Jixi Vegetable Cake

Jixi Vegetable Cake

　　Preparation method: First soak the glutinous rice in water until thoroughly saturated, then pound it using a rural water-powered pestle or stone mortar. Next, sift it through a fine copper sieve to obtain glutinous rice flour, which is then dried and stored. When ready to cook, place the glutinous rice flour in a wooden basin, add an appropriate amount of water and a small quantity of starter culture (jiuniang), then stir into a paste-like consistency. Let it ferment while maintaining a certain temperature.

　　　　When the glutinous rice flour paste has fermented to a honeycomb-like texture, seasonings are added based on whether a sweet or savory cake is desired. For the sweet version, mix in some white sugar, small red dates, and red and green threads. For the savory version, combine the glutinous rice paste with pre-fried dried cowpeas, dried tofu cubes, and diced lean pork. Once seasoned, pour the mixture into a steamer basket, maintaining a uniform thickness of about one centimeter.

　　　　To steam the cake, stack the steamer baskets layer by layer in the pot. After covering with the lid, first heat over low flame for four to five minutes, then switch to high heat for around ten minutes. Once steam rises to the top inside the pot and continues for several minutes, reduce the heat again to low and steam for a few more minutes. When the distinctive aroma wafts from the pot, the vegetable cake is ready.