal family's history than I do. I do stand corrected, our family is actually from Yun Ping or Enping (depending on the dialect), but I guess they all speak Seh Yup dialect.

I don't know if there's another name for Lin Fun Goh/Ling Foon Goh, but I can describe that it's similar to Baak Tong Goh in texture and that it's made from tapioca flour. It's a sticky cake, kind of a chewy jello, with about 6 layers. It's golden opaque in colour, possibly from rock sugar or chinese brown sugar (the kind that's comes as a rectangle). It has a strong sesame flavour as it's coated in the oil to minimize stickness and there are some sprinkled on top. I do find that the New Town version is a bit stickier than my grandmother's version.

I don't know anyone else that has an appreciation for this yummy cake like myself. Hope it won't dissapoint...

Cakebrain said...

L,
Yes, now I know what cake you're talking about! I just ate the best example of it last weekend at a one month baby party! One of the ladies brought a platter of it and it had a bouncy texture and was clear (unlike neen goh) and it was also in layers. They're cut in diamond shapes and sprinkled with sesame seeds sometimes. My maternal grandma used to make that too. I'd have to check out my dozens of Asian cookbooks to see if anything matches it, but I don't think so. I'm sure all it is, is tapioca flour, brown sugar and water--steamed in layers in a cake tin. That's how most of them are made. The trick I guess is the proportions. I'll let you know if I find a recipe. Sometimes they're closely guarded family secrets and unfortunately, my grandmother isn't around anymore for me to ask her.

L said...

oh my goodness, that's exactly it!
I'll keep my fingers crossed that you can find a recipe. Thanks!

D said...

Desperate to perfect a Rice Cake for my cravings. Your recipe looks entirely different than most others. But here is my stupid question: Is the 2 cup measurement for long grain rice in its uncooked (raw) or cooked form?

Cakebrain said...

Hey D.,
That's 2 cups raw rice. You'll be blending it with the water. Yes, this is as close to the real thing as you can get. The rice flours never come out white enough or bouncy enough. This is the only recipe that has tasted like the asian bakery stuff.

E said...

Hi, I was just wondering how much water we use to dissolve the yeast with?, Because I'm assuming that the 2 1/2 cups of water is for mixing the rice with.. So I'm unclear about what to do. Thankyou!

Cakebrain said...

E, just follow the instructions on the yeast package. Usually you dissolve yeast by sprinkling it over the water that is in a little custard cup...about 2-3 tablespoons.

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