Kueh Salat Cake

Peranakan (Nyonya) Kueh Salat

Author: Shiokman

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Peranakan (Nyonya)

For this recipe, I’ve used a lot of pandan (screwpine) leaves to get a deep rich green colour without any artificial food dye

Ingredients

Bottom Layer
400 g glutinous rice
40-50 blue pea flowers (bunga telang) (soak in 100 ml water)
250 ml santan (150 ml thick coconut milk with 100 ml water)
1 tsp salt
Pandan leaves (optional)
Top Layer
3 large eggs (70 g)
150 g sugar
¼ tsp salt
400 ml thin santan (i.e. 200 ml thick coconut milk with 200 ml water)
100 ml pandan water (from 30 pandan leaves with 100 ml water)
90 g plain flour
45 g tapioca flour

Instructions

Bottom Layer
Wash glutinous rice to remove excess starch and soak for at least 2 hrs
Wash about 40-50 dried flowers and boil in 100 ml of water
After water has turned dark blue, let it stand for an hour before squeezing out 100 ml dark blue water
Add 100 ml water to 150 ml thick coconut milk to make 250 ml thin santan
Add 1 tsp salt to thin santan and mix well
Drain out the water from the soaked glutinous rice
Lightly spray a 24 cm round pan with oil
Transfer drained glutinous rice into pan
Arrange some pandan leaves (optional)
Pour the thin santan (coconut milk) all over
Ensure the rice is thoroughly covered by the thin santan
Place pan of rice in a steamer and steam for 20 mins.
Thereafter, remove pandan leaves
Fluff up the rice; and pour blue pea flower water (in patches) over it
Fluff up the rice again and steam for another 10 mins
Remove pan from steamer and press the rice flat until it is well compressed.
Set it aside
Top Layer
Cut 30 pandan leaves into small pieces and blend in water.
Sieve out pandan juice and set it aside.
When measuring 100 ml of pandan juice, pour off diluted layer and use the thicker pandan paste/juice to obtain darker green colour for the kueh.
If possible, this step should be done 1 or 2 days earlier.
Add ¼ tsp salt to 400 ml thin santan (i.e. 200 ml thick coconut milk with 200 ml water)
Add 150 g sugar to 3 Large eggs and mix well
Add 400 ml thin santan and mix well
Add 100 ml pandan juice a little at a time (checking colour) and mix well
Sieve 90 g plain flour and 45 g tapioca flour into pandan mixture and mix well
Sieve out the mixture to ensure smooth consistency
Stir sieved mixture over low heat until it thickens slightly
Once mixture sticks to back of spoon, it’s ready
Final Steps
Heat up the compressed glutinous rice in the steamer
Slowly pour the pandan mixture over it
Wrap steamer lid with cloth and leave the lid slightly ajar by placing a chopstick in between lid and steamer (to achieve a smooth surface for the kueh)
Steam over medium heat for 30 to 45 mins
The kueh is ready once top layer firms up; and skewer inserted into centre of top layer comes out clean
Remove pan from steamer and let it cool for at least 4 hrs before cutting
Use a plastic scraper or plastic knife to get a smooth cut

Notes

Kueh Salat is best eaten within 1 or 2 days.
If kept in fridge, steam kueh to soften it before eating.