Water Chestnut Cake- China #44

Water Chestnut Cake: China #44

A Chinese New Year favorite. A translucent, soft, gel cake, with bits of water chestnuts mixed in.

Ingredients:

600 ml. water
100 gm. water chestnut flour
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. vegetable oil
50 gm. white sugar
50 gm. brown sugar slab, chopped
8 water chestnuts, canned, chopped

1. Using vegetable oil, grease an 8" square pan.
2. Dissolve the water chestnut flour with 300 ml of water and cornstarch, completely.
3. Drain through a fine sieve.
4. Stir in vegetable oil. Set aside.
5. Put the other 300 ml of water, together with white sugar, chopped brown sugar into a deep pot.
6. Cook until the sugars dissolve completely. Bring to a boil.
7. Add the water chestnuts. Reduce the heat to low.
8. Stir in the dissolved flour mixture. Immediately stir to combine well into a thick but smooth batter. Make sure not to let the batter stick to the bottom.
9. Pour the batter into the pan. Smooth the top. Cover with foil.
10. Steam in a wok or steamer, for about 30-35 mins. or until the cake turns translucent.
11. Remove from the wok and let cool a bit.
12. Serve warm, or pan fry slices before serving.

Results: I had to go to a Chinese market to get the chestnut flour and brown sugar slab.  I got the can of water chestnuts there as well. It only takes about 1/2 of an 8oz. can. Fortunately, I have a wok that is large enough to put the square pan in. It took 35 mins to steam. It was very jelly like, assuming I made it correctly.

Bottom Line: This is one of the cakes that I don't have a frame of reference for. If what I made was correct, it was not something I cared for. If I made it incorrectly, that would explain a lot. I gave it all to a neighbor. He said he could add it to something else. I was thinking of adding it to the trash.

Please share this blog with folks who celebrated the Chinese New Year, or and one else you can think of. Thanks