Yak-Sik

Ingredients

 * 3 1/3 cup glutinous rice
 * 1 lb chestnuts
 * 5 oz dates
 * 3 1/2 tbl sesame oil
 * 1 tsp cinnamon
 * 5 oz raisins
 * 1/4 cup honey
 * 2 tbl pine nuts

SEASONING MIXTURE


 * 3 tbl soy sauce
 * 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
 * 1 1/2 cup sugar

Directions
Wash glutinous rice and soak in water for overnight. Shell chestnuts and cut into halves. Wash and pit dates, and cut into 2 or 3 pieces.

Drain rice, and place in a steamer basket. Make a hole in the center of rice. Steam over high heat about 30 minutes until cooked. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup water during steaming.

Transfer rice to a large bowl. Add Seasoning Mixture to the hot rice and mix well. Add sesame oil and cinnamon, and mix thoroughly once more. Gently stir in the raisins, dates and chestnuts.

Place the bowl of rice pudding in the steamer and steam about 5 hours until chestnuts are cooked. Add more boiling water as needed. Sprinkle with honey and mix while steaming. Sprinkle with pine nuts before turning off heat.

The hot steamed rice pudding can be packed into a round cake pan, unmold and cut into pieces before placing on serving dish.

This recipe yields 10 servings.