📝 About This Recipe
Kue Putu is a nostalgic Indonesian street food treasure, famous for its hauntingly aromatic pandan scent and the melodic whistle of the bamboo steamers used by street vendors. These delicate, cylindrical cakes feature a crumbly rice flour exterior that yields to a molten, dark palm sugar center. Finished with a snowy coating of freshly grated coconut, they offer a perfect balance of earthy sweetness and salty richness.
🥗 Ingredients
The Rice Flour Base
- 2 cups Rice flour (high quality, sifted)
- 1/2 cup Glutinous rice flour (adds a slight chewiness)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt (fine sea salt)
- 150 ml Water (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon Pandan paste (for color and intense aroma)
- 3 pieces Fresh pandan leaves (tied in a knot for the steamer water)
The Sweet Core
- 150 grams Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar) (finely shaved or chopped)
Coconut Topping
- 1 cup Freshly grated coconut (use only the white part)
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt (to season the coconut)
- 1 piece Pandan leaf (cut into small strips)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Prepare the coconut topping by mixing the grated coconut with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Place a pandan leaf strip on top and steam for 5-10 minutes to prevent it from souring. Set aside to cool.
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2
In a small bowl, mix the 150ml of water with the pandan paste until the color is a vibrant, uniform green.
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3
In a large mixing bowl, combine the rice flour, glutinous rice flour, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Whisk to ensure there are no large lumps.
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4
Slowly drizzle the pandan water into the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Use your fingertips to rub the flour and water together. The goal is a damp, sandy texture, not a dough.
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5
This is the most crucial step: Sift the damp flour mixture through a coarse mesh sieve. Use a spoon to press it through. This creates the light, airy 'crumb' characteristic of authentic Kue Putu.
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6
Prepare your bamboo tubes (roughly 3-5cm in diameter and 5cm long). If you don't have bamboo, small ramekins or silicone muffin molds will work, though the texture will vary slightly.
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7
Fill the bottom third of a tube with the sifted flour mixture. Do not press down; keep it loose to allow steam to circulate.
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8
Add about 1 teaspoon of the shaved palm sugar into the center, making sure it doesn't touch the edges of the tube.
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9
Cover the sugar with more flour mixture until the tube is full. Level the top gently with a spoon without compressing the flour.
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10
Prepare a steamer with water and the knotted pandan leaves. Bring to a vigorous boil. Place the tubes upright over the steam holes.
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11
Steam the cakes for 8-10 minutes. You will know they are done when the flour looks slightly translucent and the aroma is irresistible.
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12
Carefully remove the tubes. Use a small wooden dowel or the back of a spoon to gently push the cakes out of the molds while still warm.
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13
Immediately roll the warm cakes in the steamed grated coconut until generously coated.
💡 Chef's Tips
Never pack the flour tightly into the molds; the air gaps are what allow the steam to cook the flour into a soft cake. If the mixture is too dry, the cake will crumble; if too wet, it will become gummy. It should feel like damp sand that holds its shape only when squeezed hard. Always use high-quality dark palm sugar (Gula Melaka) for that deep, butterscotch-like liquid center. If you don't have bamboo tubes, you can use small PVC pipes (food grade) or even hollowed-out thick lemongrass stalks for a unique twist.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve immediately while the palm sugar center is still molten and warm. Pair with a hot cup of Teh Tarik (pulled milk tea) or a bitter black Mandheling coffee. Arrange on a banana leaf for an authentic, rustic presentation. Serve as a late afternoon snack (Jajan Pasar) alongside other Indonesian sweets like Klepon.