| One of my favourite hobbies is baking western and | | | | creating desserts for the family as afternoon snack |
| making Asian desserts and that is why I get frequent | | | | and these kuihs also made use of fruits such as |
| requests to make sweet or savoury goodies for a | | | | bananas, sweet potatoes or jackfruit. |
| gathering or a function. | | | | You can get these recipes on the internet but many of |
| When I was learning about baking and making | | | | the authentic ones are limited and written in Malay |
| desserts, I dedicated a day in the week, when I was | | | | language. Allow me to share one favourite recipe of |
| not working, to learn and to try different recipes. At the | | | | mine called Kuih Ondeh-Ondeh Keledek. Made largely |
| end of the year, I would have done 52 different new | | | | from sweet potato, the ball is stuffed with melted palm |
| recipes, and usually at weekends I would drop in on | | | | sugar and rolled into grated coconut. Deliciously moist |
| some friends or relatives with these goodies. | | | | when you bite intothe goeey filling. |
| It made me really happy to see their gratified faces | | | | Ingredients |
| when they tasted the goodies. The ones that usually | | | | 625g white sweet potatoes (steamed till tender) |
| get the top votes, are the Asian traditional Malay | | | | 3 tbsp thick pandan juice (squeezed from pandan leaf |
| desserts which are probably still less known amongst | | | | or screwpine leaf) |
| foodies in US, Europe or Australia. | | | | 2 tbsp tapioca flour |
| If you are a foodie and you can go weak with | | | | 2 tbsp wheat flour |
| chocolates and cheesecake, you will want to know | | | | 125g palm sugar or gula melaka, crushed |
| about these desserts which we call Malay kuihs. They | | | | 2 tsp granulated sugar |
| originate from the deep villages of Indonesia and | | | | Pinch of salt |
| Malaysia and have now emerged in big cities and | | | | ¼ of a large coconut (to grate without skin) |
| served at hotels and restaurants. | | | | Method: Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Peel the |
| While many people enjoy eating them, very few know | | | | sweet potatoes and mash well. Then mix the pandan |
| how to make them and what ingredients go into these | | | | juice and sifted flours. Knead into a smooth dough. Roll |
| delicious and delicate desserts. If you think that | | | | dessert spoonfuls of dough and flatten. |
| chocolate cakes, cheesecakes, moist puddings and | | | | Mix together both the granulated sugar and the palm |
| fudgy brownies are the ultimate sinful foods, you have | | | | sugar. Place a piece of sugar mixture in the center of |
| been deprived! | | | | the dough ball. Join opposite ends together, press |
| Malay kuihs use basic ingredients from flour made | | | | slightly and roll into a ball. Drop into boiling water and |
| from yam or tapioca or beans, and a good measure | | | | cook till they float. Drain. Mix together the grated |
| of palm sugar and coconut - either as grated coconut | | | | coconut and salt on a tray or flat plate. Roll in the |
| or milk. These days coconut milk is substituted with | | | | cooked kuih altogether and pack in the grated coconut |
| cream or fresh milk for dietary reason. The kicker is in | | | | till the external is covered. |
| combining different flours and create layers of | | | | Serve when it is cooler otherwise the melted hot palm |
| different tastes and colours. | | | | sugar will burn your tongue. |
| In those days, the old womenfolks were resourceful in | | | | |