28 November 2009

Kue Keranjang (Basket Cake) Nian Gao - Tii Kwee Recipe for Chinese New Year

pictures of http://www.detikfinance.com

Kue Keranjang is also called as Nian Gao (年糕) or Tii Kwee (甜棵) in Hokkian lips style, it was called Kue Keranjang Because of the wrapper are made from bamboo that named Keranjang.Kue Keranjang is cake that made from glutinous flour and sugar. It has elastic and sticky texture. This kind of cake is a special cake for Imlek Celebration (Chinnese New Year),everywhere Chinese people celebrating their new year. Kue keranjang used to use as an offering for spirit, six days almost to imlek new year (Jie Sie Siang Ang) until the day of imlek. As an offering for spirit, this cake should not be eaten until Cap Go Meh Day ( 15 Days after Imlek Day).

People believe that the cake was given for satisfying Dewa Tungku suppose to deliver the report to the Heaven King (玉皇大帝,Yu Huang Da Di). Beside that, Its shape was round that mean the unity of the celebrator family is still going on, keep on peace and having spirit for facing the new year in front of them.

Kue Keranjang is produced in many town, like Bogor and Yogyakarta in Indonesia.

The Origin of the Name

Kue keranjang has originally named as Nien Kao or Ni-Kwee or Yearly Cake (Seasonal Cake) because the cake are only made once a year at the almost periode to Imlek (Chinnese Lunar New Year). In East Java, this cake was named as Kue Keranjang because of the wrapper is made from keranjang with a little hole in the middle. In West Java, it was named as China Cake for confirming the origin of the cake is China, but some references are call China Cake Because of the producer are Chinnese (In Indonesia Familiarly call as Tionghoa).

Tee Kwee, In Hokkian style, is Sweet Cake and People are used to guess about the taste.

Ingredients and How to Make Kue Keranjang:
For the measurement, depend on you.
  • Glutinous Flour and Granulated Sugar. Glutinous Flour is made self from hard pounded and sifted of glutinous rice, and make sure that the flour is truly soft.
  • Make A syrup from the granulated sugar
  • Mix well the Flour and the syrup, then let it for 10 days.
  • After 10 days, add syrup again to the dough until the dough is not solid
  • Prepare some baskets with diameter from 8 to 10 cm, sheeted with smoked banana leaf (faded leaf)
  • Pour the dough into these baskets, and steam for about 9 hours
  • Wrap the cake with banana leaf and store it well. Kue Keranjang can be store from Six Months to a year without a decreasing of the quality.
Serving Suggestion :

  • 1st Suggestion: Choose the Solid one of the cake, peel the taro or sweet potato, slice its into medium pieces (cake and taro/sweet potato), press cake and taro/sweet potato, then dye it into dough of wheat flour, fried well.
  • 2nd Suggestion : Choose the Solid one of the cake, slice thin, wrap it by banana leaf, fill it with 2 tablespoon of coconut milk and pandan leaf, steam it well
  • 3rd Suggestion : Choose the Solid one of the cake, slice it in medium size, dye it into dough of wheat flour and egg, fried well
  • 4th Suggestion : Steam the cake mildly, slice it thin or medium depend on you, then mix them with grated coconut, if you like salty taste, pour salt into the cake.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

tq for the recipe, it's so complete recipe to me

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