Bika Ambon

Recipe By Amy Beh

330ml thick coconut milk

100ml lukewarm water

50g plain flour

1 tsp instant yeast

150g rice flour

100g tapioca flour

250g castor sugar

180ml coconut water

5 egg yolks

½ tsp vanilla essence

¾ tsp salt

Put thick coconut milk in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil over very low heat. Remove and leave aside to cool completely.

Combine lukewarm water, flour and instant yeast in a small bowl and leave aside to froth.

Mix both flours, sugar, coconut water, egg yolks, essence and salt in a mixing bowl.

Add fermented yeast mixture and the cooled coconut milk to mix.

Leave mixture aside, covered with a damp tea towel to ferment for 2-3 hours.

Turn batter into a lightly greased tray and bake in preheated oven at 200°C and grill until the top of the cake is golden brown.

Kuih Goyang or Kuih Ros

Kuih Goyang or Kuih Ros

150ml thick coconut milk

50ml water

85g castor sugar

Pinch of salt

100g plain flour

45g rice flour

Enough oil for deep-frying

Combine coconut milk, water, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Combine the flours and sift into the bowl. Mix everything gradually together until the sugar dissolves. Strain the mixture to remove any lumps and leave aside to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Heat oil in a small saucepan and place the kuih ros mould in the hot oil. Remove and dip three-quarters of the mould into the batter. Take it out and put the batter-coated mould into the hot oil, reducing the heat to low. Once the batter is semi-set, slowly release the kuih ros from the mould with a pair of chopsticks.

Allow the kuih ros to fry in the oil until golden brown. Dish out and drain on several layers of paper towels. Leave them to cool then store in an airtight container.

Red Bean Talam Kuih

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

200g rice flour

1 Tbsp tapioca flour

1 Tbsp green bean flour (lok tau fun)

150ml water

100ml thick coconut milk

1/8 tsp rose pink colouring

Syrup

150ml water

125g castor sugar

½ tsp salt

2 screwpine leaves, knotted

Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, green bean flour, water and thick coconut milk in a mixing bowl. Strain the batter to remove any lumps. Add colouring to mixture.

Put sugar, salt, water and screwpine leaves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and heat until sugar dissolves. Strain the syrup into the batter to mix. Add 2 tablespoons of cooked red beans to the batter. Cook the batter over low heat for 1 minute.

Red Bean Layer

60g red beans, soaked for several hours

100g rice flour

1 Tbsp tapioca flour

100ml water

50ml thick coconut milk

Syrup

100g castor sugar

100ml water

1 tsp salt

2 screwpine leaves, knotted

Pressure-cook the red beans until soft. Drain the beans and set aside.

Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, water and thick coconut milk in a mixing bowl.

Put sugar, salt, water and screwpine leaves in a saucepan. Bring to a simmering boil and heat ingredients until sugar dissolves. Strain the syrup into the batter. Add remaining beans to mix. Cook the batter over a low heat for 1–2 minutes.

Lightly grease a 22cm square cake tin. Warm the tin in the steamer for 1–2 minutes. Pour in two-thirds of the pink batter and steam over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes. After the batter has set, add the red bean batter. Steam for 10-15 minutes. Add remaining pink batter and continue to steam for 30–40 minutes over medium-low heat until the kuih is firm. Remove and leave to cool completely before cutting into slices.

Sago Layered Kuih

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

Green Layer (A)

200g rice flour

150g tapioca flour

500ml thick coconut milk

¼ tsp salt

1 Tbsp pandan juice

Syrup

200g castor sugar

200ml water

2 screwpine leaves, knotted

Combine rice flour and tapioca flour in a mixing bowl. Add coconut milk and salt. Mix, then leave aside for 10 minutes. Strain the batter to remove any lumps.

Put sugar, water and screwpine leaves in a saucepan. Bring to a simmering boil – ensure all the sugar dissolves. Strain the syrup and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Mix syrup and rice flour batter together. Add pandan juice to mix.

Sago Layer (B)

150g rice flour

80g tapioca flour

200ml water

250ml thick coconut milk

1/8 tsp lemon yellow colouring

30g sago, soaked

Syrup

175g castor sugar

150ml water

2 screwpine leaves, knotted

Soak sago for 10–15 minutes until plumped. Drain and cook in a saucepan with 1 cup water for 1–2 minutes. When sago turns transparent, drain and rinse under running water. Drain and put aside.

Combine rice flour and tapioca flour. Add water and thick coconut milk, and mix well.

In a saucepan, bring sugar, water and screwpine leaves to a simmering boil for 2–3 minutes and heat until sugar dissolves completely. Strain and leave to cool slightly.

Add syrup into the batter to mix. Stir in sago and mix in colouring.

Heat a 22cm square cake pan in a steamer for 5–6 minutes. Pour in one ladleful of green coloured batter into the prepared pan. Steam for 4–5 minutes.

Add another ladleful of sago or yellow batter over the green layer. Steam for 4-5 minutes.

Alternate the layers until you come to the final green coloured layer. Steam for 30-40 minutes over a medium-low heat until the top layer is set. Remove and leave to cool completely before cutting into slices.

Huat Kuih (Fatt Koh)

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

400g rice flour
200g castor sugar
1 tsp ENO salt
1 tsp double-action baking powder
440ml water
3½ Tbsp fermented yeast rice (see below)

For the fermented yeast rice

250g cooked rice
2 tsp crushed wine yeast biscuit (chow paeng)
1 Tbsp castor sugar
2-3 Tbsp water