Hello & Nyob Zoo all!
It’s Ncuav season! This is one of the many Ncuav that I recently learned from my grandma. Sticky rice cakes made with the addition of steamed cassava. We like to call this version in the Hmong Leeg dialect, Mov Ncuav Qos Ntoo. This is another kind of Ncuav my grandma would make for us growing up. It’s a little nutty and slightly sweet from the cassava. Every time my grandma makes it, it brings me back to my childhood. ?
In the Hmong culture, Ncuav can be made anytime of the year but it’s commonly made & eaten during harvest season and at the end of the year in celebration of the Hmong New Year. You can also see pounded rice cakes being made in many Asian countries as well. In Japan, pounded sticky rice cakes are called Mochi. In Korea, it is called Tteok. Every culture has their own version of rice cakes in terms of shapes, textures, flavors, and appearance. In Japan & Korea, rice cakes symbolize good fortune and wealth.
Now what about the Hmong culture? The answer is simple: It’s tradition. My grandma said there’s not much meaning behind it. It’s been tradition to serve Ncuav for the New Year so the family can simply have it as a snack and enjoy it together. Ncuav is also commonly made to be shared amongst relatives and family members.
So give it a go and Happy New year! Nyob Zoo Xyoo Tshab 🙂
**Pounded sticky rice should be consumed in small amounts & chewed well before swallowing due to its sticky consistency.
Main Ingredients
Cassava & short grain sticky rice
Place in a bamboo rice steamer and cook away!
Pound in a mochi machine until it gets to a sticky glutinous texture.
Wrap in foil and store until it is ready to be cooked/warmed up again 
Pan fry, shallow fry, or deep fry to your desire.
Don’t forget to enjoy it with some honey! 
The traditional way of making ncuav. Using a wood mortar called dlaab ncuav in the Hmong Leeg dialect 🙂
My grandma in her element 
Enjoy!
-Cindy Her (C.HerCreations)
Ingredients
- 4 (rice cups) short grain sticky rice (Apple Brand) rinsed, soaked, & drained
- 1 cassava or yucca (1 lb 7oz) peeled, cored, and chopped
- Bamboo basket & steamer
- Foil
- Water, hard boil egg yolk, or potato starch (for preventing stickiness on your hands)
- Mochi pounder/machine
- Honey to dip (or syrup of choice)
- Pinch of salt to taste
- Oil to fry
Instructions
- Rinsed the sticky rice 2-3 times and drain the water. Then add in warm water to cover and let it soak for at least 4-6 hrs. After 4-6 hrs, drain and set aside.
- Peel the cassava and core the inner tough stem out. Then cut it into bite size pieces. Mix it in with the soaked rice until it is evenly distributed. Then add it to a bamboo basket steamer lined with a rice net (optional) over a pot of water. Cover with a lid and steam for at least 15-20 minutes until the rice is cooked and the cassava is soft.
- In a mochi pounder/machine, place the cooked rice/cassava mixture in and press the pound button. DO NOT PUT THE LID ON. LEAVE IT OFF so the steam/moisture can be released. This will create a much stable rice cake. Let it go until it has reached your desire pounded rice consistency (10-15 minutes)
- To easily remove the pounded rice into individual portions, you can soak your hands in a bowl of water before grabbing a handful of the pounded rice. Grab about 1 cups worth and place it in one end of a rectangle cut foil. Fold the other end of the foil and cover well. Traditionally, my mom would use a boiled egg yolk and smear it on her hand to prevent stickiness. My grandma likes to use potato starch. So it's up to you. I like to use water.
- Once all the pounded rice are individually portioned and wrapped, let it sit overnight in room temp or in the fridge before pan frying it or grilling it. You can also eat it while it's fresh from the machine. I like to fry it the next day in a little vegetable oil, sprinkle with a little salt and dipped in honey! So good! Enjoy!
Keep it tightly stored in the foil and place it in a zip lock bag. Place it in the fridge for at least 4-5 days. Pan fry, grill, deep fry, or dry pan fry it to warm it back up.
CAN I USE A BREAD MACHINE TO MAKE MY RICE CAKE? Yes, you can but the bread machine is not as strong as the mochi pounder, which results in a more chunky rice cake. It may take longer to pound since you have to do small batches at a time.
Notes
My mochi machine is Tiger brand. A dough mixer will work but it is not as strong as a mochi pounder, which will result in a less smooth/fine textured rice cake.
2 comments
I’m really excited about making this and surprising my family in our next get-together. This dessert reminds me of my grandmother too. 🙂 thank you for posting it.
You are absolutely precious!! Your Hmong childhood favorites are mine as well. Seeing these recipes brought back so many memories. Seeing how much labor of love went into these dishes makes me appreciate everything my mom and grandma did. Thank you for memorializing these wonderful Hmong recipes. Your own labor of love does not go unnoticed!