Traditional Homemade Brown Sugar Nian Gao

Add 360ml of water and 250g of brown sugar slab into a pan, heat over low heat and stir continuously until the sugar completely dissolves, then turn off the heat and let the syrup cool to lukewarm.

Place 350g of glutinous rice flour in a large glass bowl, add most of the lukewarm syrup, mix with chopsticks, knead into a dough by hand, then transfer to a countertop and knead for about 10 to 15 minutes until the dough surface is completely smooth, and return it to the bowl.

Gradually add the remaining syrup to the smooth dough in batches, kneading thoroughly each time, repeating until all syrup is incorporated into a thick batter that falls in layers like a waterfall when lifted, and finally mix in 15g of peanut oil.

Brush a layer of oil evenly on the inside of a 20cm foil mold, pour the prepared batter into the mold, gently tap the mold a few times to release large air bubbles, and then tightly seal the top of the mold with aluminum foil.

Add enough water to a steamer and bring to a boil, place the foil-wrapped mold inside, cover, and steam over medium heat for about 1 hour until the nian gao is thoroughly cooked.

Wear insulated gloves to take out the cooked nian gao, peel off the foil to let it cool at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours to set; once solidified, slice it, coat with egg liquid, and pan-fry in a frying pan until both sides are golden brown.