To Begin
Add 2 tbsp water into red food colouring and mix well. In a bowl, add red food colouring mixture with water chestnuts, mixing well to ensure each cube of water chestnuts are coated with colouring. Allow to sit for a while until they are evenly coloured.
Stir in half the tapioca flour and combine well until each piece of water chestnut is well coated. Scoop them out and lightly spray with water before coating them with the other half of tapioca flour. Place coated water chestnuts into a colander and lightly shake off excess flour.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Carefully ladle in coated water chestnuts and cook for 1 min. Remove them once they float to the surface and transfer them to a bowl of cold, iced water.
In a small saucepan, pour in water, sugar and coconut milk and heat through over medium flame until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool down.
To serve, pour some syrup into a serving cup or bowl. Add crushed ice and cooked water chestnuts.
Dessert
Indonesian Sweet Thick Pancake (Martabak Manis)
To Prep
Add sugar into a bowl of warm milk and stir until dissolved. Pour in yeast and allow to stand for 10 mins until mixture begins to foam.
In a large mixing bowl, stir in flour, salt and baking powder until combined. Create a well in the centre and crack in eggs. Gently whisk the eggs and stir into the flour. Gradually pour in milk-yeast mixture while stirring to combine until a smooth and thick batter is achieved. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and set aside in a warm area for 30 mins. The batter will have air bubbles all over at the end of the stand time.
To Cook
Brush some melted butter over a non-stick pan (12-inch) and heat over medium fire. Pour in the batter and swirl the pan to evenly spread out the batter across the base of the pan and also to the sides. Leave to cook on medium-low heat until bubbles begin to form on the pancake’s surface. This will take around 10 mins. Carefully lift the bottom of the pancake to check the colour. It should be golden brown.
Sprinkle sugar evenly across the pancake and cover the pan. Leave to cook for another 15 mins over low heat.
The pancake should be all puffed up once ready. Transfer the pancake to a large plate and brush about ¼ cup of melted butter across the pancake’s surface. Top with hazelnut spread, chocolate chips or sprinkles (or a combination!). Sprinkle some roasted peanuts and cheese. Drizzle some condensed milk across the pancake. Fold the pancake into half and brush more melted butter on the browned surface of the pancake. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut and serve warm.
Orange Lapis Surabaya Cake
To Begin
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Place egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat for 10 mins on high speed. Meanwhile, whisk butter until light and fluffy. Set aside. Once the eggs are ready, turn the speed down and sift in flour and milk powder. Add vanilla extract and orange zest. Then, fold in butter. Divide the mixture into 3 equal portions. Mix in cocoa powder into one of the mixture portions. Stir to mix well.
Pour each mixture portions into 3 different trays lined with baking paper. You can use an 8” or 6” round trays, 8” or 6” square trays or 7.9” x 4.3” loaf pans. Bake them at 180°C for 35 mins.
Once ready, leave to cool. Then, spread a layer of blueberry jam over the top of the cocoa cake and a layer over one of the orange cakes. Setting the orange cake with blueberry jam as your base, place the cocoa cake on top and finally, stack on the orange cake that’s without any jam.
Trim the edges and serve.
Sweet Sticky Corn in Coconut Milk (Kaow-Pod Piek)
To Cook
Boil a pot of water over medium heat, add the corn kernels. Continually stir until they are cooked.
Add sugar into the pot and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the tapioca flour and 2 cups of water. Stir until the mixture is well combined.
Slowly add the flour mixture into the pot and then stir until the flour mixture turns thick and clear. Remove from heat and set aside to cool down.
Boil coconut milk and salt in another pot over low heat and stir continuously. When the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat.
When everything is well mixed, transfer the corn kernels to serving bowl. Top the corn kernels with coconut milk. Serve.
Chinese Steamed Egg Custard
To Cook
Combine the water and rock sugar in to a saucepan and cook under medium heat until the sugar has dissolved before letting it cool.
Beat the eggs before adding in the milk and the cooled syrup and mixing.
Pour the custard mixture through a fine sieve and in to ramekins or bowls that can be used to steam with.
Wrap each individual serving in cling film and place in to a steamer to steam for about 8 mins.
Once the custard has cooked, remove it from the steamer and let it cool and set for at least 15 mins.
Matcha and Red Bean Mochi
To Prep
On a baking tray, sprinkle potato starch liberally. Set aside.
Measure 2 tsp of red bean paste and gently roll into a ball. You will need 6 balls in total. Set aside.
To Cook
In a medium-sized, microwaveable bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, water and sugar until well combined.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap, leaving a small gap on the side to allow steam to escape. Microwave for 2 mins.
Carefully fold over cling wrap and with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, quickly stir the dough to loosen. Cover the bowl again and microwave for 1 min.
Remove cling wrap, pour in the matcha paste and quickly stir into the dough until distributed evenly.
Tip hot dough onto the tray with potato starch. Gently roll the mochi dough over to cover entire surface with starch. Cut dough into 6 equal portions.
Cover hands liberally with starch, then flatten 1 piece of mochi dough to approximately 4 cm across. Place dough on one palm and brush off excess starch on the top surface. Place ball of red bean paste on the dough. Pinch opposite sides of the dough to seal in the red bean. Roll in between your palms to form a ball and place mochi on the starched tray.
Repeat with remaining dough and red bean paste.
Once completed, brush off access starch on the surface and place mochi on a serving dish. Serve with a cup of Japanese tea.
Houjicha and Black Sesame Mochi
To Prep
On a baking tray, sprinkle potato starch liberally. Set aside.
Combine black sesame and red bean pasta in a small bowl. Measure 2 tsp of paste and gently roll into a ball. You will need 6 balls in total. Set aside.
To Cook
In a medium-sized, microwaveable bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, water and sugar until well combined.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap, leaving a small gap on the side to allow steam to escape. Microwave for 2 mins.
Carefully fold over cling wrap and with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, quickly stir the dough to loosen. Cover the bowl again and microwave for 1 min.
Remove cling wrap, pour in the houjicha paste and quickly stir into the dough until distributed evenly.
Tip hot dough onto the tray with potato starch. Gently roll the mochi dough over to cover entire surface with starch. Cut dough into 6 equal portions.
Cover hands liberally with starch, then flatten 1 piece of mochi dough to approximately 4 cm across. Place dough on one palm and brush off excess starch on the top surface. Place ball of black sesame paste on the dough. Pinch opposite sides of the dough to seal in the paste. Roll in between your palms to form a ball and place mochi on the starched tray.
Repeat with remaining dough and red bean paste.
Once completed, brush off access starch on the surface and place mochi on a serving dish. Serve with a cup of Japanese tea.
Sencha Daifuku
To Prep
Steep 3 tea bags in 150ml hot water for 4 mins. Remove bags and allow tea to cool completely.
On a baking tray, sprinkle potato starch liberally. Set aside.
On a 10cm piece of cling wrap, place 3 tsp red bean paste and slightly flatten. Place a strawberry on the paste and using the cling wrap, gently move the paste to wrap around the fruit. Unwrap and set aside. Repeat with remaining strawberries and red bean paste.
To Cook
In a medium-sized, microwaveable bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, 80ml of sencha tea and sugar until well combined.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap, leaving a small gap on the side to allow steam to escape. Microwave for 2 mins.
Carefully fold over cling wrap and with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, quickly stir the dough to loosen. Cover the bowl again and microwave for 1 min.
Tip hot dough onto the tray with potato starch. Gently roll the mochi dough over to cover entire surface with starch. Cut dough into 3 equal portions.
Cover hands liberally with starch, then flatten 1 piece of mochi dough to approximately 6 cm across. Place dough on one palm and brush off excess starch on the top surface. Place red bean coated strawberry on the dough. Pinch opposite sides of the dough to seal in the red bean and strawberry. Roll in between your palms to form a ball and place mochi on the starched tray.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Once completed, brush off access starch on the surface and place mochi on a serving dish. Serve with a cup of Japanese tea.
Genmaicha and Red Bean Mochi
To Prep
On a baking tray, sprinkle kinako liberally. Set aside.
Measure 2 tsp of red bean paste and gently roll into a ball. You will need 6 balls in total. Set aside.
To Cook
In a medium-sized, microwaveable bowl, mix glutinous rice flour, water and sugar until well combined.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap, leaving a small gap on the side to allow steam to escape. Microwave for 2 mins.
Carefully fold over cling wrap and with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, quickly stir the dough to loosen. Cover the bowl again and microwave for 1 min.
Remove cling wrap, pour in the genmaicha paste and quickly stir into the dough until distributed evenly.
Tip hot dough onto the tray with kinako. Gently roll the mochi dough over to cover entire surface with kinako. Cut dough into 6 equal portions.
Cover hands liberally with kinako, then flatten 1 piece of mochi dough to approximately 4 cm across. Place dough on one palm and brush off excess kinako on the top surface. Place ball of red bean on the dough. Pinch opposite sides of the dough to seal in the red bean. Roll in between your palms to form a ball and place mochi on the tray.
Repeat with remaining dough and red bean paste.
Once completed, brush off access kinako on the surface and place mochi on a serving dish. Serve with a cup of Japanese tea.
Thai Shaved Ice (Nam-Kang-Sai)
To Prepare
In a medium bowl or two small bowls, layer the grass jelly, palm seed, young coconut, jackfruit and cubed bread. Add shaved ice. Top with milk, drizzle with sala syrup and serve.
Blue Butterfly Pea Onde Onde
Coconut Coating
Mix grated coconut with salt until well combined. Spread onto a plate and steam for 10 mins. Set aside to cool completely.
Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Extract
Combine blue butterfly pea flower powder with hot water. Set aside to cool.
Filling
Press 4g of shaved palm sugar into a ball. Place these onto a plate and set aside.
Dough
Fill a pot with 2L water, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Add pandan leaf and allow to infuse.
Mix together glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, oil and 75ml blue butterfly blue pea flower extract in a large mixing bowl, and knead well to combine.
Pinch out a golf ball-sized piece of dough and drop into the simmering water for 5 mins or until cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked dough and add it back into the rest of the dough and knead until smooth and pliable. If the dough is too sticky, add some more of either flours. If too dry, add droplets of blue extract as you knead.
Roll out 8g balls of dough and place them on a tray lined with baking paper.
Flatten the dough and place palm sugar in the middle, and then wrap with the dough and delicately shape it into a ball.
Drop the onde onde into the simmering water. Continue until all the dough and palm sugar has been used. If the dough has slightly dried, knead it to a pliable texture.
After the last onde onde is placed into the simmering water, leave them to boil for another 10 mins, and then turn off the heat. Allow the onde onde remain in the hot water for another 10 mins.
Carefully remove onde onde from the water using a slotted spoon a few at a time, and place it gently on to the grated coconut and coat evenly.
Allow to cool before serving.
Blue Butterfly Pea Kuih Lapis
To Prep
Grease a 20cm square or round cake pan and place in a steamer. Set over a large pan or wok filled with 5cm of water.
To Cook
In a saucepan, add caster sugar, water and pandan leaves. Bring to a boil and then strain and set aside to cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine tapioca flour, rice flour, coconut milk and cooled pandan syrup, mixing well until smooth.
Pour out 1L of batter into a medium-sized bowl. Add 4 tsp of the butterfly blue pea flower extract and mix well. Set aside remaining batter.
Heat the steamer and pan over medium heat, and then pour 200ml of blue batter into the pan and steam for 8 mins. Add 200ml of white batter for the next layer and steam for another 8 minutes. Repeat the process, alternating between white and blue batter, stirring the batter before pouring the next layer.
Finishing on a white layer, add another 1 tsp of blue butterfly pea flower extract to the remaining blue batter. Pour a final layer and steam for 8 mins.
Leave Kuih Lapis to cool completely before turning out onto a plate.
Grease a knife before slicing into the Kuih Lapis, and serve.