Make Steamed Plain Rice Cake with the perfect texture using only 3 ingredients for Char Koay Kak (Fried Rice Cake), a popular Penang street food.
Every time I share my Char Koay Kak (Fried Rice cake) recipe on social media, I have been asked repeatedly on where to buy or how to make the Steamed Plain Rice Cake, the main ingredient in Char Koay Kak. I was fortunate to be able to buy the rice cake at one of the Asian markets I shop at here in the Twin Cities. Even though the supply can be erratic, I can still get it occasionally when the craving for Char Koay Kak hits.
Prepackaged Rice Cake
While I am grateful to be able to get the rice cake, it can be expensive. One 32 oz (900g) package of rice cake costs USD$4.00 and it is only sufficient for about 2 to 3 servings unless they are super small servings. I usually buy 2 packages to feed our family of 4. I guess you can say it is still a relatively small price to pay for convenience.
Homemade Steamed Plain Rice Cake
On the other hand, Plain Rice Cake using only 3 ingredients can be prepared very economically in your own kitchen. It just takes a little time but it is really quite easy to make as you will see in the video below. The amount of rice cake prepared using my recipe is sufficient for 4 large servings or 6 small servings.
Similar Tools Used in Making This Steamed Plain Rice Cake
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Stainless Steel Folding Hot Dish Plate Clip Plate Retriever Tongs
Pyrex Prepware 1-Cup Measuring Cup
Norpro Silicone Basting Brush, Blue
Steamed Plain Rice Cake for Char Koay Kak
Ingredients
- 1½ cups rice flour (195g)
- ⅓ cup corn starch (43g)
- 4 cups water (960ml)
Instructions
- Combine rice flour, corn flour, and water in a medium non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Stir as it comes to a gentle boil. The mixture will begin to thicken to a paste like consistency. This will take about 5 minutes. Turn off stove.
- Prepare a steamer. Transfer rice and corn flour paste to a greased bowl or tray. Place the bowl or tray in the steamer and allow it to steam for 1 hour. Top up water in steamer if necessary.
- Remove and allow rice cake to cool completely. Refrigerate overnight.
- Cut rice cake into ¾ inch cubes.
Video
Nutrition
The Texture
Some people like their Char Koay Kak with a very soft texture. The prepackaged rice cake that I buy have a firmer texture. I prefer it with a somewhat medium texture and so I made this Steamed Plain Rice Cake just the way I like it. When cut into cubes, it holds its shape. You can add or reduce the amount of water for a softer or firmer texture.
Char Koay Kak Using This Steamed Plain Rice Cake
This was the Char Koay Kak we enjoyed last weekend. I cooked the rice cake in two batches with lots of bean sprouts and Chinese chives. We had our fill this time and it was so yummy!
Please click on the picture below to get to the recipe.
Does corn flour same with corn starch?
I think it is the same.