Kuih Tako - Kuih Week # 3

Recipe recreated in September 2011

One of my favourites. If you have an big bush of pandan and don't know how to use it up, make this. This kuih needs a lot of pandan leaves. I made this because I was given a lot of it by Mike's aunt. Well, besides that you can also cut up the pandan and use as cabinet deodorizers, it prevents pesky cockcroaches. Not a must to make edible things with pandan.

I used to make this with my students back in Selancar, but that time it was with cornstarch. Cornstarch yields a softer kuih compared to mung bean starch, so feel free to use cornstarch if you can't get mung bean starch.
I used to teach them using spoon measurements, with 2 Tbsp of starch per cup of liquid. And this time, I worked with weight and readjusted the top layer's ratio so that the texture will be even when chilled. Coconut milk layers tends to harden more due to the high fat content so the starch ratio must be lower. I've tried it 3 times to get the texture I'm looking for.

Coming to that lesson with my students... I remember I taught them the technique and told them to make 5 cases each at home to bring for the cooking session the next time. One student, Syikin (now on my FB list, and she reads this blog too) came empty handed. I asked her why and she told me, the pandan bush at home were all eaten by the wild pigs. LOL. I was almost ROTFL. I have never heard of pigs eating pandan leaves and now I have. I guess it must be delicious!

If you frequent Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam's Ramadhan Food Bazaar, then you will encounter a van that sells only this. But they call it Tepung Pelita instead, of which isn't so accurate. The real tepung pelita is made with rice flour without waterchestnuts, and steamed in banana leaves, almost similiar to kuih limas. Or are they (TP and KL) the same? LOL.

Step by step pics are from 1st attempt where the starch content is higher for coconut layer, which is why they look thicker.

Preparing the casing with pandan leaves

How to form the casing

Cooking and assembling the kuih

If your casings have holes, do this

Kuih Tako

Recipe source: Wendyywy

Pandan Layer
25gm mung bean starch (green bean flour)
250ml pandan juice
60gm sugar
3 water chestnuts, peeled and chopped

Coconut layer
15gm mung bean starch
125ml water
125ml coconut milk
50gm sugar
Very small pinch of salt

Method:
1. Prepare pandan layer. Mix everything together and cook on medium low heat until it looks transparent and thick.
2. Spoon over prepared casings
3. Prepare coconut layer. Mix everything together and cook on medium low heat until it thickens. Taste, it should no longer taste floury.
4. Spoon over the pandan layer.
5. Let cool down to room temperature and it will harden. Best served when chilled.

*Note: I won't be able to tell you how much this will yield as it depends on how big your pandan leaf is, of which affects how big your casing will turn out. If you have excess, just put them into small tea cups. Works well this way too.

I'm submitting this to

Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011)  

hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker