The first time I got to know about the dessert snack “心太软” (literally means ‘heart too soft’) was from a local Channel 8 drama probably about 2-3 years back. It’s a pretty apt name for these Stuffed Red Dates which are basically steamed red dates stuffed with glutinous rice cake (or mochi). The middle is soft and slightly chewy – perhaps that’s how the Chinese name came about.
Wanted to try making these stuffed red dates for a long time but just didn’t get down to doing it until I came across this Emperor Brand Royal Red Date King on Qoo10 and decided to grab one pack.
Compared to the regular red dates (on the left) which are commonly sold in supermarkets and dried goods stalls, these Royal Red Date King are super gigantic in size. Really perfect for this stuffed red dates dish.
According to the seller, these dates help relieve fatigue and regulate appetite too so they are considered a kind of health food from the traditional Chinese medicine point of view. I chose not to add any sugar to it to keep its healthfulness to the max. The dates were already naturally sweet so no sweetener was required anyway.
This was how the stuffed dates looked like before I popped them into the steamer. I suggest that these dates be eaten fresh and hot after steaming ‘cos the rice cakes would be moist and soft. Enjoy!
- 200g Royal Red Date King (approx. 19 pieces)
- 100g glutinous rice flour
- 105ml water