Ba Bao Fan Recipes

EIGHT TREASURE RICE PUDDING (BA BAO FAN, 八宝饭)

Steps:

• Rinse glutinous rice under running water. Put it into a bowl and top with water. Leave to soak overnight. Then drain well and mix with sugar.
• Deseed and slice dried fruits if necessary. If using Jujube (Chinese dates), peanuts, lotus seeds or almonds, soak in water overnight to soften. Other dried fruits and nuts can be used directly without soaking.
• Evenly coat a bowl with coconut oil (or butter, neutral cooking oil) to prevent sticking.
• Spread a layer of mixed dried fruit and nuts over the bottom of the bowl. Design a pattern if you wish.
• Lay half of the rice over the dried fruit and nuts. Shape the red bean paste into a flat circle (smaller than the bowl). Place it on top of the rice. Put in the rest of the rice and flatten it with a spoon.
• Pour in water just enough to level with the rice (Be very gentle to avoid pushing the rice around).
• Place the pudding bowl into a steamer basket or onto a steamer rack. Fill the wok/pot with water. Leave to steam over medium heat for 50 mins. Don't forget to check the water level in the wok/pot halfway through in case it dries out.
• After steaming, leave to cool for 10 mins or so. Then use a knife or spatula to gently run along the edge of the pudding to help separating. Place a serving plate over the bowl. Flip over then gently remove the bowl.
• The rice pudding tastes great both warm and at room temperature. Drizzle some honey when serving if you like a sweeter taste.
• You can keep the rice pudding in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months (wrapped tightly with cling film after it cools completely).
• Steam for 10 minutes to reheat (defrost beforehand if frozen).

BA SI DI GUA

Steps:

• Heat 6 cups of the vegetable oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven or medium two-handled pot until a deep-fry thermometer measures 300°F.
• Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut into bite-size pieces (about 1-inch; see Cook's Note). Fry until tender, 8 to 10 minutes, reserving the oil. (Test by poking a sweet potato with a toothpick; if there is no resistance, it is ready.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Heat the oil to 350°F and fry the potatoes again until crispy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the same paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.
• Stir together the sugar and remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet until the sugar is slightly moistened. Cook over medium-high heat until amber in color, 5 to 6 minutes. The caramel and oil will look separated, which is okay.
• Turn off the heat, add the fried sweet potatoes to the skillet and carefully toss until coated well. Carefully transfer to a serving plate. Dip a metal spoon or wooden chopstick into the hot caramel and quickly shake it over the potatoes to create long decorative strings of sugar over the potatoes. Repeat as desired. Enjoy the dish while hot.