Nian Gao, the traditional Chinese New Year cake, was something I took for granted while growing up. It was sold just about everywhere before Chinese New Year and my parents simply bought it rather than make it from scratch. This was due to the long steaming time (over 10 hours!) it took to make the traditional caramelised sugar sticky cake.
So when I decided to tackle a rice-free and refined sugar-free version of Nian Gao, I knew I had some challenges to overcome as the cake relies principally on glutinous rice flour for structure and texture. My tin was on the shallow side and hence the Nian Gao surface got stuck to the cheesecloth that I had placed to absorb excess water droplets dripping on the cake during steaming, so make sure you use a deep tin to ensure a nice and smooth surface!
This Paleo Autoimmuneprotocol (AIP) version of Nian Gao is soft and does not harden over time unlike the traditional version. It’s best stored in the refrigerator and sliced cold. The taste is more complex due to its ingredients but has a wonderful mouthfeel. It can even be battered and pan-fried. I hope you will enjoy this classic confection this Chinese New Year!
Where to purchase certain ingredients online (affiliate links):
- 650 g/ 5 small sweet potatoes
- 405 mL/ 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons water
- 144 g/ 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
- ½ teaspoon agar agar powder
- 172.5 g/ 1.5 cups tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 red date, pitted
- Banana leaf or parchment paper (to line the tin)
- Pierce the sweet potatoes evenly all over and steam for about 20 to 30 minutes until cooked and soft
- Remove the peel of the sweet potatoes, measure out 500 g of sweet potato flesh and mash or process in a food processor until smooth
- In a small saucepan, combine the water, coconut sugar, blackstrap molasses and agar agar powder
- Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add the tapioca starch to the sweet potato mash and process until incorporated
- While the food processor is running, pour in the liquid mixture and coconut oil
- Grease and line a deep 9-inch tin with banana leaves or parchment paper and pour the mixture into the prepared tin
- Press a pitted red date gently in the middle of the mixture
- Steam over medium-high heat for 1.5 - 2 hours, or until thoroughly heated and cooked through
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before storing covered in the refrigerator
To pan fry:
Mix cassava flour with carbonated water and stir until a slightly runny batter is obtained. Dip thin slices of cooled Nian Gao into the batter and pan fry with your preferred AIP-compliant oil or fat in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat until crisp on both sides.
This looks fantastic! I absolutely want to try this. I didn’t think agar agar was AIP compliant, though. It seems like such a small amount that the recipe might work just fine without. Have you tried it without the agar, or with gelatin instead? Thank you!
I did some research and discovered that I was straight-up wrong. Agar agar is AIP compliant, according to The Paleo Mom’s “Yes, No, Maybe So” chart. It is always great to learn that another ingredient is safe that I thought was not. I’m totally going to try this cake! Thank you!
Agar agar makes it firmer compared to gelatin, so that’s why I chose to go with it! I also wanted the recipe to be vegetarian as some Chinese Buddhists observe vegetarianism especially during Chinese New Year. Hope you’ll enjoy it!
That absolutely makes sense all around. Thank you! ? And thank you for sharing your awesome recipes and experience.