Friday 28 March 2008

BLACK SESAME PUDDING CUBES

nine-layered black sesame pudding cubes

Have you ever had "Nien Goh"? It's the Chinese New Year's rice pudding cake that's steamed. This Black Sesame Pudding recipe is similar to the New Year's rice pudding cake in many ways. The base is rice flour and sugar and it's steamed. In fact, it's steamed in layers...9 layers in all. In the picture, you can see at least 8 layers. My ninth layer is kind of thin and doesn't show up very well. But it's there!

This recipe yielded a pudding that was not as chewy or tender as I would have liked. I wanted to replicate the Black Sesame puddings you get at Dim Sum. This one was more dense and very filling. After one cube, I was done and wanted to go to take a nap.


The black sesame flavour was pretty good, but perhaps this pudding is best eaten warm and fresh. After refrigeration, the pudding became harder and wasn't as pleasant to eat cold. I hadn't tried resteaming the pudding after it was refrigerated, but it's worth a try to bring back the texture. I don't think I'd make this one again. I couldn't eat more than one cube because it was so filling.

BLACK SESAME PUDDING

(from Distinctive Snacks of Hong Kong)
1 1/2 oz (40 g) black sesame
8 oz (225 g) castor sugar
3 1/2 cups water
7 oz (200 g) rice flour
2 oz (50 g) waterchestnut flour
1/2 T oil

  • Rinse, drain and air-dry the black sesame. Stir-fry in dry clean wok until golden brown. Grind in 6 oz(200 ml) water. Put through a sieve to form a fine solution.

  • Dissolve castor sugar in 6 oz (200 ml) water

  • Mix rice flour and waterchestnut flour with 2 cups (500 ml) water. Add oil and mix.

  • Add the above 3 items together, mix well. Pour a thin layer of mixture to about 1/2 cm thick in a square tin. Steam over high heat for 3 minutes until set.

  • Remove wok lid, pour in a second layer of mixture, steam for another 3 minutes. Repeat this process for 9 layers and then steam the whole pudding for 20 minutes.

  • Remove from heat. Cool, unmould, slice and serve.

  • Tip: mix sesame solution well before steaming.

15 comments:

Cakespy said...

Like pleasure, cubed. I have never seen anything like this--it sounds fantastic! Very rich, but so worth it!

test it comm said...

I really like the black sesame flavour for deserts and this pudding sounds really good.

Manggy said...

You can also try microwaving them, it might work. Waterchestnut flour? That is exotic!!

cakewardrobe said...

I feel like I'm reading something I wrote - about the fact that after you ate it, you wanted to take a nap. I think I can make out 10 layers! It looks really good! I love black sesame rolls too at dimsum and I love unrolling it to eat it in one big flat, thin layer.

Anonymous said...

I love black sesame desserts, especially those glutinous rice balls with the sesame filling found in Chinatown.
This looks great! i love the shape too.

Cakebrain said...

cakewardrobe,
hey, it must be one of those things that asian kids growing up loved doing. my husband always tells me he used to unroll his sesame rolls when he was a kid! and i take a nap at the drop of hat with 2 kids running me down! btw, it doesn't take much to make me want to nap!

SteamyKitchen said...

gorgeous. I love black sesame dessert and Nien Goh...but haven't tried the combo of the two.

Do you like that cookbook and would you recommend it? Is it in Chinese?

Cakebrain said...

Jaden,
I recommend the book because it's got a lot of stuff I love to eat at Dim Sum restaurants! It even has those egg ball cookies made in the egg-ball waffle iron that you see at the Chinese outdoor food stalls. It's bilingual and though some of the Chinglishy translations suck, it's not as bad as some other bilingual cookbooks I have. I don't read Chinese, so I always get my mom to clarify some of the translations that don't make sense. The recipes that I have made from the cookbook have turned out for the most part.

slue said...

Still looking for an eggball recipe- but couldn't find one... Do you have one? And- do you know where to buy an eggball iron?

Cakebrain said...

slue,
I have an eggball recipe, but I don't have an eggball iron.
So, I don't know if the recipe is good or not. My friend has two irons and both come from Hong Kong. Her relatives brought them over for her. You could try your local Chinatown housewares store to ask for one. I don't intend to go hunting for one around here because I can get freshly made eggballs really cheap at all the local Asian mall's foodcourts. If I should find an iron, I'll post the recipe and where I bought the iron.

waa!!obee said...

Thank you for the receipe. I was a bit worried when I looked at your comment that you don't want to do i again. But since I really want to try it out as I want to get back my childhood memory...

I have made some adjustment to the receipe..black sesame to 80g; rice flour to 125g and water chesnut flour to 125g... it turns out well and it is not too rich / heavy, my friends love it.


By the way, I love your blog!

Cakebrain said...

waa!!obee,
I think it's great that it brings back childhood memories...that's what food is all about: making good memories! I'm glad you liked the recipe. I think your adjustments might be very well an improvement on the original recipe because it sounds like it would be lighter. As well, I think re-steaming the pudding cubes would bring back a softer texture perhaps. Thanks for visiting and commenting!

Cakebrain said...

waa!!obee,
I think it's great that it brings back childhood memories...that's what food is all about: making good memories! I'm glad you liked the recipe. I think your adjustments might be very well an improvement on the original recipe because it sounds like it would be lighter. As well, I think re-steaming the pudding cubes would bring back a softer texture perhaps. Thanks for visiting and commenting!

Rosie said...

I keep forgetting you are in Vancouver! Where in Vancouver do you find water chestnut flour? Thanks.

Cakebrain said...

Rosie,
You can find waterchestnut flour at any Asian food store. I shop at T&T Supermarket. Chinatown would have it for sure in some of the grocery stores. Some Superstores would have it (in areas with a high Asian population) and any Chinese grocer's store in Richmond.

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