Glutinous Rice Cakes

This Glutinous Rice Cakes is another recipe from the Malaysian recipe book Ben gave me as a “present”. It is called Pulut Tatal in Malay. It is the photo of this recipe on the cover of the book. The picture on the recipe looked much more enticing. This one did not turn out the way I wanted it.

The Glutinous Rice Cakes is slightly chewy and its tinge of saltiness goes very well with the kaya (egg/coconut custard). You can find kaya in many Chinese groceries stores in Greater Vancouver like T&T, Smart and Save, Big Crazy, etc.

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It is supposed to have a consistent light bluish patches. For this one, the blues did not dissolve the way it should be. I am a bit disappointed at how it looked.

Ingredients

  • 500g glutinous rice
  • 1 can coconut milk (398ml)
  • 3 screwpine leaves (pandan), knotted
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • sufficient blue food colouring

Click on the below for the instructions.

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Steamed Rice Cakes (Pak Thong Koh)

I know Ben. When he was in Malaysia he, without fail, will go look for recipe books to bring home … and for me to COOK! He always does that and I hate that because it adds so much pressure to me to make them. He thinks that I can make anything … oh yeah! oh sure!

So, I had no choice because he had been placing his “present” for me on my bedside table. I know it’s his subtle way to let me know that it’s there. So, I am forced to make just one item just to placate him. I made the Pak Thong Koh (Steamed Rice Cake). This is quite common in Chinatown and chinese bakeries like T&T and Maxim’s.

Pak Thong Koh is a sweet rice cake with a tangy flavour from the yeast action. It has a very unique springy texture. It is not overly sweet, just a hint of sweetness. Great for kids too because it does not leave a mess at all.

Making this is quite easy with very simple steps. However, it takes a lot of time because it takes 6-8 hours waiting for the yeast to make it rise.

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The Pak Thong Koh turned out OK taste wise but I just could not make it as white as snow. The ones that I bought from the bakeries is really white. Do you have a tip on how to make it that white?

Ingredients

(1) Syrup

  • 300g sugar
  • 300ml water
  • 3 screwpine leaves (Pandan)

For the Batter:

(2)

  • 300g rice flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour
  • 250ml water

(3)

  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1/8 teaspoon lye water (alkaline)

Click on the link below for the instructions.

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Sesame Ball (Zeen Duy)

Cora’s second dish is Sesame Ball (Zeen Duy). Sesame balls can be found in many Chinese bakeries. Chinese believe if you eat sesame balls, your fortunes will expand like the dough expands when it fries.

I like Zeen Duy a lot and remember the days in Malaysia where I always stop and buy some when I see it. In Malaysia, they are usually sold at roadside stores. The ones in Malaysia were huge — like 3 inches in diameter. I miss those stuff a lot. As a matter of fact, this is the first time I have tasted sesame seed balls in Canada, although they are served in some dim sum restaurants.

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The Sesame Ball is very light and is practically filled with air on the insides. This is a plain sesame ball but it is also common to have a little bit of fillings of stuff like red bean paste. Anyhow, the plain ones is just as nice because the main flavor of sesame seed is in the crunchiness of the fried sesame seed.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of glutinous rice flour (227g)
  • 2 slabs of brown sugar (peen tong)
  • 1 – 1.5 cups of hot water
  • White sesame seeds for coating
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of sake (Japanese wine); optional

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Kuejadas (Portuguese Tart)

While I was browsing through my recipe collections this week, I found this Portuguese Tart recipe. I don’t remember if I have ever made it before. I love to collect recipes and most of the recipes just lay in my collection and never being used at all. Do you have the same feeling?

I’m wanted something sweet and I remember the ingredients of the Portuguese Tart do spell ‘SWEET’ in it. So, I decided to give it a try.

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The Portuguese Tart is caramelized on the outside and has a custard like texture inside. It satisfies any sweet tooth and I’ll bet you just can’t eat one only.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons margarine, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 can 14oz condensed milk
  • 2 cups milk

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Egg Custard Tarts

Better an egg this year than a chicken next year.
~ Ethiopian Proverb

I made a small batch of Egg Custard Tarts. The boys love the tarts and can eat three at a go. This is a sure-fire way to get them snacking frequently. It takes about 35 minutes to make a small batch of eight tarts.

If you like this recipe, you should also check out the recipe on Kuejadas (Portuguese Tart).

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Ingredients:

Here are the ingredients to make 8 tarts:

  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon superfine (castor) sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 8 tart shell

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Chinese Sponge Cake

To the Chinese, cakes are normally steamed rather than baked. Today, I steamed a very simple Chinese sponge cake made primarily from eggs. Total time taken to prepare this cake is less than an hour with 25 minutes for steaming.

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Here are the ingredients:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract (can substitute vanilla if desired)
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk (can substitute regular milk if desired)
  • 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

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I made a Green Tea Sponge Cake with the addition of one tablespoon of green tea powder (which was shifted with the dry ingredients). The colour turned out to be brown rather than green. I wonder why. Nevertheless, I like the green tea flavour. (more…)

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Lo Bak Go (Chinese Turnip Cake)

The only unsinkable ship is friendship.
~ Jeff Sczpanski

Polly came over and helped me make Lo Bak Go. I am glad she came over because it’s a lot of work making this. I learned this from a previous Community Kitchen class.

Lo bak go is a savory cake which primary ingredient is grated daikon radishes. The daikons are mixed with bits of dried shrimp and Chinese sausages that are steamed and then cut into slices and pan-fried. Chinese people normally make Lo Bak Go in the Chinese New Year.

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As the name implies, the main ingredient is the daikon radish, which is also known as Chinese turnip (or lo bak). The rice flour and corn starch is used to hold the cake together. The other ingredients such as Chinese sausage, mushrooms, shallots and dried shrimp are used for flavouring.

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