← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 500 g Glutinous (sticky) rice, rinsed
• 1½ tbsp ground turmeric (or 5 cm fresh turmeric, pounded)
• 1 piece of asam keping (optional)
• 200 ml Coconut milk
• 1 tsp Salt
• 10 white peppercorns (optional)
• 4 Pandan leaves, knotted

Method

1. Cover the rice with water, stir in the turmeric (and asam keping, which keeps the colour bright) and soak for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain and rinse lightly. Mix the coconut milk with the salt.
3. Line a steamer tray with the pandan, spread the rice over in an even layer and tuck in the peppercorns. Steam over high heat for 20 min.
4. Pour the coconut milk evenly over the rice, fork it through and steam for another 20–25 min, until the grains are soft, sticky and glossy.
5. Serve warm with chicken curry, rendang or Nyonya pongteh, or press into a mould for a festive centrepiece.

Tips

• Turmeric stains everything: use a glass or steel bowl and wear gloves if you are pounding fresh roots.
• Nyonya families serve it with chicken curry for a baby’s full-month celebration; Malay families with rendang at weddings.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Huang Kitchen Nomadette