MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

      Title: Nian Gao
 Categories: Chinese, Holiday, Cakes
      Yield: 160 servings

      5 kg Glutinous rice flour
      1 kg Brown sugar or gula melaka
           -(palm sugar)
      1 kg Caster sugar
      2 l  Water
    100 ml Vegetable oil
           Banana leaves
           Pandan leaves

  Nian Gaos are normally made during Chinese New Year & lasts for quite
  a few days. It is brown to dark brown in colour depending on the type
  of sugar used.

  Slowly melt sugar in hot water & after, mix in glutinous rice
  flour, stirring constantly to make sure there are no lumps, now
  reduce heat to simmer & stir the mixture for an hour, vital if you
  want a smooth jelly like paste/texture. After an hour, add in
  vegetable oil & stir for another 10 minutes. Next pour sticky
  mixture into a mould lined with banana leaves & steam for 6 hours
  on a high heat. After 6 hours, remove the steamer from heat with
  it's lid still firmly on, leave it to cool down overnight so that
  the cake mixture is allowed to settle down to room temp. to achieve
  the right 'jelly' like texture. If you remove the lid from the
  steamer while still hot, chances are it'll sink a little, just like
  a souffle & become less jelly like & firmer.

  You'll find that as it gets older, the cake gets firmer. You may keep
  in the fridge for up to a week wrapped up. To add a 'vanilla' flavour,
  you'll need fresh pandan leaves, tied into a knot & cooked with the
  mixture from the beginning & carefully removed from the sticky mixture
  before pouring into the mould or you may line the mould with banana
  leaves first & then lining it again with fresh pandan leaves. Either
  way it will impart a fragrant 'vanilla' like fragrance to the cake.

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