Chapter 153: Fried chop rice cake

“The fresh glutinous rice has been soaked in water for eight or nine hours. It will take 24 hours before it can be easily crushed. The fried rice cake will be made using this type of rice. It’s different from the powder produced by the machine. This kind of handmade rice has a more granular feel.”

Xu Le took out a bag and said, “Since there’s no advertising fee, I won’t show you the logo. This kind of glutinous rice powder is basically the same. The powder in the packaging is very dry. Coupled with the glutinous rice we crushed, the texture will be better.”

“Prepare 500 grams of glutinous rice and 300 grams of water. After mixing them into a ball, it can be put on the pot to steam.”

Xu Le demonstrated as he spoke. “Put a layer of plastic wrap on the cloth of the steamer so that it won’t stick later. Just steam it for 40 minutes.”

“I am using raw bean flour here, but you can also buy cooked bean flour. If we stir-fry it ourselves, it will taste more authentic.”

“Pour the raw bean powder into the non-stick pan and stir-fry it over a low heat for 15 minutes. Eating the bean powder produces gas easily and may cause your stomach to swell uncomfortably. During the high-temperature stir-frying process, you can denature the enzymes inside so that it doesn’t have an effect. Just wait until the bean powder gradually turns yellow.”

“After frying it, put it aside to cool. The bean powder itself has no taste, so you need to add white sugar. 400 grams of bean powder with about 150 grams of sugar will do.”

Lu Yuxi, who was recording at the side, smelled the fragrance of the beans and said happily, “Wow, it smells so good.”

“Do you want to try it?”

“Yes.” Lu Yuxi nodded. Just as she was about to switch the camera to one of her hands, she saw Xu Le dipping the tip of his chopsticks in it and bringing it to her mouth. “Try it?”

…

The bean powder was dry, but very fragrant. After adding sugar, the sweetness was just right.

Lu Yuxi smacked her lips and said, “It will definitely taste delicious later.”

40 minutes later, the steamed glutinous rice balls were ready to be served.

After Xu Le carried it out using the gloves, he washed the steamer cloth with cold water and wrung it dry. He pressed the glutinous rice to form shapes through the cloth.

“Pull up the rough edges and press them down. Remember to wet your hands with some cold water to cool them down. This way, they won’t be hot. Just coil them up until the surface is smooth and sheet-like.”

The steamed glutinous rice slices were smooth, white, and extremely elastic.

Xu Le explained, “The name of fried chop rice cake means that when a donkey rolls on the ground, it will be covered in soil. The soil is soybean powder. After the two sides of the glutinous rice are covered with soybean powder, it will be pulled apart again and smeared with a layer of red bean paste.”

“You can roll it up now. When you roll it, use the folding method. At the end, you can roll it up and let the glutinous rice skin wrap the red bean paste tightly.”

“Dang dang dang~” Lu Yuxi automatically included her own sound effects. Looking at the thick and long roll, she said, “Isn’t this donkey a little too muscular?”

“That’s right. Of course, we still have to pull and stretch it.”

Xu Le skillfully kneaded it skinny and rolled it with the soybean powder again.

“It’s very simple to make this dish. Whether it’s glutinous rice powder, soybean powder, or bean paste, you can buy them all. You just need to put them in the pot and steam them. If you want the taste to be more authentic, you can stir-fry them yourself like me. The texture will be better when they come out.”

Finally, use a knife to cut it into equal parts of the same width.

Lu Yumin looked at the finished product and could not help but drool. After setting up the camera on a tripod, she picked one up and squeezed it gently. The soft outer skin was stretched very long and elastic.

She placed the rice cake into her mouth. The smooth and soft skin was wrapped in dried sesame powder, and the bean paste inside was dense and delicate. Lu Yuxi said with a satisfied expression, “This is the taste I want. It’s so authentic!”

Xu Le placed the fried chop rice cake onto a plate and said, “Let Tiantian try it.”

“Alright~”

Lu Yuxuan subconsciously reached out to take the plate, but her other hand subconsciously grabbed the camera. She did not expect that she would not be able to bear the weight at all. Her hand lost strength and the camera smashed towards the ground.

When Xu Le heard the commotion, he turned around and held Lu Yuxi, who was about to fall because of the camera. “Slow down.”

“Ahhh, I, I…”

Lu Yuxi picked up the camera from the ground with a pained expression and said, “It’s an expensive camera. I saved up a lot of money to buy it.”

As she spoke, she kept checking the camera. Fortunately, there was a layer of anti-slip mat on the kitchen floor which prevented her from falling and injuring herself.

Xu Le said, “Bring it to a repair store. I’ll reimburse you.”

At this moment, a small head poked out from the door and shouted happily, “Brother, look at my homework!”

Xu Tian held a freshly drawn paper in her hand and showed it to the two of them.

“Alright, alright. The kitchen is too crowded. Tiantian, let’s go out and take a look.”

As Xu Le spoke, one of them held the paper and the other held a plate. Finally, they followed the dejected Lu Yuxi out of the kitchen.

At the dining table, Tiantian dipped the tip of her finger in some soybean powder and put it into her mouth. Her eyes immediately lit up. “It’s so fragrant and sweet.”

Lu Yuxi said, “Take a piece and have a bite. Only then will you know how delicious it is.”

Xu Tian took a bite. The glutinous rice skin stretched to form sticky strings. The red bean filling was fragrant and sweet. It was soft and glutinous, sweet but not greasy. She was so excited that she was dancing with her limbs. “It’s delicious!”

The few of them sat at the dining table and ate the rice cake. Xu Le said from the bottom of his heart, “Some things still require talent. I don’t know why, but every time you film a video, it can gain a lot of popularity. On the contrary, the images taken by the store are more exquisite, but it’s not as likable as your video.”

Lu Yuxi was stunned for a moment. She seemed to be thinking about this carefully and replied, “Each of them is pleasing to the eye. It’s probably because I happen to be able to capture the essence of your cooking and know what everyone likes to see.”

Xu Tian placed the paper on the table. There were red and green patterns on it. Although she was young, her aesthetics had always been more “defiant”. Her choice of colors were especially bold and eye-catching.

“Look, this is my brother. This is me. Behind me are my father and mother…” Xu Tian gestured at the small figures on the paper. She drew her parents at the back. They were small and their faces could not be seen clearly. Beside Xu Le stood a woman with braids. “This is Sister Lu.”

Lu Yuxi glanced at her and said happily, “To you, am I more important than your Mom and Dad?”

Xu Tian nodded without hesitation. “Yes!”

After a long period of companionship, Lu Yuxi could not deny that there was already a close family-like relationship between her and Tiantian.

Soon, she carried the camera back to her room, as though she was running away from something. “I’ll go edit the video…”

Xu Le helped Tiantian to wash up and sleep. After lying on the bed, he entered the system and started preparing for the competition.

Three days later, Xu Le was about to head to the competition venue as promised. When he pushed open the door, two familiar figures stunned him.

“Lele, don’t you recognize us?”

Shen Hui smiled and put the suitcase aside.