Recipe Description
The Peranakan Culture is a colourful culture that takes pride & patience in preparing their food to make it not only tastes good but looks good as well. Traditionally, the glutinous rice cake, the Angku Kuih ( Red Tortoise Cake) eaten during happy occasions, it comes in red colours and at times in yellow or orange due to the inclusion of yellow sweet potato into the dough.
I have decided to make the Kuih as colourful as they can be using liquid strains from fruits, vegetables and even edible leaves like the Pandan leaves thus signifying the colourful culture of the Babas & Nyonyas. Also, it certainly makes the Kuih looks more attractive, delicious & temptatious that one simply cannot resist and must take a bite!
In this recipe, I have made the cakes with 3 optional flavours – Mung Bean & desiccated coconut cooked with Gula Melaka which are both sweet and also, one with Yam Beans / Carrot & French Beans, thus giving it a salty & savoury taste. This is to allow those who do not fancy sweet cakes to enjoy a piece of the Angku kuih.
Recipe Ingredient
- Dough:
- 270 gm glutinous rice flour
- 20 gm tapioca flour
- 1 tbsp of castor sugar
- 2 tbsp of oil
- 60 gm sweet potatoes ( Optional )
- 100 ml Hot boiling water (depending on the texture of flour, the dough should be able to be kneaded till smooth and not stick to your hands).
- Colouring of the Dough:
- Thick juice of Pandan Leaf ( Green )
- Dragon fruit ( Fuchsia )
- Pea flower ( Blue )
- Yellow Sweet Potato ( Yellow )
- Purple Sweet Potato ( Purple )
- Beet-root ( Red )
- Mung Bean Filling: (Sweet)
- ½ cup of mung beans ( washed & soaked for 3 to 4 hours )
- 100 gm sugar ( to taste )
- 1 Pandan leaf
- 1 tbsp oil
- Coconut with Gula Melaka Filling: (Sweet)
- 250 gm fresh and young dessicated coconut
- 100 gm of Gula Melaka ( to taste )
- 20 gm dark brown sugar
- 80 gm hot water
- 1 Pandan leaf
- Yam Bean Filling: (Savory)
- 250 to 300 gm of shredded Yam Bean
- 3 tbsp of dried prawns
- 100 gm shredded carrot
- 100 gm of shredded french beans
- 1 tbsp of chopped garlic
- 2 to 3 small shallots – chopped
- 1 tsp chicken stock granules
- ½ tsp of white pepper
- Salt ( to taste )
- Oil to fry – 3 to 4 tbsp.
Instructions
- Clean & cut banana leaves into pieces of 9 cm X 8 cm. Lightly grease these leaves.
- Mix the glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, castor sugar, oil, and sweet potato together. Add in boiling water . Add in your colour strain / liquid . Knead the dough till the mixture becomes smooth and as per your preferred color of the Kuih.
- Divide dough into 20 pieces. Flatten each dough into 0.5 com and wrap your desired filling inside and make each into a dough ball.
- Lightly dust the mould with glutinous rice flour and press the dough ball into the mould. Lightly knock the moulded Angku kuih out.
- Place each Angku kuih onto a banana leaf and then, onto a tray.
- Steam the tray of Angku kuih over boiling water of low to medium heat .
- After steaming for 5 minutes, to open the cover and to make sure no water drips on to the kuih. To do the same at the next 5 minutes.
- Once cooked, to take out the tray of Kuih and brush each Kuih with a little bit of oil to give it a glossy look.
- Steam mung bean for 20 to 30 minutes till soft
- Blend till it becomes a paste
- In a wok, combine mung bean & sugar and oil. Stir on low medium heat till thick & do not stick in your hands.
- Cool it and shape into balls ( that can fit into each of your dough . The dough will depend on the size of the Angku kuih mould).
- Combine Gula Melaka, brown sugar, hot water, and pandan leaf into a pan over medium heat till the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the coconut and a small drop of rose essence.
- Once the liquid has dried up, take off from the fire.
- Divide the coconut filling into the portions that you would like to make the Kuih with this filling.
- Heat up oil in wok/pan and stir in garlic and shallots.
- Then add the dried prawns followed by the yam beans, carrot & french beans.
- Stir fry for about 5 minutes and add in chicken stock granules, salt and pepper till vegetables are soft and cooked.
- Leave to cool
- Once cooled , can be used as a savoury filling for the Angku Kuih.
may i know how many beet roots to use for making the red food colouring? thanks!
I tried this recipe and failed.The kuih is far too hard.I think it need double or triple the amount of water.have to chuck them all.
Hi Wei, we understand that some recipes are a bit more difficult to replicate. The amount of water suggested is the right amount. There are some factors that could lead to a tough dough. Once the water has been added to the dough, do knead it well enough until it’s soft, but to not over knead as the moisture will dissipate. After that, cover the rest of the dough with a wet cloth to rest, while shaping each kuih. We hope you will try again and happy cooking!