Songpyeon:
Half Moon Rice Cake
When the full moon appears, we call it ¡°borum¡± in Korean. There are 2 major "borum" days. These are ¡°daeborum¡± and ¡°hangawee¡±. ¡°Daeborum¡± is usually on January 15 and ¡°Hangawee¡± is on August 15 (lunar calendar). ¡°Hangawee¡± is also called Chuseok, and is the biggest festive day in Korea. The representative food for Chuseok is half moon rice cake.
Half moon rice cake is made of rice flour dough and a various fillings such as sesame seed paste, chestnut, sweet potato, pumpkin, mung beans and so on. Although the rice cake itself is half moon shaped, the filling should be rolled or cut into a full moon shape. The reason of this shape is related to Korean traditional superstitions. In those days, people believed that their wish would come true if they pray to the moon, and they did so to get a fruitful harvest. We can also add beautiful colors songpyeon when using various vegetables when making the rice dough. The favorite natural colorings are wormwood (green), pumpkin (yellow), cactus (pink) and sovereign (pink).
Half moon shaped rice cakes made of rice flour dough stuffed with various fillings. A traditional festival dish served on Chuseok, the Korean "Thanksgiving Day."
Ingredients (Serves 2~4)
RICE CAKES
- Plain Rice Cake
Rice Flour: (preferably low glutinous rice flour) 2 cups
Boiling Water: 4 tbsp
- Green Tea Rice Cake
Rice Flour: (preferably low glutinous rice flour) 2 cups
Boiling Water: 4 tbsp
Green Tea Powder: 2 tbsp
_ Sweet Pumpkin Rice Cake
Rice Flour: (preferably low glutinous rice flour) 2 cups
Boiling Water: 4 tbsp
1/4 Sweet Pumpkin
FILLINGS
- Sweet Potato
1 Sweet Potato
Cinnamon Powder: 1/2 tsp
Honey: 1 tbsp
A pinch of Salt
- Chestnut
Chestnuts: 3
- Sesame Seed Paste
Sesame Seeds: 1 tbsp
Honey: 1 tbsp
A pinch of Salt
A Handful of Pine Leaves
Sesame Oil: 1 tbsp
Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp
FIRST, PREPARE THE FILLINGS
1. Wash sweet potato thoroughly, steam in a microwave for about 10 minutes (longer for steamer) till completely cooked, then mash smoothly and add cinnamon powder, honey and salt. Mix well.
2. Peel chestnuts and chop finely.
3. Ground sesame seeds. Mix with honey and salt.
MAKE RICE CAKES
4. To make plain rice cakes, add boiling water into rice powder and mix together, beating hard till dough becomes soft.
5. For green tea rice cakes, put green tea powder into boiling water, then follow No. 4.
6. For sweet pumpkin rice cakes, first deseed from pumpkin, then steam in microwave for about 10 minutes (longer for steamer) till completely cooked. Scoop out the flesh, and when still hot, add to rice flour and mix as in No 4.
7. Take a small amount of dough, roll it on your palm into a size of walnut, press thumb in middle and put in the fillings. Fold in half and seal them.
8. Lay pine leaves on the bottom of steamer, put rice cake on them, leaving plenty of space between rice cakes. Then cover rice cakes with pine leaves.
9. Steam them for about 25~30 minutes.
10. Plunge cooked rice cakes into cold water, and discard pine leaves. Drain thoroughly, glaze rice cakes with a mixture of sesame oil and cooking oil. Serve.
Gotgam Mali (Dried Persimmon Roll)
This very sweet dried fruit is eaten on its own as a dessert or a snack. It¡¯s also used in rice cakes or dessert drinks. It has a very distinctive flavor so can add a bouquet to food.
Serves 2~4
Ingredients
Dried Persimmon 3
Walnut 4
1. Discard stem from dried persimmons. Massage till soft and cut lengthways.
2. On a bamboo mat, spread dried persimmon, put in a small piece of walnut and roll it up.
3. Wrap it with cling film and keep in a fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Before serving, slice into 1.5cm thick strips and strip cling film off.
