MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Nian Gao
Categories: Chinese, Holiday, Cakes
     Yield: 160 servings

     5 kg Glutinous rice flour
     1 kg Brown sugar or gula melaka
          -(palm sugar)
     1 kg Caster sugar
     2 l  Water
   100 ml Vegetable oil
          Banana leaves
          Pandan leaves

 Nian Gaos are normally made during Chinese New Year & lasts for quite
 a few days. It is brown to dark brown in colour depending on the type
 of sugar used.

 Slowly melt sugar in hot water & after, mix in glutinous rice
 flour, stirring constantly to make sure there are no lumps, now
 reduce heat to simmer & stir the mixture for an hour, vital if you
 want a smooth jelly like paste/texture. After an hour, add in
 vegetable oil & stir for another 10 minutes. Next pour sticky
 mixture into a mould lined with banana leaves & steam for 6 hours
 on a high heat. After 6 hours, remove the steamer from heat with
 it's lid still firmly on, leave it to cool down overnight so that
 the cake mixture is allowed to settle down to room temp. to achieve
 the right 'jelly' like texture. If you remove the lid from the
 steamer while still hot, chances are it'll sink a little, just like
 a souffle & become less jelly like & firmer.

 You'll find that as it gets older, the cake gets firmer. You may keep
 in the fridge for up to a week wrapped up. To add a 'vanilla' flavour,
 you'll need fresh pandan leaves, tied into a knot & cooked with the
 mixture from the beginning & carefully removed from the sticky mixture
 before pouring into the mould or you may line the mould with banana
 leaves first & then lining it again with fresh pandan leaves. Either
 way it will impart a fragrant 'vanilla' like fragrance to the cake.

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