Deep fried nian gao with sweet potato and yam 炸年糕

Nian Gao 年糕 is literally translated as “Year Cake”. Also known as rice cake, it is made with glutinous rice flour and sugar, steamed for hours (traditionally it was steamed for 10-12 hours!) until the sugar caramelises into a rich brown. Nian gao is one of the auspicious and must-have festive goodie during Chinese New Year as it symbolises a sweet life ahead and a homophone for "a prosperous year" to ensure your advancement 年高 in the new year.

There are various ways of eating nian gao. The version introduced here is to deep fried them, forming a crispy layer outside, with sticky sweet filling sandwiched between the yam and sweet potato. Lovely treats!

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Ingredients

Nian gao
Plain flour

Water

Oil – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp

Sweet potato
Yam

Oil for deep frying

Method
Cut nian gao into ½ cm thick slices. Wash, skin and cut the yam and sweet potato into thin slices.

Mix flour, water, salt and oil into a smooth batter. Heat oil till hot and lower to medium heat.

Sandwich a piece of nian gao in between a slice of sweet potato and a slice of yam. Secure the sandwiched nian gao with a toothpick and dip it into the batter.

Deep fry the nian gai on one side, remove the toothpick and fry the other side until both sides turn golden brown.

Drain on paper towels and serve.