DIY Nian Gao

Away from home makes me craving for some traditional and festive food, one of it is "Nian Gao", which is recognised as "Chinese New Year cake" or "Kuih Bakul". This sweet sticky snack was believed as an offering to th kitchen god,  his mouth will be stuck with the sticky cake, so that he can't badmouth the human's family to the God of all Gods (Yu Huang Da Di). Furthermore, It is considered good luck to eat nian gao during CNY, because "nian gao" is a homonym for "higher year." The Chinese word 粘 (nián), meaning "sticky", is identical in sound to 年, meaning "year", and the word 糕 (gāo), meaning "cake" is identical in sound to 高, meaning "high or tall". As such, eating nian gao has the symbolism of raising oneself taller in each coming year (年年高升 niánnián gāoshēng). (from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nian_gao )

Since we were having potluck for celebraating CNY last sat, so I have decided to make it by myself instead of buying it from Asian market which costs me up to 3, 4 pounds just for a tiny bit of it. Generally most of the people thought that it is not something that we can make it by ourselves at home or it is very difficult to make it. After done my searching for receipe, yes finally I have made it! It's really simple and fast, instead of the traditional way of have to steam it for more than 8 hrs. To be honest it's not as good as the ones being sold out there, wrapped by leaves and with the strong scent of pandan/gula melaka, it turns out to tastes like Nian Gao and looks like it hahaha



The ingredients are: 
Glutinious rice flour, Brown sugar/Gula Melaka isshh I can't find it over here (Of course be daring to experiment by adding maybe vanilla/pandan essence, milk/santan etc)


Procedure:
1. Melt the brown sugar using warm water.
2. Mix the sugar water and glutinious rice flour till the dough form a semi liquid-solid feeling kind of dough, slightly more watery compared to making Tang Yuan.
3. Place it in a steamer and steam for 1hr.

My best cooking bud over here: Steamer (It's really useful, convinient and affordable!Highly reccomended for self catered students)

Voila! ;) It tastes pretty good if u dip the steamed Nian Gao in bread crumbs or fried sesame, crunchy and chewyyy 

Another way is bake Nian Gao, the difference is just adding eggs,baking powder and melted butter in milk instead of just brown sugar melting in warm water, bake it for 1hr under 170-180 degree celcius and it's done! 

Bake Nian Gao, crispy outer crust with sweet tangy soft inner filling (but mine kinda failed because of too much flour i think ops)

At times we just gotta be daring in trying to prepare new food/dishes, it may not be as hard as we thought. Of course it can't be guaranteed that you'll acheive sucess for each and every first time in preparing it, but yeah have confidence in youself and you'll be surprised on how far you can actually go hahah

heh maple bacon cupcakes or DIY marshmallows is on my list! x