Steam Rice Flour Cake: Cooking Frozen Delicacy To Perfection

Flying Horse is a brand of rice flour, which can be used to make steamed rice cakes. To make steamed rice cakes, you will need rice flour, sugar, and instant yeast. The process involves mixing the rice flour with water, adding a mixture of boiling water and sugar liquid, and then adding instant yeast once the batter has cooled. The batter is then rested in a warm oven for around 40 minutes, before being steamed for 15-20 minutes. The cakes can be frozen and reheated by soaking in hot water for 5 minutes.

How to make the dough for the rice cake

To make the dough for steamed rice cakes, you'll need rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, salt, and boiling water. The tapioca starch gives the rice cakes a chewier texture. If you only use rice flour, the rice cakes will be firmer and denser.

To start making the dough, mix the flours with boiling hot water. The heat from the water "cooks" the dough, making it flexible and pliable. This allows you to shape the dough as you like. Pour about half the water into the bowl and use the other hand to stir simultaneously. Once the water is absorbed, add the rest of the hot water and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute. If the dough is dry, add room temperature water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.

The dough will be hot at first. Let it cool for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to release steam. If the dough is still too hot to handle, stir for another 1 to 2 minutes or wear gloves. Knead the dough until you've incorporated nearly all the flour into a clump. Then, turn the dough onto a work surface and continue kneading for about 2 to 3 minutes. The dough should be relatively smooth and shouldn't feel dry. It may be a little sticky at first, but it will become less so as you continue to knead it. If it's still very sticky after several minutes, add another tablespoon of rice flour and knead again.

How to shape the dough into a cake

To shape the dough into a cake, you can follow these steps:

Firstly, shape the dough into a ball and divide it into 8 equal pieces. You can aim for each piece of dough to be somewhere between 90 to 100 grams. Leave one piece of dough on the work surface for rolling out, and transfer the remaining pieces back into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep the dough from drying out.

Next, shape the piece of dough on your work surface into a short, thick log. Place the log lengthwise on the surface and begin to roll it out, starting from the middle. Gradually work your hands further apart as you roll, until you have a long rope of dough that is about 16 inches long and just over 1/2 inch in diameter. Roll this rope of dough off to the side.

Repeat this process of rolling out the dough into long ropes three more times, so that you have a total of four ropes. Then, line these ropes up next to each other and cut them into 2-inch pieces. You should end up with several small, evenly-sized pieces of dough that resemble cakes.

Finally, transfer all the pieces of dough onto a large baking sheet and cover them with a towel while you finish shaping any remaining pieces of dough. If any pieces have started to dry up and form a crust, knead them again until they no longer feel dry, and then roll them into ropes and cut into cakes.

How to steam the rice cake

To steam the rice cake, you will need a steamer, a wok, or a large pot with a lid. You can also use a bamboo steamer, which is more likely to give you better results. If you don't have a steamer, you can create a makeshift one by following these steps:

• Fill a large pot with about half an inch of boiling water.
• Use aluminium foil to make three balls of roughly equal size.
• Rest the cake pan on top of the foil balls.
• Cover the pot and steam the cake.

Make sure your steaming equipment is large enough to accommodate the cake pan.

To steam the rice cakes:

• Line plates or small pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
• Arrange the pieces of dough into rows on the parchment-lined plates.
• Keep the rice cakes covered with a dry cloth until they are ready to be steamed.
• Fill the wok or large pot with about 1 1/2 to 2 inches of water and bring it to a boil.
• Carefully place the steaming rack in the centre of the wok, ensuring that the water is not covering the rack.
• Place one of the plates or pans of rice cakes onto the steaming rack.
• Cover the wok or pot with a lid and steam the rice cakes over high heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Check if the rice cakes are fully cooked by slicing one open and checking the centre – the rice cakes are ready if there are no solid white spots.
• Let the rice cakes cool on the counter while you steam the second batch.

You can also steam the rice cakes in bamboo baskets if you have them.

How to store the rice cake

To store your rice cakes, you must freeze them. If you store them in the fridge, they will dry out. Place the rice cakes in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to a month.

To defrost, you can use a steamer for 3 to 5 minutes, a rice cooker on 'keep warm' mode, a microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or simply defrost them at room temperature.

If you are storing leftover rice cakes, place them in an airtight container, such as Tupperware, and refrigerate for up to a week.

To reheat, you can soak the rice cakes in hot water for 2 minutes. Boil some water in a saucepan, turn off the heat, and then carefully place the rice cakes in the hot water.

You can also freeze leftover rice cakes in a freezer bag. Reheat them by soaking in hot water for 5 minutes.

How to reheat the rice cake

To reheat Flying Horse rice flour cakes, you can use the oven, microwave, frying pan, or saucepan. If you are using an oven or frying pan, add a little water to the rice cakes to prevent them from drying out. If you are using a microwave, wrap the rice cakes in a damp paper towel or cover them with plastic wrap. For a saucepan, add enough water to make the rice cakes soupy and cook until the sauce thickens.

Frequently asked questions