This time we made the rice cake with Taigeng No. 9 rice, which eats lighter. We used to steam the rice in a bamboo steamer, but an electric rice cooker is easier and saves a lot of bother. The result is closer to a proper rice cake than our earlier attempts, and to most people it is more appealing than the traditional glutinous version.


1. Fry the dried shrimp and shredded shiitake until fragrant and stir them through the rice cooked in the rice cooker, adding a little of the braising liquid from the pork for flavour and colour.
2. Lift out pieces of the braised pork and lay them flat in the bottom of each rice cake cup, then pack the seasoned rice in on top, pressing down firmly as you go, to about four fifths full.


3. Steam in the rice cooker with half a cup of water in the outer pot.

Turn them out and finish as you like — a spoonful of the braising liquid, some coriander leaves, fried sakura shrimp, or sweet chilli sauce.