Lala's Kitchen

Another childhood favourite of mine is a Filipino steamed brown rice cake called Kutsinta. Kutsinta is sticky to touch, jelly-like and has a chewy consistency. I have made a sweetened version of Kutsinta where it is topped with freshly grated coconut. Eating his dessert takes me back to being a little girl at parties as it featured regularly on the dessert table.

Prep and Cooking Time – 22 minutes | Serves – 10 cakes

INGREDIENTS

EQUIPMENT

METHOD

Prepare your moulds by placing them on the Varoma tray and greasing them with either vegetable or canola oil. Set aside until ready to use.

Add the sugar and all flours to the TM bowl and mix 10 sec / speed 5. Scrape the sides of the bowl.

Add 200g water and lye water then mix 30 sec / speed 4. Using your spatula, gently stir the batter to check that there are no lumps and that everything is combined. Repeat this step if need be, otherwise pour the mixture into the moulds, about 3/4 full.

Once the TM bowl is empty of batter (no need to wash the bowl), return it to its base and add 500g of water. Place the TM lid on and sit the Varoma bowl and tray with the moulds inside it on top. Steam for 20 mins / Varoma / speed 4 or until the top is set when touched.

Allow the kutsinta to cool before removing them from their moulds. Serve at room temp or cold with freshly grated coconut.

NOTES AND VARIATIONS

I have made this recipe a few times and I have not always been successful in getting the Kutsinta out of the mould cleanly. So even if you’ve greased your moulds to make this, be prepared to use a butter knife to slice your kutsinta out of your moulds.

Lye water and glutinous flour can be found at decently stocked Oriental gourmet store. The lye water is what holds this cake together and also makes it sticky. With regards to the glutinous flour, you could mill glutinous rice in your Thermomix however I prefer the convenience of packaged flour.

Also using dried, desiccated coconut is not the same as using freshly grated coconut. You can find fresh shredded coconut in the freezer section of a decently stocked Oriental gourmet store.