Jing gao (Xi'an steamed sticky rice and date cake)
甑糕: glutinous rice, red dates and kidney beans steamed for hours into a sweet, sliceable breakfast cake
Before the shops of Xi'an's Muslim Quarter open, vendors on Beiyuanmen and Sajinqiao lift the lids of huge iron zeng pots and carve out jing gao, a dense breakfast of glutinous rice, red dates and kidney beans steamed so long that the dates melt into a jammy layer. It is scooped onto paper plates with a flat spade and eaten hot, often with a sprinkle of sugar, by workers on their way in. The home version steams in a heatproof bowl and needs time rather than skill. The rice turns glossy and chewy, the dates taste of toffee and the beans give a soft, earthy bite. Chef's tip: lay the dates as the bottom and top layers, because their sugar is what colours and flavours the rice as it steams.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 14 oz glutinous rice
- 3 ½ oz dried red kidney beanssoaked overnight
- ¾ cup waterjust off the boil
- 4 tbsp white sugarto sprinkle
- 2 tbsp osmanthus syrup (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rinse 14 oz glutinous rice until the water runs clear, then cover with cold water and soak for at least 4 hours, until a grain crushes easily between your fingers.
5 minStep 2: Drain 3 ½ oz dried red kidney beans, cover with fresh water and boil hard for 10 minutes, then simmer for 30 minutes until tender. The hard boil is not optional: undercooked kidney beans are toxic. Drain.
40 minStep 3: Rinse 7 oz dried red dates (jujubes) and cut a small slit in each so the steam can get in.
Step 4: Drain the rice. Oil a 1.5-litre heatproof bowl and lay in a third of the dates, then half the rice, all the beans, the rest of the rice and finish with the remaining dates, pressing each layer level.
Step 5: Pour ¾ cup water evenly over the top; it should just moisten the surface, not cover it.
Step 6: Set the bowl in a steamer over boiling water, cover tightly and steam on a medium-high heat for 2½–3 hours, topping up the steamer with boiling water every 30 minutes. Common mistake: letting the steamer boil dry or lifting the lid too often, which leaves hard, white grains in the middle.
170 minStep 7: It is ready when every grain is translucent and soft right through and the dates have collapsed into a dark, sticky layer. Turn off the heat and rest for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 8: Scoop out portions with a wide spatula, cutting down through all the layers, and sprinkle each with 4 tbsp white sugar. Drizzle with 2 tbsp osmanthus syrup if you like. Eat warm; leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge and resteam well.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 64 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jing gao (Xi'an steamed sticky rice and date cake) take?
- About 240 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 210 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 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 glutinous rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of white sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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