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1
Dissolve the brown sugar completely in the hot water, stirring until no granules remain. Allow the syrup to cool until it is warm but no longer steaming. The liquid should be uniformly dark and fully clear of undissolved crystals.
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2
Pour the warm syrup gradually into the glutinous rice flour, stirring continuously to form a smooth, thick batter with no lumps. The batter should fall from the spoon in a slow, heavy ribbon.
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3
Pour the batter into a lightly oiled round cake tin or heatproof bowl. Press sesame seeds evenly across the surface. Set the tin over a wok of simmering water, cover tightly, and steam over moderate heat. This is where the dish lives or dies: steam only until the centre is just set and pulls cleanly from the sides — over-steaming renders the cake too sticky to hold its shape and it will collapse on unmoulding. The surface should be firm and matte, no longer glossy or liquid at the centre when tested with a skewer.
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4
Remove the tin from the steamer and allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature before unmoulding. A fully cooled cake will be firm enough to slice cleanly; a warm cake will tear.
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5
To pan-fry (optional but popular): slice the cooled cake into pieces roughly 1 cm thick. Dip each slice in beaten egg to coat on all sides. Heat oil in a pan over moderate heat and fry the slices, turning once, until each side is golden. Given the high sugar content, the crust caramelises quickly — watch closely. The finished slices should be deep golden with a crisp exterior and a soft, chewy interior that yields to pressure.