Pulut Inti

The colouring in this Peranakan dessert is from Bunga Telang or Blue Pea Flower. It is commonly used as a natural food dye in Peranakan dishes such as Pulut Inti, Pulut Tai Tai, Kueh Salat/Kueh Seri Muka and Nasi Kerabu. However, blue is not a colour used by the Chinese. The plant flowers all year round and blooms in 6 weeks from seed.

RicePulut Inti 20131230
20 petals bunga telang
2 pandan leaves
600g glutinous rice
250ml coconut milk
2 tsp salt

Coconut topping
100g gula melaka (palm sugar)
40g sugar (optional)
300g grated coconut
3 tbsp glutinous rice flour mixture

16 banana leaf squares, 15x10cm each

Makes 16

Preparation for blue colouring: bunga_telang_pea_flower
Boil  ½ cup of water. Add bunga telang petals. Cook till water turns blue. Strain.

Preparation for Rice:
Rinse and soak rice for 2 hours. Drain.
Add salt and pandan leaves and mix well.   Steam for 30 minutes.
Add coconut milk slowly to loosened rice.  Add bunga telang juice. Colouring does not have to be even. Pulut Inti.f 20131230
Set aside to cool.

Preparation for Coconut topping:
Boil  ½ cup of water.  Add gula melaka and sugar. Cook till sugar dissolves.
Add grated coconut and a pinch of salt.
Cook till mixture is nearly dry.
Add glutinous rice flour mixture. Stir and cook till dry.
Set aside to cool.

To assemble:
Boil banana leaves till soft.
Add a portion of rice in the middle of a leaf, and top with filling.
Bring both sides of banana leaf to centre and fold edges down, under the rice.

Pulut Inti.a 20131230 Tip: Glutinous rice flour mixture is made by mixing 1½ tsp of glutinous rice flour to 2 tbsp of water.
 Tip: Make sure coconut mixture is dry. Drain any excess moisture to prevent rice from becoming sticky and wet.

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