This Chinese red bean rice cake recipe creates a traditional Chinese sweet dessert made of sweetened red bean paste, sugar, and glutinous rice flour. It has a gooey texture like Japanese mochi cake and is super delicious. A long time ago, red bean cakes were traditionally eaten during the Lunar New Year as they symbolized good luck and prosperity. The red color of the cake represents good fortune and happiness while the white color signifies purity.
Chinese red bean cake has a soft and smooth texture which makes it a perfect snack for any occasion year-round.
Chinese red bean cake tastes good, and it is nutritious, without any additives such as dairy products, and chemical preservatives. The ingredients are simple. This Chinese red bean cake recipe yields a very soft cake that pairs perfectly with hot jasmine tea and coffee. Needless to say, it is a perfect tea snack!
Chinese red bean used to be one of the must-have desserts on the Spring Festival table, although now people eat it all year long even as street food. If you are a fan of Chinese desserts and have not heard of Chinese red bean cake, perhaps it's time to keep reading more about this delicious dessert treat!
Common Ingredient
Red beans: Also known as adzuki beans. I use them for red bean paste. The paste is a mixture of red beans, sugar, and a little bit of water (optional). I will show you how to make your own red bean paste step by step in the following post. I normally made a batch of it and kept it for later use such as making a red bean bun, red bean bread, or even a red bean popsicle! Don't worry if you don't have extra time on hand, you can always buy store-made red bean paste in any Asian market.
Glutinous rice flour: It is also called sweet rice flour or sticky rice flour. You can get it in any Asian grocery store as well.
Sugar: Either white or brown sugar will work. Or use any of your favorite sweeteners. I add it to the cooked red bean mixture to make my red bean paste. You don't have to worry about it if you use store-bought red bean paste.
Butter or coconut oil: To shape up the homemade red bean paste to a smoother texture, it also keeps the paste from drying out.
You can be creative by adding a tablespoon of sesame seeds on top of the dough ball to bring out more flavor.
How To Make Red Bean Cake
Making Chinese red bean cake is an easy process.
Start by adding the hot water to the glutinous rice flour, mix well, and knead until it's well blended. The rice flour mixture should be smooth. Set aside.
Cut the dough into 6 even small pieces and roll them into small, flat circles. Put the red bean filling into the center of the dough skin, about 1 tablespoon of filling. Then wrap the skin around the filling and shape it into a ball. Use a rolling pin to gently flatten it to a thick pancake shape. (About ¼ inch thick).
Add a little bit of cooking oil to a non-stick pan and add the uncooked red bean cake on medium-low heat. Flipping them over to cook both sides (about 4 minutes per side, watch out for burning). Pan fry until it's light golden brown.
Transfer the red bean cake to a plate and serve warm. Enjoy!
How To Make Homemade Red Bean Paste
First, soak the red beans in water overnight or at least 3 hours ahead.
Drain soaked red beans and wash them again, then add clean water to cook the red beans.
Bring red beans and 5 cups of water to a boil and simmer it for one hour on medium-low heat. (If you are using a pressure cooker to speed up the process, check the manual for the exact cooking time)
Smash the cooled-down red beans into a paste with a spatula. Add red beans, sugar, and oil into a food processor or blender, and blend until a creamy texture is achieved or the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the amount of sugar if needed. Keep blending until it forms a smooth batter.
In a non-stick saucepan, add one tablespoon of butter, and heat the filling mixture until it's firmed up. Turn off the heat and remove from it the stove immediately. Refrigerate cooked red beans for at least 2 hours before making a cake.
Pro Tips For Chinese Red Bean Cake Recipe
- I strongly recommend using glutinous rice flour instead of regular rice flour – Glutinous rice flour gives the cake a chewy texture and it also makes it easier to crumble after frying it.
- Use a non-stick pan, which will make it easier for you to remove the cake from the pan without sticking or breaking apart. It makes the cooking process much easier!
- Let it cool completely before cutting it into pieces, or else it might stick to the knife.
Storage and Reheat
Cover the leftovers with plastic wrap. For reheating, you can simply put it inside the microwave and heat it for 30 seconds each time, until it reaches your desired temperature.
You can also pan fry it. The homemade red bean paste recipe above makes more than one cup of paste. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this post. It is fun to make your own Chinese red bean cake at home, and you can have a tasty snack ready in 20 minutes! Give it a try today! Happy cooking.
Chinese Red Bean Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Chinese red bean cake ingredients:
- 1 cup glutinous rice flour
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 cup red bean paste
- cooking oil or cooking spray for pan frying
Homemade red bean paste ingredients:
- 1 cup of dried red bean
- 4 cups of water to boil the red beans
- 1 cup of water to add into the blender, adjustable depending on your desired texture
- 3 tablespoons sugar adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
Instructions
To make Red Bean Cake:
- Start by adding the hot water to the glutinous rice flour, mix well, and knead until it's well blended. The rice flour mixture should be smooth. Set aside.
- Cut the dough into 6 even small pieces and roll them into small, flat circles. Put the red bean filling into the center of the dough skin, about 1 tablespoon of filling. Then wrap the skin around the filling and shape it into a ball. Use a rolling pin to gently flatten it to a thick pancake shape. (About ¼ inch thick).
- Add a little bit of cooking oil to a non-stick pan and add the uncooked red bean cake on medium-low heat. Flipping them over to cook both sides (about 4 minutes per side, watch out for burning). Pan fry until it's light golden brown.
- Transfer the red bean cake to a plate and serve warm. Enjoy!
To make homemade red bean paste:
- First, soak the red beans in water overnight or at least 3 hours ahead.
- Drain soaked red beans and wash them again, then add clean water to cook the red beans.
- Bring red beans and 5 cups of water to a boil and simmer it for one hour on medium-low heat. (If you are using a pressure cooker to speed up the process, check the manual for the exact cooking time)
- Smash the cooled-down red beans into a paste with a spatula. Add red beans, sugar, and oil into a food processor or blender, and blend until a creamy texture is achieved or the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the amount of sugar if needed. Keep blending until it forms a smooth batter.
- In a non-stick saucepan, add one tablespoon of butter, and heat the filling mixture until it's firmed up. Turn off the heat and remove from it the stove immediately. Refrigerate cooked red beans for at least 2 hours before making a cake.
Angel
Easy tasty recipe, thanks a lot!
Yuan
Glad you like it, Angel. You are very welcome!:)