Donkeys Rolling in Dust 驢打滾
Donkeys Rolling in Dust are small rice cakes with red bean paste from Beijing (北京). The name stems from the fact that the cooked soybean flour (ground soybean, 黃豆麵 or 黃豆粉) used to coat the outside of each rice cake looks like the yellow dust that donkeys like to roll in. Its original name is ‘Ground Soybean Coated Rice Cake (豆麵糕)’, but ‘Donkey Rolling in Dust (驢打滾)’ has become its more popular colloquial name. This rice cake is traditionally made from raw glutinous rice flour which is mixed with water, then steamed. The cooked rice cake is then rolled up filled with red bean paste, and finally dusted with a layer of cooked soybean flour.
This is my version using ready-bought cooked glutinous rice flour which saves me the trouble of steaming the raw glutinous rice flour. I also used lotus paste (蓮蓉) here as filling because I had a tin of the paste in my pantry instead of the traditional red bean paste (紅豆沙). The ones from Tianjin (天津) are made from Chinese date paste (棗泥) if I am not mistaken, well that’s what I’ve heard anyway, so you can use that if you prefer. These rice cakes are actually quite similar to another rice cakes from southern China known as Banana Rolls (香蕉糕) which are sometimes filled with red bean paste as well but without the dusting of soybean flour on the outside.
Makes approx. 20+ pieces.
[Ingredients]
160g cooked glutinous rice flour (糕粉 or 'koh fun' in Cantonese), sifted
50g cornflour
50g pure icing sugar
60g melted ghee, or canola or corn oil
250ml cold boiled-water
500g lotus paste
50g soybean flour 黃豆粉, for dusting
http://cafeoftheeast.blogspot.com/
[Preparation]
1. Line the inside of a microwave-safe container with paper towel (kitchen paper), spread cornflour evenly on top of the paper, microwave on HIGH (650W microwave) for 1 minute to remove its raw tart taste. Sift and set aside.
2. Repeat the process with soybean flour. Alternatively, stir-fry the soybean flour in a dry wok or frying pan until fragrant and cooked. Or if you can get hold of dry soybeans, stir-fry them in a dry wok until fragrant and cooked, then grind into powder (easier still if you’ve got a coffee grinder), this will be much more fragrant than using bought soybean flour.
3. Mix cooked glutinous rice flour, cornflour, icing sugar, melted ghee and water in a mixing bowl. Stir vigorously with a chopstick until a dough formed. Knead the dough until smooth. Divide the dough into three equal portions of about 175g each.
4. Dust the working surface with some of the prepared soybean flour. Take a piece of dough and place on top of the layer of soybean flour. Roll the dough into an approximately 30cm x 20cm pastry layer. Put about 150g lotus paste on the pastry layer, cover with a piece of greaseproof paper to help with the spreading – push the lotus paste out roughly (through the greaseproof paper) over the pastry with your fingers. Then use the rolling pin to roll the lotus paste out evenly covering the pastry, again with the greaseproof paper on top. Once you think the lotus paste is spread out evenly, remove the greaseproof paper. Roll the pastry with the lotus filling up into a long rice cake roll similar to a Swiss roll. Repeat with the other two dough pieces.
5. Cut each rice cake roll into 5cm pieces. To finish, roll each rice cake pieces in more of the prepared soybean flour.
6. Serve with a dusting of icing sugar or pour a little sugar syrup over the rice cakes before serving.
[Note]
1. Please note this recipe uses 1 standard cup of 250ml, 1 tablespoon of 20ml and 1 teaspoon of 5ml.
2. The size of egg used is about 60g (includes shell) unless otherwise stated.
This is my version using ready-bought cooked glutinous rice flour which saves me the trouble of steaming the raw glutinous rice flour. I also used lotus paste (蓮蓉) here as filling because I had a tin of the paste in my pantry instead of the traditional red bean paste (紅豆沙). The ones from Tianjin (天津) are made from Chinese date paste (棗泥) if I am not mistaken, well that’s what I’ve heard anyway, so you can use that if you prefer. These rice cakes are actually quite similar to another rice cakes from southern China known as Banana Rolls (香蕉糕) which are sometimes filled with red bean paste as well but without the dusting of soybean flour on the outside.
Makes approx. 20+ pieces.
[Ingredients]
160g cooked glutinous rice flour (糕粉 or 'koh fun' in Cantonese), sifted
50g cornflour
50g pure icing sugar
60g melted ghee, or canola or corn oil
250ml cold boiled-water
500g lotus paste
50g soybean flour 黃豆粉, for dusting
http://cafeoftheeast.blogspot.com/
[Preparation]
1. Line the inside of a microwave-safe container with paper towel (kitchen paper), spread cornflour evenly on top of the paper, microwave on HIGH (650W microwave) for 1 minute to remove its raw tart taste. Sift and set aside.
2. Repeat the process with soybean flour. Alternatively, stir-fry the soybean flour in a dry wok or frying pan until fragrant and cooked. Or if you can get hold of dry soybeans, stir-fry them in a dry wok until fragrant and cooked, then grind into powder (easier still if you’ve got a coffee grinder), this will be much more fragrant than using bought soybean flour.
3. Mix cooked glutinous rice flour, cornflour, icing sugar, melted ghee and water in a mixing bowl. Stir vigorously with a chopstick until a dough formed. Knead the dough until smooth. Divide the dough into three equal portions of about 175g each.
4. Dust the working surface with some of the prepared soybean flour. Take a piece of dough and place on top of the layer of soybean flour. Roll the dough into an approximately 30cm x 20cm pastry layer. Put about 150g lotus paste on the pastry layer, cover with a piece of greaseproof paper to help with the spreading – push the lotus paste out roughly (through the greaseproof paper) over the pastry with your fingers. Then use the rolling pin to roll the lotus paste out evenly covering the pastry, again with the greaseproof paper on top. Once you think the lotus paste is spread out evenly, remove the greaseproof paper. Roll the pastry with the lotus filling up into a long rice cake roll similar to a Swiss roll. Repeat with the other two dough pieces.
5. Cut each rice cake roll into 5cm pieces. To finish, roll each rice cake pieces in more of the prepared soybean flour.
6. Serve with a dusting of icing sugar or pour a little sugar syrup over the rice cakes before serving.
[Note]
1. Please note this recipe uses 1 standard cup of 250ml, 1 tablespoon of 20ml and 1 teaspoon of 5ml.
2. The size of egg used is about 60g (includes shell) unless otherwise stated.
Labels: Asian Pastries
posted by SeaDragon @ 16.1.06
5 Comments:
I understand your frustration, last year, my PC also went to the sick bay for quite sometime. Luckily now it is fixed.
Looking forward to more yummilious pictures from you.
Take care
Thanks, Edith, yes it certainly has been very frustrating, but never mind, gave me more time to relax :)
Hi SeaDragon,
I make the Donkeys Rolling yesterday for Chinese New Year gathering. It was a hit. (my first try.) I was surprised with the texture it came out. ( I need to at more water to the dough.) By all means, thanks for sharing the wonderful snack. Now, my Taiwanese friends will look for me for the recipe.
Thank-you.
I want to try your pineapple tart. IT asks for custard powder. Once I able to find it at the market here ( US, California, Cupertino). Now, I can not find it. Can I replace it with cornflouf with vanilla sugar? Opinion ? Thanks
Su
(always peek into your blog for idea)
Hi Su,
I'm so pleased to hear you had success with the recipe.
As to the custard powder substitute for the pineapple tarts - yes, I see no problems replacing it with cornflour and vanilla sugar :)
My granny makes something very similar but it's called jeen bok caan with sweet filling. After she rolls out the glutinous rice she pan fries it before spreading the filling and rolling it up. It's very delicious!!
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