MA LAI KOH [SPONGY STEAMED CAKE]

Came across this fail proof recipe shared generously by K L Liew in You-tube [Ma Lai Kuih]. I tried, made 2 pieces in a day. Both turned out perfect.  The steamed kuih is spongy, soft and has a nice aroma. Spongy texture on the top and the bottom has honeycomb texture. 

This kuih uses gula merah, evaporated milk and pandan juice together eggs and self raising flour. Self raising flour is used and not necessary to add baking powder if using plain flour. Baking soda and yeast are must have ingredients. This recipe is a keeper. Do try, it is worth the effort.

Ingredients A

4 [size A] eggs

3 tbsp pandan juice [from blending 4 blades pandan leaves with 2-3 tbsp water]

160 ml evaporated milk

Ingredients B

180 gm self-raising flour - sifted

1 tsp yeast

1/4 tsp salt

160 gm gula merah 

Ingredients C

50 gm butter - melted

1 tsp baking soda

- Melon seeds for decoration [can sprinkle before or after steaming]

1. Break eggs into a mixing bowl, lightly beat until frothy with big to medium size bubbles.  Add in milk and pandan juice.  Lightly beat to mix until well combine.  Do not overbeat.
2. In another mixing bowl, add in sugar and salt on 1 side of the bowl.  Then add in flour in another side.  Place yeast over flour.  Then fold lightly to mix the dry ingredients. 
3. Add dry ingredients to beaten egg mixture in a few batches.  Lightly fold to combine or zig-zag motion to mix.
4. Strain combine mixture into another mixing bowl to dissolve the sugar and lumps.
5. Cover the mixture and leave to proof for 1-1 1/2 hours.
6. Meanwhile, line a bamboo basket with parchment paper.
7. After 1 hour, bring water to boil.  
8. After 1 1/2 hours, scoop about 7 spoons of batter into a small bowl, sift in baking soda.  Mix well then pour in melted butter.  Mix again and pour in to remaining batter.  Fold lightly to incorporate both mixture.  Do not overmix.
9. Proof into prepared bamboo basket.  Tap basket 3-4 times.  Place in steaming tray, cover steamer cover with cloth to prevent water condensation.
10. Steam cake for 35 minutes over high heat.  
11. Transfer steamed cake from steamer, if using melon seeds, sprinkle over steamed cake.  Remove cake from bamboo basket to a cooling rack immediately.
12. Slice to serve cake while steam hot or warm.

2021 KUIH EE [GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS]

2021 Winter Solstice [Dongzhi Festival], I prepared these glutinous rice balls in sweet syrup. A little different from the past Kuih Ee [Tang Yuan 汤圆 ] that I have prepared. There are various versions to make them and unending recipes to follow. All turned out to be cute lovely round Tang Yuan, that are chewy and  edible.  Great to enjoy with the sweet, gingery flavour soup.  Ample choice of recipes that you can follow.

The difference here is mainly the syrup, which uses Brown Sugar In Pieces [冰片糖]. For those who are not familiar with this type of sugar, below is a description which I have obtained from Google: "Brown sugar in pieces is a traditional sugar used for desserts in Southern China. These delicious bars of Brown Sugar are made from sugar cane which enhances the colours and flavour of Chinese style desserts. The ingredients are Cane Sugar (85%) and Water.

For this recipe, I have used 2 pieces with about 800 ml water.   It is rather sweet but goes well with the kuih ee.  Just adjust the water portion to suit you preference for the sweetness that is acceptable to you.

This recipe is adapted from K L Liew Youtube Video with slight modifications.

Ingredients for Syrup

800 ml water or more according to preference

2 pieces of the brown sugar in pieces 

4-5 blades of screwpine [pandan] leaves

a few slices of ginger

1. Bring water, pandan leaves and ginger to boil in a soup pot until aromatic.  Add in the sugar and continue to boil until sugar dissolves.  Taste to adjust the sweetness according to your preference [the sweetness should be able to flavour the glutinous rice balls].  Leave to cool before use, then remove the pandan leaves and ginger slices.  

Ingredients For 5-Colour Glutinous Rice Balls [Tang Yuan]

300 gm glutinous rice flour [+-]

10 gm rice flour + 100 gm water [to be cooked]

pink colouring

green colour - 5-6 pieces screwpine leaves + 100 ml water

yellow colour - 50 gm pumpkin puree

blue colour - 50 pieces blue pea flower [bunga telang] + 100 ml water

50 ml water or more to knead into a soft and pliable dough

1. Blend screwpine leaves with water.  Squeezed and strained to obtain the pandan juice.  Set aside.
2. Boil blue pea flowers with water until it is of dark blue colour [indigo colour].  Strain away the flowers to obtain the blue solution.  Set aside until required.
3. Mix rice flour with water in a small saucepan.  Boil over low heat, stirring constantly into a thick paste of runny consistency.  Immediately, mix into  the glutinous flour.  Rub with your finger tips.  Divide into 5 equal portions [estimate amount].
4. Take one portion of the flour, add the pandan water gradually.  Meanwhile, knead to incorporate into a soft and pliable dough.  You may not use up all the pandan juice.
5. Take one portion of the flour, add the blue pea flower water gradually.  Meanwhile, knead to incorporate into a soft and pliable dough.  You may not use up all the blue colour water juice.
6. Take one portion of the flour, add the pumpkin puree gradually.  Meanwhile, knead to incorporate into a soft and pliable dough.  You may need to add some water if it is too dry.
7. Mix the remaining flour with about 50 ml water or more into a soft and pliable dough.  Divide into 2 portions.  Set aside one portion for white colour and add a drop of pink colouring to the remaining portion.  Knead until the dough is pink in colour.
8. NOTE: you may have to add a little more glutinous flour if the dough is too wet, soft and sticky.
9. Shaping of Kuih Ee [Tang Yuan] - take a portion and divide it into smaller portions and roll each one into a round ball.  Place in a tray or plate.  Do the same until all the dough are shaped into round balls.
10. To Cook The Rice Balls - Bring a big pot of water to boil then drop in the shaped rice balls in batches to cook.  Once the rice balls floats up, they are cooked.  Use a serrated ladle to remove them and drop them into a pot of cooled boiled water before dropping them into the syrup.
11. Scoop tang yuan into small bowls to serve.

PUMPKIN KUIH EE IN GULA MERAH SYRUP

August 3, 2020 marks half year of the Chinese lunar calendar.  Some Chinese families will prepare Kuih Ee as offerings to the deities or ancestors.  I do not follow this procedure, it is not a must for my family but with some extra free time, I did it.

Anyway, with all the ingredients available here is a recipe which I like to share.  For the syrup, I used a small bit of Penang local ginger [popularly known as Air Itam ginger] and Gula Merah.  The syrup is aromatic and sweetness is acceptable as a dessert. I also add some chopped red dates.  As for the rice balls, I used glutinous rice flour, pumpkin puree, water and some white sugar.  

Ingredients

[serves 4-5]

150 gm pumpkin puree

150 gm glutinous rice flour

1 tbsp fine sugar

a few tbsp water

600 ml water or more [depends on the sweetness you prefer]

100 gm gula merah

1 small knob of ginger - rinsed and lightly bruised

6 red dates - deseeded and chopped

1. Steamed sliced pumpkin for 20 minutes over high heat or until soft.  Mash into puree while still hot with 1 tbsp fine sugar [optional].  Leave to cool.
2. Bring water to boil with ginger until aromatic.  Add in sugar, continue to boil until sugar dissolves.  Tastes to adjust bearing in mind that red dates will add sweetness to the syrup. Add in red dates, continue to boil until soft.  Off heat, leave to cool completely.  Tip: can prepare earlier before preparing the rice balls.
3. In a big bowl, mix glutinous rice flour gradually to pumpkin puree then knead into a smooth pliable dough.  Add some water gradually if dough is too dry.  Leave to rest for 20-30 minutes before shaping into round balls.
4. Bring a pot of water to rolling boil, drop in rice balls in batches.  The rice balls will float to the surface when cooked.  Remove with a serrated ladle and drop them into a bowl of cool water, then dish up using the serrated ladle.
5. Add to prepare syrup.
6. Serve.