Bake It Yourself

Ginger sticky rice squares (che lam)

Che lam is a traditional chewy sweet from northern Vietnam, made from roasted glutinous rice flour bound with brown sugar syrup, ginger and peanuts. Each piece is soft and chewy, deeply sweet and fragrant with warm ginger and rich roasted peanuts, a favorite for Lunar New Year and other holidays or to give as a gift.

Difficulty
Easy
Prep
20 min
Cook
25 min
Rising or chilling
2 hr
Total time
2 hr 45 min
Method
Boiled or simmered
Ginger sticky rice squares (che lam)

Ingredients

For the syrup

For the dough and peanuts

For dusting

Instructions

  1. Step 1

    Peel 30 g fresh ginger and cut it into very fine matchsticks, and rub the papery skins off 100 g roasted peanuts, leaving them whole or splitting them in half. Thin strips of ginger spread their flavor evenly through each piece, and removing the skins keeps the squares from tasting bitter and gives them a nicer color. You're done prepping when the ginger is in fine, even strips and the peanuts are skinless and golden.

  2. Step 2

    Put 200 g brown sugar, 50 g maltose and 250 g water in a heavy-bottomed pot, add the ginger strips and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Maltose keeps the squares chewy for longer and stops the sugar from crystallizing as they cool. The syrup is ready when it's bubbling steadily, a deep amber brown and slightly thick, like thin honey.

    Suggested time: about 10 minutes. Medium heat.

  3. Step 3

    Lower the heat, sprinkle 200 g roasted glutinous rice flour into the pot a little at a time and stir vigorously in one direction with a wooden spoon. Adding the flour slowly lets it absorb the syrup evenly without leaving raw lumps inside. The mixture is ready when it's very thick and heavy to stir, pulls away from the bottom of the pot and looks glossy.

    Low heat.

  4. Step 4

    Turn off the heat, add the peanuts and quickly fold them in so they're spread throughout the dough. Mixing them in while the dough is still hot helps the peanuts stick firmly. You're done when you can see peanuts evenly scattered wherever you look.

  5. Step 5

    Sprinkle a layer of to taste roasted glutinous rice flour over the bottom of a 20 cm square tray, tip the dough in and press it flat with a spoon or gloved hands, then dust another layer of flour over the top. The dusting keeps the squares from sticking to the tray and to your hands when cutting. The top is ready when it's evenly flat, about two centimeters thick and free of holes.

  6. Step 6

    Let the tray cool at room temperature for about two hours; don't put it in the fridge. Cooling naturally lets the rice flour firm up just enough to cut while staying chewy. It's ready when it feels firm and springy to the touch and is no longer warm.

    Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

  7. Step 7

    Turn the slab out onto a cutting board and use a wide knife dusted with a little flour to cut it into squares or diamonds about three centimeters across, then roll the cut sides in the dusting flour. Coating the sides keeps the pieces from sticking together in the box. You're done when the pieces have clean edges and the peanuts and ginger show clearly on the cut sides.

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Spatula
  • Square pan
  • Mixing bowl
  • Kitchen scale

Tips

  • Store-bought roasted glutinous rice flour is very convenient, but if you make your own, roast the glutinous rice until lightly golden and grind it finely for a more pronounced aroma.
  • You can replace some of the peanuts with toasted white sesame seeds or cashews for more variety in flavor.
  • If the dough gets too stiff while stirring, add a splash of boiling water and keep stirring; if it's too soft, sprinkle in a little more roasted glutinous rice flour.

Storage

Wrap each piece in parchment paper or a small plastic bag and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, where they'll stay chewy for about a week. Don't refrigerate them, as they'll harden and lose their softness.

Common problems and how to fix them

The squares turn hard and dry after a day.
Too much flour went in or the syrup was cooked down too far. Next time, stop adding flour as soon as the mixture pulls away from the pot, and cook the syrup only until slightly thick.
The squares are mushy, stick to the knife and slump when cut.
There wasn't enough flour to absorb all the syrup. Sprinkle in more roasted glutinous rice flour and stir over low heat for a few more minutes before pressing it into the tray.
There are lumps of raw white flour inside.
The flour was added too quickly. Sprinkle it in a little at a time and stir vigorously until it's fully absorbed before adding the next batch.

This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.

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