Asian Recipes - Chinese Eight Treasurers Rice Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

• 300 g glutinous rice

• 1 heaped tbsp lard

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 200 g tinned sweet red bean paste

• 1 tbsp cooked lotus seeds in syrup

• 4 dried red Chinese dates, cut in half

• 4 pcs red candied melon

• 4 pes green candied melon

• 1 tbsp watermelon seeds

• 1 tbsp raisins

• 2 red cherries

• 2 green cherries

Syrup:

• 50 g sugar

• 1 cup water

• 2 tsp corn flour mixed with a little cold water

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Soak rice in cold water for six hours. Drain, then place on a perforated plate or rack covered with a kitchen cloth.

2. Steam rice over boiling water for 20 minutes, sprinkle with cold water, then steam for a further 10 minutes. Mix with melted lard and sugar.

3. Arrange the lotus seeds, dates, candied melon, watermelon seeds, raisins and cherries on the bottom and sides of a wide bowl.

4. Carefully spoon in half the rice, spreading it evenly. Put the red bean paste mixture on top, spreading it to within about one cm from the edge of the bowl.

5. Place the rest of the rice carefully over the top and smooth to make it level. Cover the top of the bowl and place in a steamer.

6. Steam for 45 minutes. Invert pudding carefully onto a dish to serve.

7. To make syrup, heat water and sugar until sugar dissolves, then thicken with corn flour. Pour over the hot pudding and serve.

8. This pudding can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator, then steamed just before it is required.