Glutinous rice cake with dried fruits and syrup

Ingredients:
2 cups glutinous rice
6 tablespoons sugar
½ cup water
1 cup of mixed dried fruit (I used dried longans, apricots, sultanas and cherries)


Method:
1. Soak uncooked glutinous rice for about an hour. Drain. Stir in a pinch salt, 1 tablespoon sugar and a sprinkling of water into the rice. Place in a shallow tray and steam for 10 minutes.

2. Wash dried fruit. Make syrup by heating half cup of water with the remaining sugar. Add dried fruit at the end to lend flavour to the syrup. Remove fruit after about 10 minutes. Reserve syrup.

3. Grease the inside of four heatproof cups with either vegetable oil or lard. Arrange softened dried fruit at the bottom of the cups. Pack glutinous rice on top. Smoothen and press down rice using a piece of plastic wrap. Steam again for another 10-15 minutes or till set.

4. Turn out rice cake onto plates. Garnish with a cherry, if you like, and pour syrup round the cake.