Kitchen Recipe Collection
Eight Treasure Rice (Ba Bao Fan)
A visually spectacular, jewel-like dome of sweet, sticky glutinous rice, encasing a core of red bean paste, and heavily studded with eight 'treasures' of candied fruits, dates, and nuts.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 6 servings
- 2 cups glutinous rice (sweet rice)
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp melted pork lard (or coconut oil/butter)
- 1 cup sweet red bean paste
- The 8 Treasures (about 1 cup total): Dried red dates, candied winter melon, lotus seeds, walnuts, raisins, dried apricots, goji berries, pumpkin seeds
- Syrup: 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch (for glazing)
Equipment
- Steamer
- Deep ceramic bowl (for molding)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Rice
Soak the glutinous rice overnight. Drain, then steam it in a lined steamer for 40 minutes until fully cooked and sticky.
- 2
Season Rice
While the rice is still piping hot, quickly fold in the 3 tbsp sugar and the melted lard. The fat gives the rice a beautiful sheen and keeps it soft.
- 3
Prepare the Bowl
Generously grease a deep, round ceramic bowl with oil.
- 4
Arrange Treasures
Arrange your 8 treasures (fruits and nuts) in a beautiful, symmetrical, kaleidoscopic pattern at the bottom of the greased bowl. (This will be the top when inverted).
- 5
Add First Rice Layer
Carefully press a layer of the hot, seasoned rice into the bottom and up the sides of the bowl, being careful not to disturb your fruit pattern.
- 6
Add Filling
Spoon the red bean paste into the hollow center you created in the rice.
- 7
Seal with Rice
Cover the red bean paste with the remaining rice, pressing down firmly to create a flat, solid bottom.
- 8
Final Steam
Place the entire bowl back into the steamer and steam for another 20 minutes to meld all the flavors and soften the fruits.
- 9
Invert
Remove the bowl from the steamer. Place a serving plate over the bowl and carefully invert it. The dome should slide out, revealing the beautiful pattern.
- 10
Make Glaze
In a small saucepan, boil the water, sugar, and cornstarch until it forms a thick, clear, glossy syrup.
- 11
Glaze
Pour the hot, shiny glaze over the rice dome.
- 12
Serve
Serve immediately while warm and sticky.
Cooking Tips
- Pork lard is traditional and provides a savory richness that perfectly balances the sweet fruits, but coconut oil works very well for a vegan version.
- You must press the rice firmly into the bowl to ensure the dome holds its shape when inverted.
Variations
- Purple Yam (Ube) Eight Treasure: Substitute the red bean paste with a vibrant purple yam paste for a different flavor profile.
Nutrition Estimate
420 calories · 5g protein · 85g carbs · 8g fat · 4g fiber per serving
