Philippines has a big Chinese population and we have inherited a lot of their traditions. Binondo is the capital’s China town where you can find the famous Eng Bee Tin which sells traditional Chinese sweets like hopia, ampao rice, mooncake and tikoy.
Celebrating Chinese New Year is not complete if one doesn’t get to eat tikoy (Nian Gao), coated with egg and fried. Consider yourself lucky when you receive one as a gift because it means that the person wishes you luck. In Dubai we can’t find any stores selling Nian Gao, worry not because it is easy to make.
Nian Gao / Tikoy for Chinese New Year
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Glutinous Rice flour
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 1/2 cup warm water
- banana leaves (to line your tin)
Procedure:
- Prepare your steamer and line your tin with banana leaves.
- Mix sugar and water till dissolved, then add chopped dates.
- Slowly pour liquid mixture to your flour and mix well till free of lumps.
- Steam for 40-45 minutes, depending on the size of your tin. Mine is a 5″ round tin and 1 1/2″ deep.
- Cool completely and cover with plastic wrap.
To Serve:
- Chill Nian Gao for at least 30 minutes. Then cut to strips or square.
- Beat 1 egg till frothy.
- Prepare a frying pan with a little oil, on medium heat.
- Fry batches of tikoy for 5-10 seconds on both sides.
This post is part of the Chinese New Year series and giveaway on Multicultural Kid Blogs. Enter our giveaway to win one of these great prize packages, and don’t forget to link up your own posts about Chinese New Year on our main page!
Giveaway begins Jan. 21 and goes through midnight ET on March 5, 2015. Enter below for a chance to win! Remember you can make a comment on the blog post of a different co-host each day for an additional entry.
First Prize Package
From Tuttle Publishing, All About China: Take the whole family on a whirlwind tour of Chinese history and culture with this delightfully illustrated book that is packed with stories, activities and games. Travel from the stone age through the dynasties to the present day with songs and crafts for kids that will teach them about Chinese language and the Chinese way of life.
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Second Prize Package
US shipping only
From Tuttle Publishing, Celebrating the Chinese New Year, in which Little Mei’s grandfather tells her the stories of Nian and the monster Xi for Chinese New Year.
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Cuddles and Crumbs 