Sticky sumptuous vegan dessert from ground rice

I REMEMBER this kuih from my childhood and it was surprisingly called fei chee yuk, which literally translates to “fatty pork” in Cantonese.

But this kuih is completely vegan.

Wait for it to cool completely before cutting the kuih bingka beras into pieces. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

The Cantonese name is derived from its appearance, which closely resembles a slab of fatty pork with a bit of charred skin on top.

Further research found that it has a completely modest (and accurate) name in Malay – kuih bingka beras – which literally means rice cake.

Instead of using rice flour that has become the norm for making kuih nowadays, I found a recipe that calls for grinding the flour from raw rice.

If you’ve ever tasted kuih made from freshly ground rice, you’d find the flavour unsurpassed.

I used regular Siamese white rice and I could smell the fragrance of the rice after soaking, so it is not necessary to use jasmine or fragrant rice.

Making kuih by grinding your own uncooked rice gives you a remarkably fresh flavour that you don’t get with using rice flour.

It is best to use a powerful turbo blender that grinds even the hardest grains into a powdery paste, but if you soak the rice overnight, then most household blenders can provide satisfactory results.

You would have to soak the rice in a refrigerator because you do not want the grains to ferment and turn into something that resembles thosai.

As with most Malaysian kuih, pandan leaves are indispensable.

Remember to remove the leaves when the syrup becomes fragrant because pandan will lose its vibrant flavour if overcooked.

The first time I tested the recipe, the texture was too soft and sticky.

So the next time, I added some lye solution or alkali water (air abu soda) to get the kuih to set better.

Add this ingredient sparingly, otherwise you will get a soapy flavour and the chemical reaction will turn the kuih yellow.

When charring the top of the kuih in the oven, it is fine to gratinate for a few more minutes to get bits of burnt skin.

If possible, set your oven to grill with the top heating element because you do not want browning on the bottom. You can also use an air fryer to accomplish the task.

The last step of cooling it down completely is vital because the starches need to set or else the kuih will stick to the knife when slicing and you would have to oil the knife repeatedly to prevent sticking.

Kuih bingka beras

Ingredients

300g raw white rice, rinsed and soaked overnight

125ml cold water

400ml thick coconut milk

½ tsp lye solution

1 tbsp cooking oil for brushing

Syrup

400ml cold water

½ tsp salt

180g granulated sugar

5 pandan leaves

Directions

Rinse the rice a few times until the water runs clear.

Add 250ml water to cover the rice and keep refrigerated to soak overnight.

Line a 20cm square baking pan with baking parchment and brush with oil.

Combine the syrup ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until fragrant.

Remove the pandan and allow the syrup to cool.

Drain the soaked rice and place into an electric mill with the cold water.

Grind on high speed until smooth, then add the coconut milk, syrup and lye solution and stir until combined.

Strain the batter through a wire sieve into a bain-marie.

Cook the batter in the bain-marie for about 5 minutes, whisking continuously until thickened.

Pour the batter into the lined baking pan.

Bring water to a boil and steam over medium heat for 45 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven at 250°C for 20 minutes until the top is lightly charred.

Set aside to cool completely for about 2 hours before unmoulding and slicing with a well-oiled knife.