紅豆砵仔糕 ( 賀年小吃 ) Red Bean Rice Flour Pudding ( Chinese New Year Food )

對在香港長大的我和很多人來說，砵仔糕是我們童年的心愛食物之一。每每提起，仍會勾起不少緬懷的回憶和思念。

To those of us who grew up in Hong Kong, " Put Chai Ko" -   Red Bean Rice Flour Pudding, was one of our favourite childhood foods. Even just talking about it now inevitably brings back lots of nostalgic feelings and fond memories.

只用那麼簡單的材料，蒸出來一碗碗最樸實無華的清甜糕點；在許多個放學返家的途中，就是口袋裏沒有零錢，卻是讓我看到也感到滿足的街頭小吃。

The pudding only requires the most basic ingredients and uses the simplest steaming method. The flavour was ever so pure and slightly sweet. Walking by one of those stalls on the way home after school, on the days when I didn't have any pocket money left, just looking at them gave me a feeling of comfort.

前幾天女兒和我正在討論要為她今年的農曆新年餐會準備些甚麼食物和甜點，突然間我便想到她可以做這個紅豆砵仔糕作為款客的小吃或飯後甜品。

The other day my daughter and I were discussing what food she could prepare for her own Chinese New Year party this year. Suddenly, the thought came to my mind that she could make the small Red bean rice flour pudding as a dessert or as snacks for her guests.

適合的理由除了她自己也可以興鬆應付之外，相信這道小食還會備受她客人的喜愛。

It's most suitable for her because it's easy enough for her to manage on her own and will almost certainly go down a treat.

紅豆砵仔糕

材料：

( 每份做 8 碗 - 我用不同顏色的原蔗糖各做 1 份，所以共做了 16 碗 )

• 黑原蔗糖 Dark Muscovado 100g / 或 淺啡原蔗糖 Light Muscovado 100g
• 粘米粉 100g
• 澄麵粉 25g
• 紅豆 50g + 糖 10g
• 開水 185 ml
• 沸水 250ml

         8 個盛布甸的小碗

Red Bean Rice Flour Pudding

Ingredients:

( Each portion makes 8, I used both sugar to make 8 puddings each, a total of 16 )

• 100g Dark Muscovado sugar  / or 100g Light Muscovado sugar
• 100g rice flour
• 25g wheat starch
• 50g red beans + 10g sugar (any type)
• 185ml tap water
• 250ml boiling water

         8 small pudding bowl

做法：

1. 紅豆洗淨蓋著用沸水浸 3 小時，冲洗後置小煲中，加水剛蓋過面，大火滾開後用小火煮 2 小時左右至稔；瀝去水份，趁熱加進 10g 糖 ( 任何 ) 拌勻，備用。
2. 蒸籠底部注水燒開。與此同時，每個小布甸碗內塗油，預切 8 塊方型鋁箔紙大小可蓋過碗面 ( 不在圖內 ) 。
3. 粘米粉和澄麵加進大碗中拌勻，倒入開水拌至滑溜無粒的粉漿。

Method:

1. Wash red beans and soak in boiling water, cover for 3 hours; rinse then put in a small pan, add enough water to just above the beans, bring it to the boil and simmer over low heat for about 2 hours until soft.
2. Fill the bottom of steamer up with water and bring it to the boil. At the mean time, oil each small pudding bowl, cut 8 small square piece of foil big enough to cover the top of the bowls (not in the photos). 
3. Mix rice flour and wheat starch in a large bowl, add tap water to mix and stir into a smooth batter.

   4.  把粉漿過篩。將原蔗糖用沸水煮溶，快速加進粉漿拌勻。紅豆分 8 份均勻放在碗內。

        (我的圖不是 8 碗，因為一層蒸籠放不下，後來我分了兩層蒸，每層 4 碗)

   

   4.  Strain the batter through a sieve, boil to dissolve the Dark Muscovado or Light Muscovado sugar in 

        the boiling water, add it to the batter and stir to mix up quickly. Share the red beans 

        equally in the 8 pudding bowls (There aren't 8 bowls in the steamer in my photos, as it 

        didn't have enough room in a single tier, so I end up Separated them into 2 tiers to steam, 

        each has 4 bowls. 

5.    粉漿倒進量杯內再均勻地注入 8 個已放紅豆的碗中，蓋上鋁箔紙，水滾後放在蒸籠上

       蓋著用大火蒸 45 分鐘。

6.    取出砵仔糕小心掀去鋁箔紙，別讓水份掉到糕上；置一旁待涼後可用厨紙或乾淨厨布蓋

       著，最少等 4 - 6 小時後才用鋒利小刀沿碗邊劃一圈，輕輕把糕取出。

5.    Pour the batter into a measuring jug and fill each bowl up with the same amount of batter, 

       cover with the foil, place on top of the boiling steamer, cover and steam over high heat for 45

       minutes. 

6.    Take out the steamed puddings, gently remove the foil, take care not letting the water

       drop back onto the cake. Leave to cool completely before cover them with kitchen paper or

       clean tea towel. Wait at least 4 - 6 hours before using a small sharp knife to cut around the

       edge, carefully take the cake out.  

小小提示：

1. 如果找不到黑原蔗糖或淺啡原蔗糖的話，也可以用片糖代替，但片糖做出來的砵仔糕顏色沒有那麼好看。
2. 為了令糕身較爽滑和剔透，材料中加進了少許澄麵粉。我這個食譜配方要蒸 45 分鐘才熟 ( 揭開鋁箔紙查看時，表面無糊狀)，用竹籤剌進抽出時看去仍有少許黏糊不要緊，待放涼後用布蓋著數小時後 ，糕身自然變得乾爽和恰到好處。 
3. 可以一次做多點，在冰箱內存放數天，吃前數小時取出室中回温然後品嚐，也可以直接冷吃。            

Little tips:

1. If you can't find any Dark or Light Muscovado sugar, can use the Chinese cane slab sugar instead, but the colour will not be as nice.
2. The added wheat starch helped to keep the texture and appearance of the steamed cakes taste and look lighter. This recipe needs to steam the pudding for 45 minutes ( check by open up the foil to see if the top is dried up ), then leave to cool before cover with kitchen paper or clean tea towel to let the inside of the cake firm up nicely.
3. You can make a bit more and keep them in the fridge for a few days, take them out from fridge a few hours before you need and serve them at room temperature, or you can eat them cold.                                                                                                                                                  

何不今年我們也一起來做幾盤紅豆砵仔糕作為賀歲小吃之一？替她們改裝一下，用雅緻的盛碟上桌，就可以把這款樸實無華的街頭食品搖身一變成為美味的家庭式甜點！

Why don't we all make some "Put Chai Ko" for our family and friends this Chinese New Year ? All we need to do is to present them nice and elegantly, give these little gems a little make over; then we can turn them from rustic street snacks into homely family desserts or puddings！