Hands up those of you who were never really into cooking or baking but have become domestic goddesses during Singapore’s circuit breaker period. Well, that comes as no surprise as we’ve seen flour fly off the supermarket shelves over the past two months.
If you, like us, have been experimenting in the kitchen more often than usual, then you’ll be keen to try making more local desserts like muah chee that’s really easy to make in five easy steps because really, no one likes (too much) kitchen mess.
Check out other local dessert recipes below try below and share all your photos by tagging us @herworldsingapore on Instagram and tagging #HerWorldWithYou. We look forward to seeing all your pics!
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
For the chendol*
100g pandan leaves, chopped
650ml water
50g mung bean flour
40g rice flour
10g tapioca flour
½ tsp salt
1 drop of green colouring
*You can also buy ready-made chendol from the chilled section at Fairprice.
For the syrup
200g palm sugar (gula melaka)
100ml water
Sugar, to taste
For the condiments
100g red beans, soaked overnight and drained
200ml water
1 packet palm seeds (attap chee)
Ice shavings
500g coconut milk, chilled and with a dash of salt stirred in
DIRECTIONS
1 To make the chendol, blend the pandan leaves and water in a blender. Strain to collect the pandan water in a bowl. Toss the rest of the ingredients into the pandan water and mix well.
2 Transfer the mixture into a pot and cook over low heat. Stir constantly for 8-10min, until the mixture is slightly doughy. Remove from heat and set aside.
3 Place a mould with holes or a slotted spoon over a basin of ice water. Scoop some of the dough onto the mould and press with a spatula. Allow it to drop into the basin to create green strings. When the dough is used up, drain the ice water and set the chendol aside.
4 To make the syrup, boil the palm sugar and water in a pot, for 5-8min, until the palm sugar dissolves. Add sugar to taste. Strain to remove any grit from the palm sugar and set aside.
5 To prepare the condiments, boil the red beans in the water in another pot over low heat. Stir occasionally, until the water has dried up. Set aside to cool.
6 Layer desired amounts of red beans, palm seeds, and chendol in a bowl. Top with ice shavings, palm sugar syrup and coconut milk. Serve.
Read more: REVIEW: 5 best chendol in Singapore
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
For the filling
40ml water
180g palm sugar (gula melaka)
250g grated coconut
¼ tsp salt
For the batter
160g plain flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1 egg
¾ tsp salt
400ml water
80ml coconut milk
¼ tsp green colouring
¼ tsp pandan flavour
Cooking oil, for coating the pan
DIRECTIONS
1 To make the filling, bring the water to a boil in a pot, over low heat. Add the palm sugar and stir for 5-8min until it dissolves.
Remove from heat and strain to remove any grit from the palm sugar.
2 In a wok, fry the grated coconut with the palm sugar syrup and salt until the mixture becomes dry, about 5min. Set aside.
3 To make the batter, whisk all the ingredients for it, except the cooking oil, in a bowl, until smooth.
4 Heat a non-stick pan over low heat. When it’s hot, coat it with a little cooking oil.
5 Remove the pan from heat and pour two ladles of batter on it. Swirl the pan to spread the batter into an even, thin pancake. Let it cook for 2-3min, until the pancake is slightly translucent and turns a darker shade of green. Transfer the pancake to a plate and let it cool. Repeat until the batter is used up.
6 Place 2 tbsp of the filling slightly below the centre of each pancake. Fold over the pancake to cover the filling, then fold in the sides and roll it up. Serve.
Read more: REVIEW: 5 best restaurants to go for authentic Peranakan food in Singapore
Makes 35
INGREDIENTS
75g sweet potato, peeled and washed
125g glutinous rice flour
25g rice flour
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp canola oil
125ml warm water
1/5 tsp green food colouring
150ml gula melaka, finely chopped
125g grated white coconut
DIRECTIONS
1 Boil sweet potatoes until soft. Place them in a large mixing bowl and add the rice flour, salt and oil.
2 Add in the warm water a little at a time and knead well till a ball of dough is formed. Add the green colouring and mix well.
3 Roll a little dough in your palm to form a ball with a diameter about the size of a 50-cent coin. Make a small well in the centre of the ball and fill with gula melaka. Pinch it to seal it, and then roll into a ball again. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
4 In a pot of boiling water, cook the ondeh-ondeh until they float. Remove and drain excess water.
5 Gently coat the balls with grated coconut and serve.
Read more: The 3 best old-school bakeries for handmade ang ku kueh in Singapore
Serves 4–6
INGREDIENTS
1 cup glutinous rice flour* cup water
6 tbsp peanut oil
2-3 shallots, sliced into rings
250g unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
4 tbsp sesame seeds
6 tbsp fine sugar
DIRECTIONS
1 Mix the glutinous rice flour and water until smooth.
2 Heat the peanut oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the shallots over low heat until brown, to flavour the oil. Discard the shallots and leave the oil in the pan.
3 Pour the glutinous flour mixture slowly into the pan over a low flame. Cook for 10-15min, stirring constantly, until the dough becomes smooth and thick, but wobbly. Remove from heat and let it cool.
4 Mix the peanuts, sesame seeds and sugar in a bowl.
5 Cut the cooled dough into bite-sized pieces using tongs and scissors. Coat evenly with the peanut mixture. Serve.
Read more: Simple soon kueh recipe (with step-by-step photos!)
Makes an 8-inch cake
INGREDIENTS
10 egg whites
¾ tsp cream of tartar
6 egg yolks
170g Hong Kong fl our
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
200g sugar
120ml corn oil
180ml coconut milk
1 tsp pandan paste*
*A liquid which adds colour and flavour to chiffon cakes. Available at Phoon Huat outlets (including 171 Bencoolen Street, tel: 6338-1143) and www.redmart.com.
DIRECTIONS
1 Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.
2 Beat the egg whites and cream of tar tar in an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
3 In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, fl our, baking powder, salt, sugar, corn oil, coconut milk and pandan paste, and mix well.
4 Gently stir in the egg-white mixture.
5 Pour into a tube pan and bake for 50min.
6 Remove from oven, turn tube pan upside down and rest for 2 hours before removing the cake, so that it doesn’t stick to the sides.
Read more: REVIEW: The best 13 cakes of 2016 to buy
Serves 10
INGREDIENTS
For the sago diamonds
35ml boiling water
5 tbsp tapioca flour, plus extra for dusting and kneading
1 drop of red colouring
1 drop of green colouring
For the syrup
120g palm sugar (gula melaka)
60ml water
200g orange sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed
200g yellow sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed
200g yam, washed, peeled and cubed
3 pandan leaves, washed and knotted
800ml water
Sugar, to taste
500g coconut milk, chilled
DIRECTIONS
1 To make the sago diamonds, combine the boiling water and tapioca flour in a bowl. Stir with a pair of chopsticks until the mixture becomes a dough.
2 With your hands, knead the dough, dusting it with tapioca flour until it is not sticky. Divide the dough into two and add the red and green colouring in each half. Knead each half separately until the colour is well mixed.
3 Sprinkle some tapioca flour onto a flat surface and roll out the dough to about ½-inch thick. With a knife, cut out diamond-shaped pieces and sprinkle more tapioca fl our over. Set aside.
4 Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the sago diamonds. Stir until they float to the top. Remove pot from heat and drain. Pour in iced water, drain, and set aside.
5 To make the syrup, boil the palm sugar in the water in a pot until the sugar dissolves. Strain to remove any grit and set aside.
6 In a steamer, steam all the sweet potatoes and yam for 15min, until soft. Set aside.
7 In a pot, boil the pandan leaves in the water. Add the sweet potatoes and yam, and the syrup. Toss in sugar to taste, and keep stirring. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the sago diamonds and coconut milk. Continue stirring for 8min, then remove from heat. Serve in small bowls.
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
250g black glutinous rice, soaked overnight and drained
6 cups water
3 pandan leaves, washed and knotted
130g palm sugar (gula melaka)
400ml coconut milk
½ tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
1 In a pot, bring the soaked glutinous rice, water and pandan leaves to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the rice grains split open and the rice is tender, about 30-45min.
2 Add the palm sugar, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens, about 10-15min. If the mixture becomes too thick, add more water. Remove from heat and set aside.
3 In a pot, heat the coconut milk and salt, about 5min. Remove from heat and set aside.
4 Ladle the cooked glutinous rice into serving bowls and top each with 2 tsp of coconut milk. Serve immediately.
Read more: 5 new dessert cafes in Singapore for the most decadent sweets
Serves 10
INGREDIENTS
1kg yam, skinned and cubed
50ml vegetable oil
100g sugar
60 gingko nuts
For the water chestnut syrup
4 water chestnuts, chopped
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
Cornfl our, as desired
DIRECTIONS
1 In a steamer, steam the yam for an hour until they are soft and tender. Remove from heat and mash them up in a bowl.
2 Heat the vegetable oil in a wok. Add the mashed yam and sugar and mix well. Cook the mixture over low heat until it becomes a non-sticky paste, about 15min.
3 Scoop the paste into a big bowl and sprinkle the gingko nuts on top. Steam it again in the steamer, for 25min.
4 For the water chestnut syrup, combine the water chestnuts, water and sugar in a pot. Mix well and bring it to a boil over high heat.
5 Add the cornflour and remove from heat when the mixture has thickened.
6 To serve, place the yam paste into serving bowls and pour the water chestnut syrup over it.
Makes about 20 pieces
INGREDIENTS
1.2 litres water
230g palm sugar (gula melaka)
60g sugar
5 pandan leaves
110g plain flour
170g tapioca flour
2 tbsp food-grade lye water*
1 coconut, husk removed, grated and steamed with a pinch of salt for 5min
* Available at Phoon Huat and Kitchen Capers at #01-531F, Blk 71 Kallang Bahru, tel: 6392-0159.
DIRECTIONS
1 Combine 590ml water, palm sugar, sugar and pandan leaves in a pot and bring to the boil. Cook until the palm sugar and sugar dissolve. Set aside.
2 In another pot, combine the remaining water with the flours and mix well.
3 Combine the two mixtures, and strain. Stir in the lye water, and cook until the mixture thickens.
4 Pour into a tray, and steam for 25min.
5 Remove the kueh from the tray, cut into bite-sized pieces and coat with the grated coconut.
Read more: REVIEW: We hunt down the best coconut water in Singapore
Makes 20 portions
INGREDIENTS
5 frozen pratas
3 bananas, sliced to cm thickness
50g condensed milk
DIRECTIONS
1 Cook the prata according to instructions on the package, and cut each prata into 4 pieces.
2 Top each piece with 2 banana slices and drizzle over with condensed milk.
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This article was first published in Simply Her.
