Ba bao fan (eight treasure rice)

Method

1. 1 Soak glutinous rice for 4 hours, then steam for 30 minutes until cooked and sticky. Mix with sugar and cooking oil while hot.
2. 2 Simmer red beans for 40 minutes until very tender, then mash them with sugar to make a smooth bean paste.
3. 3 Soak lotus seeds, jujubes, longan, and raisins until soft, then steam the lotus seeds for another 15 minutes.
4. 4 Grease the bottom of the bowl with oil, then arrange lotus seeds, jujubes, longan, raisins, and cherries in a flower shape at the base.
5. 5 Place a layer of glutinous rice on top, put the red bean filling in the middle, then cover it completely with the remaining glutinous rice and press firmly.
6. 6 Steam the glutinous rice in a bowl for 40 minutes, then invert it onto a plate and pour the thick sugar syrup over it.

With an appliance

• Pressure cooker 1 hr

  Replace step 6: steam the glutinous rice bowl under low pressure for 15 minutes, then release the pressure naturally for 8 minutes before inverting it onto a plate; steps 1–5 remain unchanged.