Steamed Rice Cake With Mung Beans

NOTE: If the skinless yellow mung beans are unavailable, you may use the green mung beans but they must be skinned before preparing this rice cake. Soak them in water to cover for 4 hours. Rub the beans between your hands in the water and the skins will separate quite easily. Drain, discard the skins, and use the green beans as noted in the recipe except that additional soaking is not necessary.

Glutinous rice, also known as sweet rice, is reserved in Asia for special occasions, many times for sweets. The rice is dense and gummy and can be attractive to western tastes. The Nokdoo has simple ingredients, is vegetarian, fat-free and delicious, if unconventional, for the tea and coffee hour break.

Rinse the rice well, cover with cold water and soak overnight or for 12 hours.

Drain well and grind in a processor. This will result in a dense, sticky paste. Cover the beans well with cold water and soak for 2 hours.

Drain. Put the beans in a Chinese-style steamer and steam them for 15 minutes. Grind the beans coarsely in a processor. Mix them with the salt and sugar.

Wrap a wet kitchen towel (flat, not Turkish weave) over and around the perforated steamer tray. Prepare a layered cake on the towel in this way: Put down in a round or rectangle shape a layer 1/4-inch thick of the ground mung beans. Cover this with 1/2 inch of the glutinous rice and cover with another 1/4 inch of the beans.

Cover the steamer tightly and steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Test with a toothpick. If the toothpick emerges dry, then the cake is done.

Lift out the cake in the towel and carefully turn it upside down on a cutting board. Allow the cake to cool somewhat and slice into convenient sections while still warm. Serve immediately while fresh with tea or coffee.

The cake should be stored in a freezer since it does ferment when refrigerator for more than 1 day. Put the cake sections in aluminum or plastic trays, cover and freeze. Remove when wanted and rewarm in a steamer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Recipe Source: "The Korean Kitchen" by Copeland Marks