Having traveled in Asia quite a bit in our household we love having access to authentic Asian cooking provisions in Boulder. There is a funny little strip mall in which resides a small Asian market, an Indian shop and a Mexican bakery. I frequent the Asian shop for supplies, fresh produce or just to poke around. The owner makes fabulous Sesame Balls (large round balls with sweet sesame paste in the middle, deep fried with sesame seeds covering the outside; gluten free) and recently a Vietnamese New Year roll. It took me a long time to work up the courage to speak to the owner. She’s a bit abrupt and I felt like I might be infiltrating a cultural domain to haul my white girl self in there, unsure I was completely welcome.
Recipe

8 Precious Pudding
Ingredients
Ingredients for 8 Precious Pudding:
- 2 cups glutinous rice (unprepared)
- 2 ounces red dates (dried)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons canola oil + extra to oil bowl
- 1 maraschino cherry
- 1 cup mixed , chopped candied or dried fruits (6 varieties for total volume of 1 cup)
- 1 cup red bean paste
Ingredients for Almond Syrup:
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (or corn starch)
Instructions
Instructions for 8 Precious Pudding:
- Place rice in a pan. Cover with water allowing ¾ inches of water above the top of the rice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce to a simmer, allowing to cook uncovered for 30 minutes total. Add sugar and 2 tablespoons of oil; stir to combine and set aside. In parallel begin step 2….
- Place red dates in a steamer and steam for 20 minutes.
- While rice and dates are cooking, select a dome shaped heat-proof metal bowl about 8-9 inches in diameter. Oil the inside liberally. Place a maraschino cherry in the middle of the bowl bottom. Once dates are steamed, make a circle around the cherry with the dates. Follow this by making another ring with the mixed candied and/or dried fruits. All of this will become the top of the dessert when turned out so should be layering up the sides of the bowl not on top of each other so they will not show in the final dessert.
- Make a layer of prepared rice to cover but not disturb the design on the bottom of the bowl. The rice sticks together but is not ‘sticky’ so it is very easy to work with by hand. I suggest using your hands to create the first layer using ½ to 2/3 of the rice (to cover my design it took about 2/3 of the rice).
- Add the red bean paste in a layer covering the rice. Cover the bean paste with the remaining rice and push down to pack it densely.
- Place the entire bowl in a larger pot to steam. In my case the bowl was too large for my bamboo steamer so I placed it in a large Le Crueset Dutch oven with water on the bottom of the Dutch oven and it made a perfect steamer with the cover on. Steam for 1 hour.
- Removed from steamer. Run a pliable spatula around the inside edges to loosen the pudding. Place the serving tray right side up on the opening of the bowl and carefully turn it all over allowing the pudding to come out of the bowl onto the serving dish.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing (suggest when slicing to wet a sharp knife to do so). Serve with Almond Syrup.
Instructions for Almond Syrup:
- Add 1 cup water and the sugar to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Ensure all the sugar has melted.
- In a separate bowl mix the arrowroot and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir to dissolve.
- Add the almond extract to the sugar and water. Stir.
- Add the arrowroot and water. Continue stirring over low heat until the syrup becomes thicker and a bit opaque.
Alli Shircliff says
Wow! I love the combination of the red dates, rice and red bean paste…I always forget about red bean paste and it is SO good. What a creative spin on the original recipe to include Chinese New Year. And your pictures are so lovely!
rosemarried says
Ah! You're always so thoughtful! You tied in the Chinese New Year with the recipe swap. I love it. Also, I adore ginger. And I adore vodka. Why I've never infused the two before is beyond me. But I certainly will now!
Chef Dennis says
what a delightful post Toni, and I'm always happy to learn more about you and your travels. I don't think I would have ever attempted something so foreign, you really went outside of your comfort zone for this, and really contributed an outstanding recipe for the swap! Well done my friend, I think you topped us all by thinking outside the box with this beautiful jeweled pudding!
Dennis
Cake Duchess says
I love this post, Toni. I've never had this 8 Precious Pudding before and it looks delightful. Your story about talking w/the shop owner made me giggle. Did she like your version of the dessert?:) Can't wait for your ginger infused vodka:)
Lana says
I applaud your determination, planing, and sense of adventure! No wonder you always amaze us with your creativity!
I wish I had visited San Francisco's Chinatown at the time when it was not so touristy, but I feel lucky to have ever visited it.
BTW, I was born in the year of the Dragon, but I am not that self-assured, not at all conceited, and not in the least tactless:) Those are some other dragons!
PolaM says
What a complex undertaking! But the result seem like it is really worth it!
Kirsten@My German Kitchen...in the Rockies says
Toni, you made me laugh. I could visualize and also hear the store keeper talk. So did you ever bring her a slice of the dessert? If, so, I would be curious to know what she thought of the American version of this traditional pudding.
The pudding looks a lot more complicated than the recipe reads. It looks pretty straight forward.
By the way, I am a fire goat and you?
monique says
I love that you reached into your childhood and over came your fears in talking to the owner – all resulting in an amazing dish. Nice Swap!
CS says
Holy cow, Toni, PHOTO JACKPOT!!!
I know I always say this, but you have outdone yourself! I especially love the third one, with the pudding centered and tangerines on the margins …..
I might be biased since I am born in year of the Dragon. Over the top, my friend! These photos make me want to wear all the colors in them all year. This might be my favorite post of yours to date! THANK YOU for all the work and skill and enthusiasm you put into them.