Pulut Tai Tai

I've not seen this kueh, nor tried it before. However, the name would have told you it's malay, it's a kind of kueh, and maybe, it's Nonya? Yes, Pulut Tai Tai, also known as Blue Glutinous Rice Cakes is a traditional Nonya wedding specialty. Why my sudden interest in this nonya kueh? Actually it was not. I was more interested to use up my remaining glutinous rice than anything else! I happened to come across this step-by-step recipe featured in "Food & Travel" magazine dated Sep 2008.

I did not even try to find out more about this food, or compared other recipes, I decided to try this and to use up my glutinous rice. At the same time, my colleague gave me some Blue Pea flowers (Bunga Telang) which is a natural flower dye used in many nonya kuehs. So I wanted very much to use the flowers for colouring. Hence, I decided to try this recipe.


Here's the recipe to share with you.

Pulut Tai Tai (Blue Glutinous Rice Cakes)
Makes about 20 slices of 1" each

Ingredients:
500g Glutinous Rice, rinsed
12-13pcs Blue Pea Flowers*
250g Thick Coconut Milk
1 Banana Leaf (I didn't use this)
Kaya, for spreading

Method:

1. Divide the glutinous rice into 2 bowls, one with 3/4 amount and the other 1/4. Fill each bowl with water until it covers the rice. Drop the food colouring into the 3/4 bowl and stir well. Allow the rice in both bowls to soak overnight.

2. Steam both bowls of glutinous rice separately for 30 to 40mins or until soft.

3. Separately, mix the 3/4 bowl with 175g coconut milk and 75g for the 1/4 bowl. Then steam again for 20 minutes.


4. Cut and clean banana leaf and place them on the bottom of a 10 x 30 x 4 cm cake mould. (As I couldn't get the banana leaf last minute, I used aluminum foil instead).

5. Spread one layer of blue glutinous rice on top of the banana leaf, then layered it with kaya spread. Spread another layer with the white glutinous rice followed by kaya and finish off with another layer of blue glutinous rice. Cover with the banana leaf and set aside to cool.


6. Wrap a knife with cling wrap, to prevent it from sticking, then cut the cake into smaller portions.

* Mix the blue pea flowers with 100g water, then squeeze the flowers until desired colour is obtained. Strain and remove flowers thereafter. If flower is not available, royal blue food colouring is used in its place. 6 to 8 drops of royal blue colouring may be used.

Actually, for most recipes, the kaya is eaten separately with the rice cake. I think it's supposed to be dipped or spread on top of the rice cake. As I found it quite troublesome to keep taking out the kaya to eat with the rice, I decided to spread them in between the layers.

Here are a few other recipes which you can make reference to.
Nonya Kueh Recipes
Fad About Food
Nibbledish