Post by SeaDragon on Dec 19, 2017 20:44:16 GMT 10
Tea time is anytime
By Amy Beh (circa 1998)
LET'S have tea! But, what to serve? You love local kuih but they are not special enough to be served to your guests? Let's give them a twist by changing some of the ingredients. Instead of the green pandan layer, do a purple yam layer for the Kuih Talam. Or substitute the sweet potato in Onde Onde with pumpkin. You can also concoct your own kuih recipe, like the simple Sweet Corn Kuih below. So there you have it, a most delightful spread for tea among good friends.
Yam Talam
Ingredients:
For bottom layer, combine:
50g corn flour
75g rice flour
25g green bean flour
275g yam — cubed; steamed until soft and mashed
200g sugar
600ml general santan
1/2 tsp alkaline water
A few drops purple colouring
Top Layer:
100ml pati santan
50g rice flour
75g tapioca flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
150ml general santan
Method:
BRING enough water in a steamer to a boil. Place a greased 20cm square or round cake pan in the steamer to warm up. This enables the kuih to be cooked evenly.
Mix the combined flours with 200ml general santan and leave to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the rest of the general santan into the sugar and the yam. Blend well together. Strain the soaked flour mixture into the yam mixture. Add colouring and alkaline water.
Cook mixture in a large non-stick saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula until the batter begins to thicken. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Level surface with a plastic spatula and steam over rapid boiling water for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the white top layer. Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in santan and water. Pour over cooked yam layer. Steam again for a further 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the kuih thoroughly before slicing into diamond-shaped pieces.
Sweet Corn Kuih
Ingredients:
100ml pati santan
1/2 tsp salt
200ml water
75g Hoen Kwe flour
1 tbsp rice flour
50g sugar
125g canned sweet corn kernels
Banana leaves — cut into 15 x 22cm rectangles
2 to 3 pisang emas — cut at an angle
Method:
COMBINE santan with the Hoen Kwe flour, rice flour and water. Strain, then add sugar and salt. Cook this runny batter over a low heat. Add the sweet corn kernels and keep stirring until it turns gluey and thickens. Take the batter away from the heat.
Take a piece of banana leaf, place 1 tablespoon of hot batter in the centre then add a slice of banana. Top with another tablespoon of batter. Form a bundle by folding up opposite edges of the banana leaf to meet in the centre. Secure with a staple. Leave to cool then chill well before serving.
Pumpkin Onde Onde
Ingredients:
150g pumpkin — cubed, steamed until soft and mashed
200g glutinous rice flour
A pinch of salt
100ml water
1 tbsp tapioca flour
Filling (combine):
100g grated gula Melaka
1 tbsp sugar
Combine:
275g grated coconut (white part only) — steam for 10 to 15 minutes then leave to cool. (This helps it to keep better.)
1/4 tsp salt
Method:
BRING water, salt and tapioca flour to a boil over low heat. Keep stirring until almost transparent.
Pour the mixture immediately into the glutinous rice flour in a large mixing bowl. Stir till it is well absorbed. Add the mashed pumpkin and mix well to form a dough. (If dough is too soft, add a little more glutinous rice flour.) Divide dough into two and roll each portion into a longish roll. Cut into small pieces.
Bring water to a boil in a deep saucepan. Roll the pieces of dough into small balls with your palms. Then flatten the ball and put a bit of the sugar mixture in the centre. Pinch to seal, then roll again into spheres. Drop the balls into boiling water until they float to the surface (about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes).
Remove the cooked balls with a tea strainer. Roll in grated coconut to coat.
Footnote: If sweet potatoes are preferred; use 150g as a substitute for the pumpkin. The other ingredients remain the same.
By Amy Beh (circa 1998)
LET'S have tea! But, what to serve? You love local kuih but they are not special enough to be served to your guests? Let's give them a twist by changing some of the ingredients. Instead of the green pandan layer, do a purple yam layer for the Kuih Talam. Or substitute the sweet potato in Onde Onde with pumpkin. You can also concoct your own kuih recipe, like the simple Sweet Corn Kuih below. So there you have it, a most delightful spread for tea among good friends.
Yam Talam
Ingredients:
For bottom layer, combine:
50g corn flour
75g rice flour
25g green bean flour
275g yam — cubed; steamed until soft and mashed
200g sugar
600ml general santan
1/2 tsp alkaline water
A few drops purple colouring
Top Layer:
100ml pati santan
50g rice flour
75g tapioca flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
150ml general santan
Method:
BRING enough water in a steamer to a boil. Place a greased 20cm square or round cake pan in the steamer to warm up. This enables the kuih to be cooked evenly.
Mix the combined flours with 200ml general santan and leave to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the rest of the general santan into the sugar and the yam. Blend well together. Strain the soaked flour mixture into the yam mixture. Add colouring and alkaline water.
Cook mixture in a large non-stick saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula until the batter begins to thicken. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Level surface with a plastic spatula and steam over rapid boiling water for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the white top layer. Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in santan and water. Pour over cooked yam layer. Steam again for a further 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the kuih thoroughly before slicing into diamond-shaped pieces.
Sweet Corn Kuih
Ingredients:
100ml pati santan
1/2 tsp salt
200ml water
75g Hoen Kwe flour
1 tbsp rice flour
50g sugar
125g canned sweet corn kernels
Banana leaves — cut into 15 x 22cm rectangles
2 to 3 pisang emas — cut at an angle
Method:
COMBINE santan with the Hoen Kwe flour, rice flour and water. Strain, then add sugar and salt. Cook this runny batter over a low heat. Add the sweet corn kernels and keep stirring until it turns gluey and thickens. Take the batter away from the heat.
Take a piece of banana leaf, place 1 tablespoon of hot batter in the centre then add a slice of banana. Top with another tablespoon of batter. Form a bundle by folding up opposite edges of the banana leaf to meet in the centre. Secure with a staple. Leave to cool then chill well before serving.
Pumpkin Onde Onde
Ingredients:
150g pumpkin — cubed, steamed until soft and mashed
200g glutinous rice flour
A pinch of salt
100ml water
1 tbsp tapioca flour
Filling (combine):
100g grated gula Melaka
1 tbsp sugar
Combine:
275g grated coconut (white part only) — steam for 10 to 15 minutes then leave to cool. (This helps it to keep better.)
1/4 tsp salt
Method:
BRING water, salt and tapioca flour to a boil over low heat. Keep stirring until almost transparent.
Pour the mixture immediately into the glutinous rice flour in a large mixing bowl. Stir till it is well absorbed. Add the mashed pumpkin and mix well to form a dough. (If dough is too soft, add a little more glutinous rice flour.) Divide dough into two and roll each portion into a longish roll. Cut into small pieces.
Bring water to a boil in a deep saucepan. Roll the pieces of dough into small balls with your palms. Then flatten the ball and put a bit of the sugar mixture in the centre. Pinch to seal, then roll again into spheres. Drop the balls into boiling water until they float to the surface (about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes).
Remove the cooked balls with a tea strainer. Roll in grated coconut to coat.
Footnote: If sweet potatoes are preferred; use 150g as a substitute for the pumpkin. The other ingredients remain the same.