Food Network: Eight-Treasure Glutinous Rice Cake

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Eight-Treasure Glutinous Rice Cake
The Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo (William Morrow)

Ingredients
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup dried pears
1/4 cup dried mango
1/4 cup dried pineapple
1/8 cup dried peaches
1/4 cup honey dates or preserved dates, pitted
1/8 cup raisins
2 1/2 cups cold water
1 1/2 cups glutinous rice
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup red bean paste

Directions
Cut all dried fruit, except the raisins, into 1/3-inch
dice. Place all fruit, including the raisins, in a large bowl. Reserve.

Wash the glutinous rice 4 times in room-temperature water and drain well. Place
in a cake pan. Add 2 1/2 cups cold water to the rice. Place the cake pan in a
steamer, cover, and steam for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is cooked. It will
acquire a glaze and be translucent. Turn off the heat. Scoop out the rice, add
to the bowl of fruit, and mix well to combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Coat a steamproof bowl, 1 1/2-quart size, with 1 1/2 teaspoons of peanut oil,
making certain the bowl in well coated. Coat the hands as well, so the glutinous
rice may be handled. Pick up half of the rice-fruit mixture, coat it with the

remainder of the peanut oil, and pack it into the bowl, pressing it to the sides.
Place the red bean paste in the center of the rice mixture and spread it a bit.
Place the remainder of rice on top and press down gently.

Place the bowl in a steamer, cover, and steam for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Remove the bowl and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Pass a blunt dinner knife
around the edge of the rice to loosen it. Place a serving plate, inverted, on top
of the bowl, and upend it. The cake should slip out easily. Its fruit-dotted
texture will glisten.

Use a large spoon to divide among individual bowls. Because of its texture, the
steamed glutinous rice is virtually impossible to slice as one might a cake.
Often a sugar syrup is poured over Eight-Treasure Glutinous Rice Cake when served.
It is not at all necessary, because the various fruits, their sugars concentrated

from drying, and the red bean paste are sufficiently sweet.