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Purple Sweet Potato Kuih



K
uih are typical Malaysian cakes served any time of the day  and are more often steamed than baked.   The Malays refer to them as 'kuih' while the Chinese refer to them as 'gao'.  They are mostly made with rice, rice, tapioca and wheat starch flour, coconut milk and sugar but we do have some that are savoury.   I've heard that the best purple sweet potatoes are those from Indonesia and must admit that I was really taken in by their overwhelming colour.  To me, the Japanese  purple sweet potatoes come in second compared to their Indonesian counterparts.  Purple sweet potatoes have high contents of anthocyanin which is associated with a reduced cancer risk.  There are two categories of sweet potatoes, some are firm and dry like the purple sweet potatoes while some are soft and moist.  Read more about sweet potatoes, it's nutrients, benefits, etc......'here'.
















Recipe for Steamed purple sweet potato kuih

Ingredients
  • 500 gm purple sweet potatoes (net weight)
  • 210 gm granulated sugar
  • 300 gm tapioca flour
  • 50 gm wheat starch (tung mein fun)
  • 150 ml coconut milk
  • 350 ml water
  • 50 gm raw bits of sweet potatoes  (optional)
Method
  1. Boil the sweet potatoes in water till cooked.  Peel off the skin and mash to a paste.
  2. Combine tapioca flour, wheat starch and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Mix well.
  3. Stir in coconut milk and water to combine.
  4. Mix in the mashed sweet potatoes thoroughly to combine.
  5. Pour batter into an oiled 8 inch square pan.  Sprinkle the raw bits of sweet potato randomly on the surface.  Cover loosely with a piece of alluminium foil and steam in rapidly boiling water for 40 to 45 mins.
  6. Test with a skewer to see whether the kuih is cooked through.
  7. Remove from heat and let cool completely before cutting up with a plastic knife.
Note :  For the normal sweet potatoes, reduce the water by 50 ml.  These Indonesian purple sweet potatoes take a longer time to cook as they're more firm and dry.  If you prefer a more 'lemak' or creamy piece of kuih, you can interchange the amount of coconut milk and water.



I'm sending this post to   Weekend Herb Blogging # 336   hosted by

                Marta  from  Mangiare e un po' come viaggiare  
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Comments

  1. hanushiMay 28, 2012 at 12:37 PM

    The natural colour of the sweet potatoes are so vividly displayed. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahMay 29, 2012 at 12:18 AM

      I was surprised at the colour, very outstanding.

      Delete
  2. Amy @ uTryItMay 28, 2012 at 12:50 PM

    I love these vibrant color of your kuih. I love purple sweet potato and my Sis-in-law is from Malaysia. I'm sure she'll be really happy if I make these for her to try. :) She's always home sick.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahMay 29, 2012 at 12:19 AM

      I'm sure she'll be so pleased and thanks for dropping by.

      Delete
  3. UnknownMay 28, 2012 at 1:09 PM

    Nice vibrant purple! Very interesting, first time seeing this kueh. I was wonder how is the texture? Like kueh lapis? Have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahMay 29, 2012 at 12:20 AM

      No, it's not like kuih lapis, a bit more dense but chewy.

      Delete
  4. KimmyMay 28, 2012 at 1:17 PM

    Cheah, thanks for d info. on purple sweet potatoes. I bought some from the store thinking it is of Japanese species to make filling for buns. Must watch out for the difference next time. Another kuih with natural colours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahMay 29, 2012 at 12:21 AM

      You're most welcome. Just sharing what I learnt. That's the spirit of blogging!

      Delete
  5. AmeliaMay 29, 2012 at 11:23 AM

    Hi Cheah, your purple sweet potatoes kuih look so delicious. Lovely color and texture.

    Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahMay 29, 2012 at 4:27 PM

      Yes, the colour is truly vibrant. You enjoy your day too!

      Delete
  6. JeannieMay 29, 2012 at 11:25 PM

    Love the purple too....I would love to have a piece with coffee:D

    ReplyDelete
  7. Angie's RecipesMay 30, 2012 at 2:08 AM

    They are so pretty! Simply love the colour. Gotta look for some purple taros to try it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Baking DiaryMay 30, 2012 at 1:43 PM

    Your purple sweet potatoes kuih has a very nice deep purple, I like!

    ReplyDelete
  9. lenaMay 30, 2012 at 9:26 PM

    i only know the japanese purple sweet potatoes or maybe i've seen the indonesian ones just that i dont know. The colour looks so vibrant even after you've steamed it! Nice!

    ReplyDelete
  10. OlaJune 1, 2012 at 11:32 PM

    this is very original!


    Blog about life and travelling
    Blog about cooking

    ReplyDelete
  11. JacquelineJune 12, 2012 at 12:50 PM

    Wow! I'm impressed with your marvelous photos... you've composed and captured them splendidly. Keep it up, my friend. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJune 12, 2012 at 7:24 PM

      Thank you. So glad that you're visiting again. Good health to you and take care.

      Delete
  12. lianJuly 2, 2012 at 10:21 AM

    my hubby's childhood favorite, only this is in luxurious purple color. i made it yesterday for him and he enjoyed it. thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahJuly 2, 2012 at 1:00 PM

      Oh, so glad to hear that you've tried it and your hubby liked it. Hope to see you more often!

      Delete
  13. KennyOctober 12, 2012 at 11:06 PM

    Is it possible to replace the coconut milk with water or soya milk as i'm not fan of coconut milk? I love sweet potato and kueh recipes so i still want to try it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sokehah cheahOctober 13, 2012 at 12:30 AM

      I think you can replace coconut milk with soya milk but the taste won't be so creamy and not so fragrant.

      Delete
    2. KennyOctober 14, 2012 at 5:35 AM

      Thanks, i'll give it a try. :)

      Delete
    3. KennyOctober 16, 2012 at 7:53 PM

      I made it with orange sweet potatoes and it turned out quite nice. It was very similar to a snack that is common in hong kong called but chai ko. :)

      Delete
    4. Sokehah cheahOctober 17, 2012 at 12:13 AM

      Oh, that's good. Have you blogged it yet?

      Delete

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