Kuih Talam

Actually I think it has been more than 2 decade that I had this kuih kuih. One day I was feeling bored so as i was browsing through the website on kuih kuih and saw this post by Corner Cafe. Look easy so decided to try that out. It was a great success and most of my friend mistook it as 'maijong' chinese playing tiles with the way I cut it. I like the taste of this not too sweet on the green layer and not to savory on the white layer. Some people felt weird like my housemate from China, they felt that it was funny to have 2 kinds of taste in a piece of kuih kuih. For this kuih kuih , I did not add alkaline water as they do not sell it here in Australia anymore. Anyway what different does the alkaline water makes? Well alkaline water will make the texture more 'Q' springy. It turn out just as great even without it and is more healthy.

Ingredients:

Green Layer

• 50g      Rice flour
• 15g       Mung bean starch (hoen kwee flour)
• 70ml     Water
• 1/3 tsp   Alkaline water (lye water)
• 85g        White granulated sugar
• 180ml     Thin coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp    Pandan paste

White Layer

• 30g         Mung bean starch (hoen kwee flour)
• 15g         Rice flour
• 1 tsp       White granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp     Salt
• 150ml      Thin coconut milk
• 75ml        Thick coconut milk
• 2              Pandan leaves, torn & knotted

Green Bottom Layer:
1. Mix rice flour and mung bean starch in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour in water and mix into a batter without any lumps. Stir in alkaline water.
2. Put sugar, thin coconut milk and pandan paste (or pandan juice) in a saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and it just comes to a slow boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour slowly into the flour mixture, stirring at the same time to mix well.
3. Heat the prepared pan in the steamer until hot.
4. Pour the green batter into the hot pan in the steamer and stir until the bottom of the batter starts to set, about 2-3 minutes. Stop stirring and cover the steamer. Steam over high heat for about 15 minutes, or until set.

White Top Layer:

1. Mix mung bean starch, rice flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour in thin coconut milk and mix into a batter without any lumps. Set aside this white batter.

2. When the bottom layer is almost done, pour the white batter into a saucepan and add thick coconut milk and pandan leaves. Cook over moderate heat for about 1 minute, stirring gently all the time to avoid any bubbles forming, until the bottom just starts to set. Remove pandan leaves.

3. When the green bottom layer is set, lightly scratch the surface with a fork. Then pour the white batter on top of the set green layer. Steam over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, or until set.

Maijong tiles

 This is the final product of my first try out, forgot to turn it over after taking out of the tray so allowed others to mistook that as 'maijong' tiles. While it still tasted just as great till no leftover.

Ready to be steam 

Scratch it with a fork or knife

Bottom layer set

Its ready

Kuih Talam

Then I was told for this kuih kuih, I am suppose to cut it in a diamond shape therefore I made it again on another occasion. I think was for my Aunt MIL death anniversary, I shared it with other and they all love it so the effort paid off.