Obsession with Huat Kuih or Steamed Rice Cakes

My 5th Aunt and her passion for making Huat Kuih got me researching the internet for ways to do the rice flour version of this little steamed cupcakes that have a light feathery texture. It is a perfect wheat-free alternative to normal muffins without the fat content.

There are many variations to this steamed rice cake. Sometimes they come in multi-coloured hues. Mostly, they come in white or pink. While I was growing up, we used to buy dozens of these rice cupcakes as an offering at our annual grave-sweeping journey, or Ching Ming, as we call it. After a hard morning of chopping weeds and clearing the graves, my clan members would offer the cupcakes with an assortment of other food offerings. When our “ancestors” have had their go, we end up chomping these delicious cupcakes to refuel. They are perfect with kopi-o!


My mom hasn’t had much success fermenting these cupcakes so I have the benefit of the worldwide web to beat her to this! After my recent visit to Malaysia, and having seen my 5th Aunt’s success at making her Huat Kuih (made using wheat-flour and normal yeast), I trawled the internet and found some easy enough recipes to follow.

I have never made these rice cakes before so it was all a bit of a touch and go. It started with the fermentation process. Using dried yeast cake (Chou Pang in Cantonese or Ragi Tapai in Malay), I did exactly as what the recipe told me too.
The fermentation took longer than expected; I left the rice-yeast-sugar-water mixture to ferment for about 3.5 days before the rice started getting watery (sign of fermentation?).

I think the baking powder gave it the lift it needed to “smile” (the Chinese see these as an auspicious sign). I added a bit of lemon essence to lend a bit of lemony flavour to it. I suspect it would work well with a coconut milk or pandan flavour.

Credit must be given to these two blogs where I found most of the information I needed to proceed.
http://sakura-lovebaking.blogspot.com/2008/01/huat-kuih.html
http://mykitch3n.blogspot.com/2010/04/steamed-rice-cake.html

Mine turned out pretty well – blasting forth like fresh petals off a new bloom! My friend M was the first to try it – I was really excited by how these cupcakes turned out so I texted her to come for morning. They went well with Japanese bancha!

My recipe is a variation/combination of the two plus a bit of innovation.

(A)
1) one bowl (Chinese rice bowl) of leftover rice
2) one fish-ball size piece of dried yeast/crushed
3) 4 tbsp of sugar plus 4 tbsp of water

Let the above mixture sit for 36-48 hour in a covered plastic container (Wrap with a tea towel and keep in a cool dry place.)

(B) 1) 2 bowls of sugar (can be reduced if you want a low sugar version)
2) 2.5 bowls of rice flour
3) 200 ml to 250 ml of water (mix the two and leave to cool overnight)
4) 2 teaspoons of baking powder



Once the rice is fully fermented, blend it in a blender. Add sugar syrup and rice flour. Add lemon essence if you wish or pandan essence. Mix well and let sit for another 6 hours at least. Add baking powder, let it sit for 15 to 20 mins, and scoop the mixture into muffin tins or smallish cups. Your mixture should look like a version of a pancake batter (not too thick though). Steam at high heat for 20 mins. Remember to have enough water in the steamer so you don’t need to replenish midway.