I've always wanted to make kueh and even compiled a little stack of kueh recipes that I want to try. But I never had the courage to do so for the longest time. Not until about 3 weeks ago, at the local "SG50 day" celebration where I bought 3 pieces of kueh for A$5. Ieks! I let out an internal scream when I heard the price (the seller is also smart enough not to put out price tags) but quietly dug the money out of my wallet. The auntie beside me voiced her dismay directly, to which the seller laughed and blatantly replied: "Because this is Australia"!
That's when I know I need to start making kueh myself.
Actually, I tried making Kueh Lapis Sagu last week, but the layers weren't even and thin enough; the results weren't ideal. I'll write about them when I finally achieve the desired outcome.
So I went back to my stash of recipes and picked Corn Hoon Kueh as my 2nd attempt on kueh. It is one of my "must-buy" kueh whenever I go Bengawan Solo, together with Kueh Sarlat and Kueh Kosui. I didn't know the actual name for the kueh; it is always tagged as "Corn Kueh" in the shop. After asking a fellow blogger who is an expert in kueh, I now know it's called "Kueh Jagung" or "Corn Hoon Kueh".
Kueh Jagung (makes about 12 10x5cm parcels)
(recipe from eatapieceofcake)
Mixture (A)
200g Coconut cream
350g Water
80g Sugar
Mixture (B)
90g Hoon Kueh flour (aka Mung bean or Green bean flour)
200g Water
Mixture (C)
120g Canned corn kernels
Optional
Banana leaves, cut into 15x20cm pieces
1. In a saucepan, mix (B) till smooth.
2. In another saucepan, bring (A) to a boil over high heat and until sugar dissolved. Slowly pour (A) into (B), stirring constantly over low heat.
3. Stir constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the canned corn kernels.
4. Spoon ~4 tbsp of corn mixture onto each banana leaf and wrap it into a rectangular parcel.
5. Chill in fridge until set.
Thoughts: Straight forward instructions and fuss free recipe. The only "kind of" troublesome part is wrapping the mixture in banana leaves, which eatapieceofcake suggested that it can be set in jelly moulds instead. Apart from making the rectangle parcels that lay flat, I had fun wrapping them into the ones that stand, those secured with a toothpick and resembles Tapai Ubi. Gosh... I miss Tapai Ubi too, haven't had them since when I was a child.
If you don't like corn, just replace them with bananas and they become "Kueh Pisang" which is also sold in Bengawan. I prefer the corn version so I didn't make any changes, and it turned out pretty close to the Bengawan Solo ones. I remembered the commercial product was a tad softer than this recipe, but I could be wrong since I haven't had it in a looooong while. That said, it is slightly sweeter for my preference, but all the others who had it commented that the sweetness is just right. Give the original recipe a go, and adjust the amount of sugar to your preference. Remember that when eating chilled food, it does slightly dull our taste buds so don't based the sweetness on when the mixture is still warm.
Kueh were daunting to me for reasons unknown, I don't really know why I was so scared of making them! Maybe some of them look too intimidating to me, with their colourful layers and multiple components. Maybe some of the processes seem too tedious and painful, with preparations sometimes starting a day ahead.
Whatever reasons it was, I'm glad that this box of A$5 kueh (kueh sarlat, kueh lapis sagu, pulut inti) knocked me hard on my noggin (figuratively of course) and spurred me on. If not for the higher living expenses, I might still be reluctant to try making kueh. Blessing in disguise for me, sorta.
As I onomnom on the kueh kueh, I realised it cost me less than A$8 to make this whole lot, including the banana leaves! Wow! Hopefully this beautiful realisation is enough motivation to make me embark on a kueh-making journey. Hahaha! Till the next kueh, enjoy!
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