Pulut Tai Tai/Pulut Tekan (Pressed Glutinous Rice Cake w/ Coconut Jam)

pulut tai tai/pulut tekan (pressed glutinous rice with coconut jam)

Pulut tai tai is a famous Nyonya kuih, made by colouring and pressing glutinous rice overnight. This is served with kaya, a rich and fragrant coconut jam.

I love glutinous rice and kaya, and this kuih has both of them! I showed you guys how to make Vegan Pandan Kaya from soft tofu a few days ago, and we’re using that to make pulut tai tai.

Pulut Tai Tai = Sticy Rice for Rich Aunties…?

In Malay, pulut means glutinous or sticky rice whereas tai tai refers to a rich housewife. So… sticky rice for rich aunties? In the past, only the wealthy could afford rich desserts like this kuih so that’s how the name came about.

Another name for this kuih is pulut tekan (tekan = to press), indicating the way the rice is prepared.

What Makes Pulut Tai Tai Special

Many Malaysian kuih are made with glutinous rice. However, I think this is the only kuih that requires you to press the steamed rice for at least 8 hours. You can definitely eat it with your hands and it won’t fall apart.

This kuih gets its signature blue shade from butterfly pea flowers! This flower is commonly used in Malaysian desserts as a natural food colouring. You can use either fresh or dried, I used the dried one here. If you can’t get butterfly pea flowers, you can just use blue food colouring. These flowers don’t impart any flavour, they just make things a pretty blue colour 🙂

Notes

  • Besides the long soaking and pressing time, this kuih is very easy to make at home! You just need a lil patience 🙂
  • If you can’t find butterfly pea flowers, use blue food colouring or simply omit it.
  • Banana leaves make the rice fragrant and prevent it from sticking to the pan. If you can’t get it, use parchment paper.

More kuih recipes to try:

If you made this recipe, do leave a comment and rating below because I love hearing your feedback. Make sure to tag me on Instagram @eatwkriss so that I can see your recreations!

pulut tai tai/pulut tekan (pressed glutinous rice with coconut jam)

Pulut Tai Tai/Pulut Tekan (Pressed Glutinous Rice w/ Coconut Jam)

Kristin Tan
Pulut tai tai is a famous Nyonya kuih, made by colouring and pressing glutinous rice overnight. This is served with kaya, a rich and fragrant coconut jam.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 2 d
Course Dessert
Cuisine Malaysian, Nyonya
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g glutinous rice
  • 200 ml coconut milk
  • 1 pandan leaf knotted
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 40 dried butterfly pea flowers
  • 3 tbsp hot water
  • banana leaf optional
  • vegan pandan kaya (I used my own recipe)

Instructions
 

  • Rinse glutinous rice and soak in water overnight.
    soaking glutinous rice
  • Drain the rice and pour into a heatproof plate. Place a knotted piece of pandan leaf on top and steam for 30 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, combine dried butterfly pea flowers and hot water. Let sit until the water is infused with the colouring, around 5 minutes. Squeeze out all the liquid from the flower.
    butterfly pea flower colouring
  • Let the steamed rice cool slightly, then add coconut milk and salt. Mix well to ensure that the rice absorbs the milk. Then use a spoon to randomly distribute the food colouring all over the rice. Steam for another 10 minutes.
    pouring the blue food colouring over the glutinous rice
  • Line a 6 x 6" square pan with banana leaves or parchment paper. Add in the glutinous rice, packing it down tightly.
    packing down the rice into a pan lined with banana leaves
  • Cover the top with more banana leaves, then place heavy objects on top to press down on the rice. Press it for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
    placing heavy objects to press down on the rice
  • The next day, slice the pressed rice into your desired size with a serrated knife. Serve it at room temperature, with vegan kaya.
    slicing the pressed rice with a serrated knife

Notes

Pulut tai tai is best eaten on the day it’s made. Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will harden in the fridge, so steam it for 10 minutes before serving again.
  • Besides the long soaking and pressing time, pulut tai tai is very easy to make at home! You just need a lil patience 🙂
  • If you can’t find butterfly pea flowers, use blue food colouring or simply omit it.
  • Banana leaves make the rice fragrant and prevent it from sticking to the pan. If you can’t get it, use parchment paper.
This recipe is adapted from K L Liew.
Keyword coconut milk, dessert, glutinous rice, kaya, pandan, street food, sweet
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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