Korean Cheese Rice Cakes

Method

1. Mix 200g rice flour with 100g glutinous rice flour, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil, then pour in 300ml warm water a little at a time and stir until combined. Knead well until smooth and no longer sticky.
2. Rub 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil around a heatproof bowl to stop the dough sticking, then add the dough. Pour about 700ml water into a pot, set the bowl inside and steam for 20 minutes.
3. Once the dough is cooked, take it out and blot the surface dry with paper towels.
4. Lay plastic wrap on a board, brush it with 1/4 tablespoon sesame oil, turn the dough out, and cut it in half with a knife brushed with another 1/4 tablespoon sesame oil.
5. Oil a mallet with sesame oil and pound the dough until completely smooth, knead it soft again, roll it into a long log and cut into small bite sized pieces.
6. Heat 200ml cooking oil and fry the rice cakes until puffed, golden and crisp, then lift onto paper towels.
7. Put the rice cakes in a lidded container, add 4 tablespoons cheese powder, close the lid and shake until every piece is coated.

Tips

• Sticky rice and glutinous rice can be soaked for 4 to 5 hours and ground wet instead of using dry flour.
• Cooking oil works in place of sesame oil.
• Blot the steamed dough dry, because trapped water makes the cakes soggy and spits in the oil.
• Dough pounded until completely smooth gives a chewy cake, while roughly pounded dough turns crumbly.