Ma Lai Ko (Brown)

This is another challenge I have taken up after the first Wo Ku Kueh.. ma lai ko. I have always wanted to put my hands on it but is always put off by the amount of waiting time. Nevertheless I did it at last and was really happy with the result... took the recipe from a book called Nonya Kuih Passions by Andrew Kow. The entire kueh took about 17 hours (fermenting + steaming) to prepare.

The kueh is really nice not too sweet but a little bit oily. Overall really good and yummy.. so if I were to make it again, I will reduce the oil.

Here is the pipping hot and fragrant Ma Lai Ko:
See the beehive lines at the bottom of the kueh?


Recipe goes this way:
150g plain flour
35g sugar
100ml warm water
2tsp instant yeast

1. Mix all ingredients and set aside for 12 hours

50g flour
50g custard powder
20g milk powder
120g sugar
130g brown sugar
5 eggs
150g oil
2tsp alkaline water

2. Mix the above ingredients well and add into No. 1 and set aside for 5 hours

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate soda
150g oil

3. Mix the above ingredients to Number 2 and stir to mix well.
4. Pour mixture intoa 8' round bamboo basket lined with patchment paper. Steam on high fire for 45 mins.

Ma Lai Ko

Tried out Aunty Yochana's Ma Lai Ko. I altered the recipe abit. These Ma Lai Ko are so easy to make and yet so soft and yummy. I ate three at one go because they were so light.

Place Ma La Ko in steamer

Remove Ma Lai Ko when they are piping hot

Soft and Yummy Ma Lai Ko


Recipe goes this way
(A)
180 gm. brown sugar
5 eggs
1tsp pandan paste

(B)
120 gm. corn oil
130 gm. fresh milk

(C)
305 gm. plain flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of Soda

Method:

(1) Whisk (A) till sugar dissolves then add in (B) and mix till smooth. Add in (C) and mix well. Rest for 25 to 30 mins.
(2) Pour batter into any plastic moulds and steam at high heat for 15 mins. or until cooked.
Remove ma lai koh immediately while it is still hot.

Nine Layer Kueh 九层糕 (Jiu Cheng Gao)

Sis brought me my child-hood favourite kueh Jiu Cheng Gao or Nine Layer Kueh on Saturday from Bengawan Solo. Almost immediately, I was just behaving like an eagle swooping down on this irresistible "prey". She said she enjoyed looking at how I peeled them layer by layer and putting them in my mouth. She said I looked exactly how I looked when I was a little girl hee heee... well I always told her I am still a little child in everyone's eyes as long as I am not married ; )

I remembered watching my auntie's torturous effort - steaming the kueh layer by layer and I would help her stirred the mixture after she has added the colouriing in the mixture. The fond memories just flooded to my mind. I always wonder why this kueh always starts with a white layer and ended up a red layer. Would someone tell me why? Is there any auspicious string attached to this kueh?

Since I was so obsessed with this kueh lately, I "rummaged" my bookshelf and found a kueh muih book. I followed the recipe and made the kueh - recipe from the book but steps and methods based on my memory on how my aunty did hers.

Here is the kueh I made:




Recipe goes this way:
260g rice flour
115g tapioca flour
35g green pea flour
1350ml coconut milk
375g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 pandan leaves

1. Add rice flour, tapioca flour and green pea flour together. Add in 1000ml coconut milk and stir till well mixed. Sieve the mixture
2. Cook 350ml coconut milk with sugar, pandan leaves and salt and add into No. 1 when it is still hot.
3. Divide the mixture into 9 different bowls. Add colours... For me I added red, green, purple, orange, yellow, blue.
4. First layer is white and I use 7 X 7' tray and steam for 10 minutes. Subsequent layers steam the mixture for 5 minutes. Last layer is red and steam for 10 minutes.

Pandan Layer Cendol Kueh

I really like Aunty Yochana's blog. She has put in so much effort in making cakes, kuehs, cookies, desserts and then posting them in her blog. To me, she is my inspiration to move on to perfect my culinary skills. Thank you Aunty Yochana for being so wonderful.



Here is the wonderful pandan layer cendor kueh (recipe from Aunty Yochana) which I made yesterday afternoon for my charity sales:

Cendol Layer Ingredients:

65 gm. Rice flour
35 gm. Tapioca flour or Sago flour
100 gm. sugar
300 gm. thick coconut milk
200 gm. Water
1/4 tsp. salt
180 gm. cendol (to be added last)

Pandan Layer Ingredients:

50 gm. rice flour
15 gm. Tapioca flour or rice flour
50g sugar
220 gm. thick coconut milk
75 gm. water
1/4 tsp. salt
a few drops of pandan paste or green colouring

Method:

(1) Mix all the cendol layer ingredients into a pot except cendol. Stir and cook till it begins to thicken then add in the cendol and stir. Pour batter into an 8" square tin and steam over medium heat for 15 mins.
(2) Mix all the pandan layer into a mixing bowl. Stir and strain.
(3) When the cendol layer is cooked, pour the pandan layer mixture on top and continue to steam for another 20 mins. till cooked.
(4) Remove from steamer, leave to cool completely before slicing.
(50 Serve.