Nyonya Kueh Talam

Nyonya Kueh Talam, or Tray Cake, is a two-layer cake of different colours and tastes. Traditionally from Indonesia, rice flour, coconut milk and pandan leaves are used. However, we added green bean flour, cornflour, and tapioca flour to the mix and cure it with lye water for a more "bouncy" textured bottom layer.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings: 8 People

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Asian, Nyonya

Calories: 300

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

Bottom Layer (A)

25 g Green/Mung Bean Flour
30 g Rice Flour
30 g Tapioca Flour
70 g Corn Flour
170 g Granulated Sugar (120g for less sweet)
300 ml Thick Coconut Milk
4 Stalks Pandan Leaves or Pandan Essence
300 ml Water (Blend with Pandan Leaves and extract juice)
1½ tsp Lye Water
Green food colouring (Optinal)

Top Layer (B)

10 g Green/Mung Bean Flour
10 g Rice Flour
30 g Corn Flour
180 ml Thick Coconut Milk
200 ml Water
¾ tsp Salt (Use ½tsp for less salty taste)

Equipment

Kitchen Scale
Measuring Cup
Baking Pan 8" Square 2" Deep
Food Steamer 12" Diameter

Method

Blend pandan leaves with 300 ml of water. Extract 300 ml pandan juice. Use a fine filter or tea leave filter bag.
Put all ingredients (Bottom Layer A) into a sauce pan and mix well. Prepare and heat up a food steamer.
Heat up the mixture in sauce pan on low heat, while continue stirring until mixture is slightly thicken, when small translucent lumps form, immediatel remove from heat.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan, and if bubble forms, pop them out. Then steam at medium heat for 30 minutes.
While bottom layer A is steaming, Put all ingredients (Top Layer B) into a sauce pan and mix well.
After steaming for 30 minutes, open the steamer lid, then check if the surface of the kueh is wet. If so, pat the surface with a piece of cloth or paper towel to get rid of excess water. Then scratch the surface with a fork, so that the top layer will fuse to the bottom later.
Heat up top layer mixture on low heat, while continue stirring for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from heat. Then pour the mixture on top of the bottom layer, and pop any bubble formed. Then steam at hight heat for 20 minutes until top layer is cooked and firm and not sticky.
Remove baking pan from steamer and leave it to cool.
Remvoe Nyonya Kueh Talam from pan and cut into diamond-shaped serving pieces.

Notes

If pandan leaves are not available, use pandan essence.

Equipment List

Kitchen Scale. Use a digital scale, so that we can measure ingredients accurately.
Food Steamer. You need a large steamer to fit a baking tray, and a 12" diameter steamer is preferable.
Baking Pan. Use an 8" square pan or 10" round pan, 2" deep. However, do not use aluminum type, as it will be tarnished. Use a stainless steel one instead. This is because we use lye water in our bottom layer for a "bouncy" chewy texture.