Gluten-free Steamed Sticky Rice Cake with Red Beans

No baking, no pan-frying, this easy-to-make Chinese steamed sticky rice cake is slightly sweet and chewy. Served as breakfast or dessert, even picky eaters will love it.

This recipe is from our guest home cook, May. She’s a breakfast fanatic and a mother of two. When she is not looking after the kids, she’s either writing her online food column or developing healthy at-home recipes.

If you are into Asian food, you have probably tried rice cakes already. In Asian cuisine, rice cakes are no doubt one of the most popular dishes. And people love them for a reason.

First of all, rice cakes are incredibly versatile. They can be sweet, salty, or spicy. Almost every Asian country has its version of rice cake. Korean rice cakes are usually spicy and taste super good with kimchi and bibimbap sauce. Most Chinese rice cakes are sweet, but the sweetness may differ depending on the ingredients and regions.

Secondly, rice cakes can be a side dish, main course, or a dessert. Stir-fried Chinese rice cakes have been my favorite breakfast when I was a kid. I remembered waiting in the kitchen on Chinese New Year just to have the first bite.

While Banh Tet – the Vietnamese sticky rice cake, is more of a small meal on its own. It’s salty and sweet with pork belly fillings similar to the Chinese Zong Zi.

Today, I am making one of my favorite rice cake recipes – the Steamed Sticky Rice Cake with Red Beans. These Chinese rice cakes are gluten-free and slightly sweet.

Unlike the Chinese sponge cake, the sticky rice cake is gooey. It’s a bit of a chew but doesn’t stick to the teeth. It is easy to make – no dirty baking tray, no greasy pan. With a pot or a steamer, you can make this recipe at home.

Chinese steamed sticky rice cake with red beans

How to make glutinous (sticky) rice cake with red beans?

I have to admit that I didn’t nail this sticky rice cake recipe on the first try. But it was not the cake itself I disliked, but the red beans. Because I made the first batch in a hurry, I actually forgot to soak the beans overnight. As a result, they were not perfect tender as I expected.

On the second try, I soaked the red beans overnight, and the results are exactly what I want. The cake is gooey. The red beans are buttery soft but not smooshy.

If you are in a rush, you can also use pre-made red bean paste instead. And here’s how to make the perfect steamed Chinese rice cake with red beans the easy way.

Ingredients

Glutinous rice flour, 100 grams
Dry red beans, 50 grams
Rice flour, 50 grams
Sugar, 20 grams
A handful of raisins (optional)

How to make glutinous steamed rice cake

Cooking the red beans

To make sure the red beans are cooked tender, soak them overnight or at least 10 hours. Before cooking, rinse the beans and drain with a kitchen towel.

How to make steamed sticky rice cake with red beans

Place the red beans in a rice cooker, cover them with enough water and cook over the normal rice cooking mode.
If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can bring a pot of water to boil. Boil the red beans for 40 minutes. When it’s done, let it simmer in the pot for 20 minutes.
Take the beans out. Place them on a sieve to dry and cool down.

Making the cake

When the beans are ready, it’s time to make the dough.

The sticky rice cake dough is made of 2 portions of glutinous rice flour (sticky rice flour) and 1 portion of regular rice flour. The proportion ensures a soft and a bit chewy texture. But the cake will still come out of the steamer in shape.

To make 12 pieces of sticky rice cakes, mix 100 grams of glutinous rice flour and 50 grams together in a bowl.
Put the cooked red beans and raisins in the bowl. Then add 115 grams (half a cup) of warm water. Knead the dough with a spatula or your hands for 4 minutes.

The dough should look like this after the kneading. It will be medium-firm and a bit sticky. When you pinch it with your finger, it will slowly bounce back.

Then roll the dough into a long log. Divide it in into 12 sections of the same size.

Steaming the cake

Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Cover a plate with steamer paper or steam cloth. Use parmesan paper instead if you don’t have one of those.

Place the rice cakes on the plate and steam for 35 minutes. Then simmer for 5 minutes. And they are ready to be served!

Cooking tips

If you are making this sticky rice cake for breakfast, you can soak the red beans in advance and cook them the night before. Boil for 30 minutes or so and let them simmer overnight.
The raisins add a slice of sourness to the cake. You can leave them or add other ingredients of your choice like crushed nuts, raspberries, or small crunches of fruits.

How to store the sticky rice cake

The steamed sticky rice cake can be stored for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Any sealed container will do the job.
Make sure to put a piece of parmesan paper in the bottom to prevent sticking. If you need to stack the cakes, place a piece of parmesan paper in between two layers.
The cakes can be served cold. If you prefer having them hot, microwave them for 30 seconds or steam for 2 minutes before serving.

Have you made this recipe?

Leave your questions or your thoughts down below! Happy cooking!