Let's Make Some Pumpkin Cakes

Tomorrow, Oct 28, we'll have our first cooking project with our Chinese club students. And the food we'll cook is....Pumpkin Cakes!

Here's a small language lesson.  The Chinese word for pumpkin is 南瓜（nan-gua), literally translated, South-Squash.  In Chinese, we actually have two kinds of melon/squash/gourd that are named after direction words: South (南 nan ) and West (西 xi). The character 瓜（gua）could be used for melon, squash, or gourd, usually depending on if it's a fruit or vegetable or both...... It was believed that pumpkin was introduced into China from South America long time ago. That's why it was named by the Chinese as "nan-gua" (南瓜, South-Squash). Can you guess what is a "xi-gua" (西瓜, or West - Melon)? We'll talk about it when we do the hands-on cooking tomorrow!  

The cooking instructions and recipe are attached here for your reference:

Pumpkin Cake   南  瓜  饼 （nan – gua – bing）

Ingredients  (to make 20-25)

Sweet/Sticky rice flour            2.5 cups
Sugar                                        0.5 cup

Sweet red bean paste                5 oz

Canned pumpkin puree            15 oz

Vegetable oil                            1 teaspoon

Directions

1)    Make the dough: place the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl, add the vegetable oil and slowly add in the pumpkin puree, stirring with a wooden spoon or by hands, until the dough feels thoroughly mixed, soft but non-sticky.  Knead the dough for about 5 minutes and let it rest for 3-5 minutes.

2)    Make the cake: divide the dough into small equal pieces, roll it into a ball with the palms of your hands, and press your thumb into the center of the dough to form a little nest. Place about 1/3 teaspoon red bean paste filling into the nest, gentally draw the edges of the dough up to enclose it, hiding al the red bean paste. Roll it gently between your palms to make a smooth ball. Use a string to gently make pumpkin prints on the ball.

3)    Cooking: place the cake onto a parchment paper lined in the steamer, as many that will fit without touching each other. Pour enough water into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Set the steamer filled with cakes over the sauce pan. Cover the lid and steam the cakes for about 6-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and wait for half minute (without opening the lid). Serve when still warm but not hot.

Reminders

• Wash your hands thoroughly before making the cakes.
• Since sticky rice (flour) is extremely glutinous, all, especially kids and seniors, should watch out for choking, particularly when eating hot.
• Store ingredients in the refrigerator and freeze what you can’t eat/cook.