Chinese
Vegan
Gluten freeHong tang ciba (brown sugar glutinous rice cakes)
Crisp-fried sticky rice cakes drizzled with dark brown sugar syrup and toasted soybean flour
Pounded glutinous rice cakes are a Spring Festival essential in Sichuan and Chongqing, where 'ci' sounds like a wish for the family to stay close, as stuck together as the rice itself. Fried and drowned in brown sugar syrup, they turn into hong tang ciba, a dessert that closes many reunion dinners and hotpot nights. Outside they are puffed and crackly, inside soft and stretchy, and the dark syrup and nutty soybean flour make every bite taste like toffee. This home version steams a glutinous rice flour dough instead of pounding whole grains, which gives the same chew in far less time. Serve straight from the pan while still crisp. Chef's tip: let the steamed slab cool and firm up completely before cutting; warm dough smears and bursts in the oil.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 470 kcal
Ingredients
For the rice cakes
- 9 oz glutinous rice flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups neutral oilfor frying, plus a little for the tray
For the syrup and topping
- 3 ½ oz dark brown sugar or Chinese slab brown sugarchopped if in slabs
- ¼ cup water
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz glutinous rice flour and 1 tbsp sugar, then stir in 1 cup water to make a smooth, thick paste. Pour into an oiled heatproof dish about 18 cm across.
3 minStep 2: Steam over a high heat for 20 minutes, until the dough has turned from white to translucent all the way through.
20 minStep 3: While still hot, scrape onto an oiled board and fold it over itself with an oiled spatula a few times to make it stretchy. Press into a slab 1.5 cm thick and leave to cool and firm for 30 minutes, then cut into 2 x 6 cm fingers.
8 minStep 4: Simmer 3 ½ oz dark brown sugar or Chinese slab brown sugar and ¼ cup water in a small pan over a medium heat for 5–7 minutes, until reduced to a syrup that coats a spoon.
6 minStep 5: Heat 2 cups neutral oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F. Pat the fingers dry and fry a few at a time for 4–5 minutes, turning, until puffed, crisp and pale gold. Common mistake: crowding the pan; the cakes stick together into one lump. Keep a lid nearby, as they can spit.
10 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper, pile onto a plate, pour over the syrup and sift 1 ⅜ oz kinako (roasted soybean powder) on top. Serve at once.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 88 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hong tang ciba (brown sugar glutinous rice cakes) take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of dark brown sugar or chinese slab brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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