Pandan Coconut Steamed Muffins is a variation of Huat Kueh, a popular chinese style steamed cake. This is an amazingly refreshing light steamed rice cake, flavoured with fragrant pandan (screw pine) and filled with candied shredded coconut. An impressive way to add a fresh twist to the traditional steamed Huat Kueh. Enjoy!
Watch How To Make Pandan Coconut Steamed Muffins (Huat Kueh) 香兰椰丝发糕
A Symbol of Prosperity: Huat Kueh, Steamed Rice Cake
Huat Kueh (发糕), a form of steamed rice cake, is a cake that signifies good luck and prosperity. Why is this so? The signature cracked opening of each of the Huat Kueh symbolises just that: Huat (发), which means Prosperity in chinese. There are many variations to this steamed rice cake. This Huat Kueh recipe is definitely one of the special ones.
Traditional Huat Kueh Recipe With A Twist
Pandan Coconut Steamed Muffins is a variation of refreshing light steamed rice cake, flavoured with fragrant pandan (screw pine) and filled with candied shredded coconut. This sweet dessert, with a twist, is definitely an impressive way to make a difference to a traditional steamed Huat Kueh.
Amazing Combination of Pandan and Gula Melaka Coconut Filling
There’s something exquisite about the aroma of pandan in these Pandan Coconut Huat Kueh. The scent is so fresh and airy, sweet and piney and its similar to vanilla without the woodiness. The candied shredded coconut filling on the other hand is prepared using freshly shredded coconut cooked in aromatic palm sugar (also known as Gula Melaka). The addition of Gula Melaka gives the coconut a deliciously sweet and deep caramel flavour. A good blend of pandan, palm sugar and coconut flavours in these light and soft Huat Kueh give these steamed rice cakes an absolutely amazing aroma, just the way I like them.
As always, ENJOY!
Pandan Coconut Steamed Muffins 香兰椰丝发糕
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Ingredients
Palm Sugar Coconut filling:
- 400 grams coconut,, grated
- 150 gram palm sugar, gula melaka
- 2 cups water
- 3 pandan leaves, screwpine leaves, knotted
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp water
Fermented rice ( Starter Dough)
- 250 grams cooked rice, cooled
- 1 piece sweet wine yeast, crushed
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
Cake batter:
- 500 grams rice flour
- 30 grams Tapioca flour
- 250 grams sugar
- 600 ml water, infused with green pandan juice
- 2 tsp eno salt
- To start, first cook the coconut filling so have ready all the ingredients needed.
- Begin by preparing palm sugar syrup. Place palm sugar and knotted pandan/screw pine leaves in a pot of water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to simmer till palm sugar has dissolved.
- When done, remove knotted pandan/screw pine leaves from the palm sugar syrup.
- Then using a strainer, filter the palm sugar syrup into a clean wok or saucepan.
- Then stir in sugar.
- Next, add in the grated coconut.
- Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent coconut filling from being burnt and to ensure the grated coconut is well mixed.
- Then mix in a little flour solution.
- Remove the coconut filling from heat and set aside to cool before using.
- Next prepare to make fermented rice. Have ready the ingredients needed.
- Crush the sweet wine yeast biscuit.
- Mix the crushed sweet wine yeast, sugar and water into the cooked rice.
- Cover and set aside at room temperature but away from direct heat) for 48 hours.
- And we’re done! You can start to use the fermented rice after 48 hours. We are now ready to make the cake batter.
- Have ready all ingredients needed to make the cake batter.
- First blend pandan/screw pines leaves with some water.
- Using a strainer, strain to get the green pandan juice.
- Top up pandan juice with water till 600 ml.
- Place fermented rice and half of the pandan juice into a blender.
- Blend till fine.
- Then combine all the dry ingredients for cake batter except eno in a large bowl.
- Add in the blended fermented rice.
- Next, add in balance of the pandan juice and stir to mix well.
- Strain the flour mixture.
- Cover and leave aside at room temperature for another 11 hours. And we are done with the cake batter!
- To steam the Huat Kueh, first prepare steamer by boiling some water over high heat.
- Line cups with cupcake liners.
- Add ENO salt into cake batter, stir well and leave aside for 5 minutes.
- Using an ice-cream scoop, pour 1 tablespoon cake batter into lined cups.
- Then place 1 tablespoon coconut filling in the centre of each cup.
- Top to cover each cup till almost full with cake batter. And we’re ready to steam the Huat Kueh!
- Place the filled cups in the prepared steamer.
- Cover and steam over HIGH heat for 15 minutes.
- And we’re done! This cake must be steam over HIGH heat in order to get the crack (smiling) effect.
- Leave the Huat Kueh to cool for 5 minutes before removing from cups.
- Then remove from cups and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
- These Huat Kueh tastes so good with the soft and chewy texture, sweet winery aroma and aromatic palm sugar coconut filling. They are best served hot or warm as a snack. So Enjoy!
4 comments
Hello Angie,
This looks so yummy, I am very keen to try it out.
Where can I get the sweet wine yeast ? Can replace with instant yeast ?
The sweet wine yeast is readily available in the Chinese medical shop. The ones that sells Chinese herbs. I think its also available in the Chinese sundry shops as well. Don’t think you can replace with instant yeast for this recipe as the taste may not be the same. Thanks
This looks so nice and I’m curious about trying out the recipe, but I think you missed the measurement for the added sugar in the recipe?
Hi, you can see the entire recipe in my website at //www.huangkitchen.com