STEAMED SWEET POTATO HUAT KUIH WITH RAISINS ( SWEET POTATO MUFFINS )

Every year when comes to the 9th day of Lunar Day ( Chinese New Year ), this is what I need to make for praying the God of Heaven ( Ti Kong ).

Huat Kuih is in Hokkien Dialect means being Prosperous. This steaming cake also similar to muffins but they are more soft and fluffy.

Today, I would like to share one of my favorite blogger recipe which I've been kept for years.


Recipe Courtesy From : Lily's Wai Sek Hong
                                      ( http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2006/09/tarosweet-potato-fatt-koh.html )

INGREDIENTS :

Yeast Dough:

2 tsp instant yeast
150 g luke warm water
50 g all-purpose flour


Batter:

500 g orange color sweet potatoes, steamed and mashed
400 g all-purpose flour ( remove 3 tbsp and replaced with 3 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch )
4 tbsp double action baking powder
150 g thick coconut milk / coconut cream from can
375 g sugar ( divide 200 g sugar boil with coconut milk and 175 g sugar whisk with eggs )
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract ( whisked with eggs )
1 cup raisins


METHODS :

To Make The Yeast:

1. Mix the instant yeast with the luke warm water and let it stand until frothy.

2. Then mix in the all-purpose flour and whisk until smooth. Let it rest for 30 minutes until it raised to doubles.


To Make The Huat Kuih

1. On the stove top using a small pot, cook the coconut milk and sugar until dissolved. Let it cool completely.

2. Using a blender, pureed the boiled coconut milk mixture with mashed sweet potatoes and whisked eggs mixture. Sieved the thick pureed sweet potatoes mixture into a mixing bowl by pressing it through the sieve.

3. Then add in the all-purpose flour and stir it well either with a whisk or with your hand. I used my hand in all the mixing methods and that's how I saw my Mom did before.

4. Then add in the fermented yeast dough and stir with your hand until well mixed.

5. Rest the batter for at least 3-4 hours, covered with cling wrap and a wet warm cloth until it had doubled in volume and frothy. Then add in the raisins and stir well.

6. Using a 6 muffin cup tin, lined some cupcake liners. Then using an ice-cream scoop, scoop the sweet potato batter into the lined muffin tin for almost to the rim of the cups, about 8/10.
NOTES : I top the batter until very full and the outcomes really amaze me

7. In a high boil steamer, add in 2 tbsp of vinegar. Steam the muffins in the very high heat for at least 20 minutes with a cloth covered the steamer lid to prevent any water dripping. Steamed those muffins until cooked and smile or split open.

8. Repeat the rest until the batter is finished.


NOTES FROM LILY'S
If the muffin does not smile or split open, dip a spatula into a small bowl of corn oil and then make a cross on top of the sweet potato batter that been scooped in the muffin tins.

STEAMED HAKKA HEE PAN / XIN BAN ( 喜板 )

Hakka Hee Pan is a traditional Hakka people kuih which right now being enjoyed by many people in a region. This kuih usually served in Hakka wedding and Chinese traditional ceremonies.

That's the look of the Hakka Hee Pan being mould and waiting for it to proof for another 20 minutes at a warm place.

Hereby is the recipe I would like to share and it can makes about 15 pieces of Hakka Hee Pan.

INGREDIENTS:

(A)

1 tsp instant yeast

150 g all-purpose flour

125 ml water

(B)

150 g all-purpose flour

150 g glutinous rice flour

(C)

150 g fine granulated sugar

150 g water

2 pandan leaves, knotted

a few drop of pink coloring

Some banana leaves - greased with some oil

DIRECTIONS :

1. Mix all the ingredients (A) for the sponge dough, covered it with plastic wrap and keep it overnight at a warm place so it can proof/rise the next day.

2. The next day, bring the ingredients (B) to a boil. Removed the pandan leaves and set it aside to cool.

3. Mix all the ingredients (A), (B) and (C) together into soft dough by kneading it for 20 minutes. Cover the dough and let it proof/rise for another 4 hours in a warm place.

4. Put enough water in the steamer and bring to a boil. Apply enough oil on your fingers and palms, slowly pull out enough dough (about 50g each) to form a small ball and gently drop them onto greased banana leaves. Let it proof/rise again for another 15 minutes at a warm place.

5. Steamed the hee pan in a moderate heat for at least 15 minutes.

6. Trim the excess banana leaves around the random shape of these steamed buns with a scissor.

This Hakka Hee Pan is good when eat it freshly right after steaming or in the same day. Enjoy!!!

NYONYA KUIH LAPIS / NINE LAYERS CAKE ( 九層糕 )

Yesterday I was so bored and came out with this new recipe of mine.....Nyonya Kuih Lapis. Traditionally this kuih is made in nine-layers - hence the name - by alternating red, green and white layers.

INGREDIENTS :

200 g rice flour

100 g tapioca flour

100 g green bean flour

800 ml coconut cream

250 g fine granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pandan paste

some red coloring

some water

METHODS :

1. In a saucepan heat the coconut cream, salt and sugar and let it slightly cool.

2. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, mixed the rice flour, tapioca flour and green bean flour. Then add the coconut mixture, mix it well and sieve. Put this mixture on a scale then slowly add enough water to make it up to 1800g in total of weight and mix it well.

3. Divide the mixture into 3 equal portions, each weighing about 600g. Add one portion with pandan paste and the other one with red coloring.

4. In a steamer in medium heat, heat the 8" square glass pan for about 5 minutes. Then wipe the glass pan with a paper towel to avoid any water in it.

5. Pour the white portion weight at 200g and steam for at least 5-6 minutes or till the layer is set. Then pour the in the second green layer in the same amount of weight as the white layer, steam it and pour the red color. Continue this method until the nine-layers form.

6. When comes to the last layer (red color), steam the kuih for at least 15-20 minutes to ensure the whole kuih is perfectly cooked through.

7. Cool completely before cutting into your favorite shape. The best way to cut is to use a plastic serrated knife.

CHWEE KUEH (水粿) / STEAMED RICE CAKE WITH PRESERVED RADISH TOPPING

This is one of my favorite kueh where backs in Malaysia, we used to buy them in Pasar Malam or at Petaling Street. They are so flavorful with preserved radish which been sauté until so fragrant.

I make this yesterday for the first time and it turn out to be a perfect one. All my chwee kuih were gone this morning and I'm going to make it again next week =)

INGREDIENTS :

Kueh:

150 g rice flour

20 g wheat starch

300 ml water

2 tsp garlic oil

1/2 tsp salt

800 ml water

METHODS :

1. Place the rice flour, wheat starch in a mixing bowl and add the 300 ml of room temperature water. Whisk it while adding the water to the dry ingredients until there are no lumps.

2. In a heavy saucepan, add the 800 ml water, oil and salt. Heat it until just begin to boil. Turn the fire off.

3. Slowly pour in the flour mixture into the boiling water while whisking continuously to prevent lumping. The mixture will turn to be thick to a gluey consistency.

4. Spoon the gluey paste into the chwee kueh molds or muffin pans and steamed in a over boiling water for about 15 minutes.

5. Let it cool completely and remove the chwee kueh from the molds and served it with prepared preserved radish.

Prepared Preserved Radish ( Chai Poh )

200 g vegetable oil

300 g preserved sweet radish, washed and drained

50 g garlic, chopped

30 g dried shrimps, washed and drained

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

METHODS :

1. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Sauté the preserved radish, dried shrimps and chopped garlic until fragrant in a medium heat.

2. Add the sugar, salt and dark soy sauce for seasoning. Turn off the heat and add the toasted sesame seeds. Mix it well.

PANDAN CREPE WITH COCONUT FILLING (KUIH DADAR/TAYAP)

This is one of my hubby favorite snack back from Malaysia. I was so happy to received this special cookbook from my cousin at Malaysia. I had been trying to get this cookbook from all websites and stores and most of them are sold out.

Now I can try all this cookbook recipe and share it with all my blogger friends who are interested in Nonya cuisine.

INGREDIENTS :

For Pandan Juice:
5 pandan leaves, chopped
3-4 tbsp water

For Crepe Batter:
120 g all-purpose flour
1 large egg
300 ml coconut milk mixed with
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp pandan juice / 1 tsp pandan paste
For Filling:
90 g Gula Melaka / Palm sugar, finely chopped
1 tbsp sugar
1 pandan leaf, knotted
50 ml water
1/2 coconut grated (white part only)
1 tsp cornstarch/cornflour

For Coconut Sauce:
150 ml coconut milk
50 g sugar
2 tsp cornstarch/cornflour



METHODS :

1. Combine the pandan leaf and water in an electric blender and blitz for a minute. Wrap the pulverised pandan in a muslin/cheese cloth and squeeze to extract juice, or strain through a fine sieve. Set aside. (P/S: I omit this method and I used pandan paste)

2. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack in the egg. Slowly stir in the salted coconut milk and 3 tbsp thick pandan juice / 1 tsp pandan paste. Leave batter to stand while cooking the filling.

3. To cook the filling, combine the palm sugar with the sugar, pandan leaf and water in a pot. Cook cover in a medium flame until sugar dissolves. Strain the syrup and return it to the pot. Add in the grated coconut and cornflour/cornstarch and continue to cook for a few more minutes, about 15-20 minutes. Dish out into a bowl.

4. Heat up a shallow frying pan over a low flame and greased lightly with oil. Pour 2 tbsp of the crepe batter in the centre and swirl the panto coat it to form a thin crepe of about 13-cm / 5-inches diameter.

5. When the crepe is cooked, turn out onto a board (coarse surface facing down).

6. Place 2 heaped tsp of filling on the crepe abd roll up like spring roll style.

7. To cook the coconut sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small pot and mix well. Cook over a slow fire until mixture thickens and boils.

8. Serve the Kuih Dadar with the Coconut Sauce.....yummy!!!!

KUIH BADAK

These kuih used to sell around Malaysia and this is my most favorite kuih. I've been searching for this recipe for years since I was in States. Finally, I found this recipe at Rasa Malaysia.


For my blogger convenience I had provided all the ingredients and methods at below

INGREDIENTS :

For the dough:

1 lb sweet potatoes (boiled and mashed)
10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Small shrimps for garnishing (with shells and heads on)
1 tablespoon of sugar
A pinch of salt

For the filling:

4 cups of grated coconut
1/2 cup of dried shrimps
1 garlic*
3 shallots *
6 fresh red chillies (or dried red chilies)*
1 lemon grass (use only the white part)*
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
5 slices of peeled fresh ginger*
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste (palm sugar preferred)
2 tablespoons cooking oil

METHODS :

For the dough:

1. Boil the sweet potatoes in hot boiling water for 15 minutes.
2. Peel the skin off the boiled sweet potatoes and mash them in a big bowl
3. Mix the mashed sweet potatoes with flour, sugar, and salt till a soft dough is formed. The dough shouldn’t be too sticky. If too sticky, add more flour to the mixture.

For the filling:

1. Pound all the (*) ingredients.
2. Soak the dried shrimps in hot water for 15 minutes and then pound them. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and add in the pounded ingredients plus the pounded dried shrimps. Fry till fragrant.
4. Add in the grated coconut and mix well.
5. Add in salt and sugar to taste.
6. Set aside and let it cool.

For the wrapping:

1. Dust your hands with some flour and take a bit of dough (about the size of a small ball), flatten it and put the filling in the middle.
2. Cover the filling and press one small shrimp on top of the dough.
3. Heat oil and fry till golden brown.

KUIH LAPIS

This kuih is one very famous in Malaysia and it's called Kuih Lapis or Kow Thien Ke ( 9 layers kuih in hokkien dialect )

INGREDIENTS :

800 ml can coconut cream
500 ml water
250 g sugar
250 g rice flour
60 g tapioca flour
50 g Hoon Kwee flour/green bean starch
3 pandan leaves, tied a knot
1/2 tsp salt
green and red color


METHOD :

1. In a medium pan, cook coconut cream, water, sugar and pandan leaves until boiled. Let it cool completely.

2. In a mixing bowl, add rice flour, tapioca flour, Hoon Kwee flour/green bean starch and salt. Stir to mix it well. Then add in the cool coconut mixture and mix it till incorporated.

3. Strained the mixture and divided to 3 bowls.

4. Add color to each bowl and left one with white color.

5. In high-heat, steam the 8" staeming pan for 5 minutes and turm the heat to low.

6. Add in 200 ml of white color coconut mixture to the steaming pan and steam for 10 minutes. Then add another layer of green color coconut mixture on top of the white layer and steam for 10 minutes and continue with the red color mixture.

7. Your last layer will be red color and steamed it for 20 minutes till the kuih is completely done with steaming.

8. Let it cool completely before cutting.

PANDAN KUIH LOMPANG / KOSUI

This kuih more I like it because it's has the taste of pandan. I got this idea from Yochana's blog.

INGREDIENTS :

(A)
150 g rice flour
50 g green bean starch
40 g tapioca flour
400 ml water
1 tsp lye water

(B) - to be boiled
200 g sugar
600 ml water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pandan paste

(C)
1/2 pound frozen grated coconut, thawed
1/2 tsp salt


METHOD :

1. Combine all ingredients (A) together and mix well. Then mix in all ingredients (B) together and strain.

2. Meanwhile, use a low heat to cook the batter mixture until slightly thick. Then pour the mixture into 8" square pan and steam in high heat for 40-45 minutes.

3. Let the kuih to be cool completely before cutting.

4. Steam the ingredients in (C) for 8 minutes and set aside.

5. Cut the kuih in your favorite shape and coat with the steam coconut and served.

BUTTER MOCHI CAKE

I went to the asian market today and I found a Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour at the counter. I grabbed two of them and when back home searching in the internet for recipe. Then I found this delicious recipe from Ono Kine Grindz website. The recipe just tastes like Kuih Bingka Ubi....give it a try and I promise you will like it!!!



INGREDIENTS :

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup superfine sugar
1 box (16 ounce) Mochiko sweet rice flour
1 can (12 ounce) evaporated milk
1 can (13.5 ounce) coconut milk
1/2 cup water
4 extra-large eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract


METHOD :

1. Add butter to a microwave safe bowl and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds.

2. In a mixing bowl, add in the melted butter and sugar. With a hand mixer, mix it until creamy and well combined. Then add in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time. Mix until well incorporated.

3. Then add in the flour and baking powder, and continue to mix until well incorporated.

4. Combine the evaporated milk and water in a separate bowl. Whisk it till blend.

5. Add the mixed milk to the mochiko mixture in 2 parts and mixed it well between the addition of liquid.

6. Lastly, add in the coconut milk and mixed it till well blended.

7. Pour mixture into a 9"x13" baking pan and bake for 1 hour at 350F.

8. Promptly remove from the oven and let it cool completely before cutting.

9. Topped with shredded coconut if desired.

CHAI KUIH / VEGETABLES DUMPLINGS

I'm so happy to found this recipe on the website by Amy Beh. Since I was in the States, I couldn't find this kueh and really miss it. This kuih is so good with chili sauce and a cup of tea.


INGREDIENTS :

Pastry skin:
100 g tapioca flour
200 g wheat starch
50 g glutinous rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
450 ml hot boiling water
6 tbsp vegetable oil

Filing :
500 g yam bean/pang-kuang, skin removed and shredded
1 small carrot, shredded
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
25 g dried shrimp, soaked, drained and chopped

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil

some garlic oil for brushing



METHOD :

1. Heat oil in a wok and fry shallots and garlic until lightly browned. Add dried shrimps and stir-fry for 40-50 seconds until fragrant.

2. Add shredded yam bean, carrots and seasoning and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes. Add water and continue to fry until the gravy turns thick. Dish out, drained and set aside to cool.

3. For the pastry skin, put tapioca flour, wheat starch, glutinous rice flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add boiling water gradually and stir with a long wooden spoon. Add in the oil and knead into a smooth dough.

4. Remove dough out onto a lightly floured tabletop and roll into a long sausage roll. Cut into about 30-35 equal pieces then flatten each piece of dough with the use of a rolling pin. Roll out to form a thin round piece of about 7-8 cm in diameter.

5. Put a tbsp of filing in the center of the pastry skin, gather up the edges and pinch to enclose the filing.

6. Arrange the dumplings on a lightly greased steaming tray. Steam for 7-8 minutes.

7. Brush the hot dumplings with a little of garlic oil before taking them out.

KUIH BINGKA UBI

Last week I brought 2 bags of frozen tapiaco/casava at the Indonesian Store and I baked this kuih bingka ubi yesterday night. I don't like the local tapiaco/casava because they don't taste the same. So usually I love to get it from oriental store and always make sure it comes from Thailand. This recipe it's so easy and simple to make.


INGREDIENTS :

1 lb grated tapiaco/casava
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup coconut cream and 1tbsp for glazing
4 oz / 1 stick salted butter
2 large eggs


METHOD:

1. Grease 8"x8" square pan.

2. Preheat oven at 375 F

3. Mix all the ingredients in a large glass bowl and microwave on high 1 minutes at a time until the mixture becomes thick.

4. Pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake for 30-40 minutes.

5. Glazed the top of the kuih with 1 tbsp of coconut cream and broil/grill the top until brown but not burn.

6. Let it cool completely before cutting.

KUIH SERIMUKA

This is one of my favourite kuih and I love to make it for my family and friends. I got this recepi from Lily Ng (http://www.liling2000.blogspot.com).


Ingredients :

Rice Layer

300g Glutinous rice, wash and soak in water for 4 hours, drain
180ml Coconut cream
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sugar


Egg Custard Layer

3 Large eggs
4 tbsp Flour
4 tbsp Rice Flour
350ml Coconut Cream
150g Castor sugar
1/2 tsp Pandan paste
1/4 tsp Salt
Green coloring


Method:

1. Drain rice and steam on 22cm tray for 20 minutes.

2. Remove from heat, fluff up the rice and pour in the coconut cream, sugar and salt. Mix well. Steam for another 20-25 minutes or till cooked.

3. Using a spoon or spatula, press cooked glutinous rice firmly and use another tray to level pressed rice.

4. Sieve the 2 flours mixture and add them to lightly beaten eggs. Strain mixture. Add coconut cream, pandan paste, green color, salt and sugar.

5. Cook on high in the microwave, 1 minutes at a time until mixture is slightly thicken.

6. Pour 1/2 of this egg custard over the steamed glutinous rice and steam for 10-15 minutes until cooked. Use a fork and scratch surface, then pour in the balance egg custard and steam for another 10-15 minutes until cooked. Steaming this kuih for a nice smooth surface, the fire have to be low. Steaming time may vary depending on the heat of the steamer.

7. Cut the kuih in serving size when it's completely cooled.