Tong But Luk - Glutinous Rice Candy

My Aunt made this dessert for us when I was back home the last time. I've had this dessert before, as it is available in most dessert shops in Hong Kong. It usually is made with some glutinous rice balls (Tong Yuen) topped with some peanuts, sesame seeds and shredded coconut. As my Aunt taught me how to make this dessert, she said that originally it wasn't made with glutinous rice balls. She thinks that the Tong Yuen were only used instead as a matter of convenience, since it would be readily available and used in other desserts. The 'Tong But Luk' that she used to eat, was made by steaming a glutinous rice and coconut milk into a 'rice cake' and then using the cut up pieces of rice cake to dip in the coconut\peanut\sesame seed mix.

Tong But Luk - 糖不甩 (The chinese name for it that I managed to find via google)
Recipe passed to me from my Aunt

• 400ml unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup glutinous rice flour
• 2/3 cup white sugar

In a bowl, combine glutinous rice flour with coconut milk and sugar together.

Using a wok as a steamer, bring water to boil.

Use a layer of glad wrap to line a shallow dish, place rice flour mixture into dish and steam for 8-10 mins in the steamer at medium-high heat. You should be able to stick a knife into the middle of the rice cake and the knife should come out clean.

In a separate bowl, mixed together:

• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts (smashed in a pestle mortar)
• 1/4 cup shredded desiccated coconut
• 1/4 cup white sesame seeds

Remove the dish from the wok and using the glad wrap lift up the rice cake and flip into a surface that has been layered with glad wrap.

Cut into cube sized pieces. You do have to work quickly before the cake cools down.

Toss cubes in the peanut, sesame and coconut mixture. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• The use of the glad wrap is to make it easier to move the mixture around and so it wont stick to the steaming dish or the cutting board
• use a plastic knife to cut up the glutinous cake to avoid the rice cake sticking to the knife