Sichuan leaf-wrapped sticky rice cake (叶儿粑)
Soft, gooey dough stuffed with a tasty filling, Sichuan leaf-wrapped sticky rice cakes are a delightful, easy-to-make snack. This recipe shows you how to make them in two colours with two different fillings.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil or lard
- 200 g minced pork (7oz)
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 3 tablespoon Ya Cai (preserved mustard greens) (see note 1)
- ½ teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
- ½ teaspoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 pinch sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- 1 stalk scallions, finely chopped
- 120 g walnuts, toasted & crushed (see note 2)
- 3 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted & crushed
- 4 tablespoon dark brown sugar (or to taste)
- 3 tablespoon softened butter or lard
- 200 g glutinous rice flour (about 1.5 cup)
- 50 g rice flour (about ⅓ cup)
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil or softened lard
- 210 ml water (about 14 tbsp, see note 3)
- 3 teaspoon spinach powder or matcha powder (optional, see note 4)
- Bamboo leaves, cut into 12 rectangle pieces (see note 5 for substitutes)
Instructions
- 1
Fry the savoury filling
- 2
Pour oil into a hot wok. Add pork and ginger. Fry until the meat turns pale.
- 3
Stir in Ya Cai. Then add Shaoxing rice wine, light & dark soy sauce, sugar & ground Sichuan pepper.
- 4
Cook for 1 minute or so. Stir in scallions. Mix then dish out. Leave to cool.
- 5
Make the sweet filling
- 6
Toast raw walnuts in a frying pan (without any oil) over low heat. When lightly browned, transfer to a plate to cool. Then put into a sealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to crush into small pieces.
- 7
Follow the same instruction to toast and crush raw sesame seeds (you may use ready toasted ones and simply crush them a little).
- 8
Mix them with brown sugar and butter/lard. Store in the fridge before assembly.
- 9
Prepare the dough
- 10
Add all the ingredients for the dough into a bowl. Mix with a pair of chopsticks/spatula until no liquid can be seen.
- 11
Knead by hand into a soft dough (but not sticky).
- 12
If you are using spinach or matcha powder to make a green dough, add a little more water (about 2 tsp).
- 13
Assemble (please refer to the video below)
- 14
Flatten a piece of dough and make it into a bowl shape.
- 15
Place a spoonful of the savoury or sweet filling in the middle.
- 16
Pinch with fingers to seal completely. Then gently roll it into a cylinder.
- 17
Place it onto the shiny side of a leaf.
- 18
Cook
- 19
Place the assembled cakes into steamer baskets. Bring water to a full boil in a wok/pot. Put the baskets on top.
- 20
Steam over medium heat for 8 mins. Serve warm.
- 21
Make in advance
- 22
You may freeze uncooked cakes right after they are assembled. Firstly place them in a single layer on a tray/plate lined with parchment paper. Once completely frozen, transfer to an airtight container/bag.
- 23
Steam for 12 mins without defrosting.