Chewy and Nutritious Nutty Rice Cake (Yeongyang Chalteok)
Chewy and Nutritious Nutty Rice Cake (Yeongyang Chalteok)
The Perfect Lunar New Year Treat! Delicious Nutty Rice Cake for Kids’ Healthy Snack
This is my first time making Yeongyang Chalteok, and I’m so pleased with how it turned out, even using dry glutinous rice flour instead of the wet type, which is hard to find. While making rice cakes with regular non-glutinous rice flour can be tricky, glutinous rice flour works just as I imagined, resulting in a wonderfully chewy texture. It’s strange, isn’t it? I don’t like store-bought rice cakes, but I eat the ones I make myself so well. Maybe it’s my own effort that impresses me! This time, I made Yeongyang Chalteok because I like it, and my twins like it too. However, they didn’t eat it – perhaps because of the pumpkin, dried persimmon, and jujubes? Next time, I should make it with only their favorite ingredients. Making rice cakes makes me want to try more and more, and it’s so much fun. I wish my arm would heal quickly so I can make all the rice cakes I think of! These chewy, delicious, and incredibly nutritious Yeongyang Chalteok would make a great snack for kids or a thoughtful gift for the holidays. Have a happy day today~♡
Ingredients- 3 cups dry glutinous rice flour
- 1/2 cup dry non-glutinous rice flour
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup red beans
- Dried pumpkin (hosakgoji)
- Dried persimmon (gamgoji)
- 10 dried jujubes
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- Olive oil (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, soak the black beans, red beans, dried pumpkin, and dried persimmon in hot water for at least 1 hour until softened. It’s best to soak the red beans and black beans separately.
Step 2
Remove the stems from the dried jujubes, take out the seeds, and then peel them in a circular motion. Soak them in boiling water for about 30 minutes to enhance their flavor.
Step 3
Squeeze out excess water from the soaked dried pumpkin and dried persimmon. Chop them into bite-sized pieces, about 1cm thick, for a pleasant texture within the rice cake.
Step 4
Chop the soaked dried jujubes into thin strips or desired sizes after removing the seeds.
Step 5
In a large bowl, combine the dry glutinous rice flour and dry non-glutinous rice flour. Add the salt and mix thoroughly. This step seasons the rice cake.
Step 6
Cook the soaked red beans and black beans in a pot with water until the beans are tender and the red beans can be mashed. Drain them well in a sieve.
Step 7
Gradually add the prepared water (1.5 cups) to the sifted rice flour, rubbing it with your hands to form small clumps. The flour should be moist but not overly wet. This ‘watering’ process is crucial for the rice cake’s texture.
Step 8
To the watered rice flour, add 4 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp honey, and all the prepared red beans, black beans, chopped dried pumpkin, dried persimmon, and jujubes. Gently mix everything together until evenly combined. A little olive oil can be added to make the rice cake less sticky and smoother.
Step 9
Line a steamer basket with cheesecloth and spread the mixed rice cake batter evenly. Steam over high heat for 45 minutes. Allow an additional 5 minutes for steaming (resting), for a total of 50 minutes. Insert a skewer into the cake; if it comes out clean, it’s fully cooked.
Step 10
Once the rice cake is cooked, let it cool slightly. Transfer it to a cutting board, cut into desired portions, divide into individual servings, and wrap them with plastic wrap or bags for storage. It’s best to slice the rice cake while it’s still warm for the chewiest texture.
