Thursday, March 18, 2010

Pak Thong Koh

A classic Chinese kuih that  made me decided to try when I saw the 'honeycomb' in it...Quite curious as I have never tasted this kuih before..when I checked the internet, some recipes uses the instant or dry yeast which are faster compared to this one which took 2-3 days to process!!..

Quite, an experienced as this was also my first time making 'fermented rice'(tapai nasi)...as I was noted, this recipe tends to have a hind  of sourness and sweetness in it....ermm something different and was it suppose to be like that?...any silent reader who are Chinese can comment on this?...

Starter Dough:-
100g cooked rice(overnight and leave to cool)
1/2 tbsp Ragi(wine-chew piah)-can buy from Malay market
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tbsp water

Method:-
Mix all the above ingredients together and leave it to ferment for 2 days(48hrs). Keep in a container, covered and best to keep in a cupboard to let it ferment. After 48hrs, weigh out 60g and balance keep in the fridge.

Kuih Starter Dough:-
60g of the fermented starter dough
100g rice flour
some plain water

Method:-
MIx the starter dough and rice flour and if you find it too dry, add in some plain water. put into a container, covered and let it ferment again for about 16-18 hours. Weigh out only 80g of this kuih starter dough.

Ingredients(A):-
220g rice flour
30g tapioca flour
280g water

Ingredients(B):-
200g castor sugar
400ml water
3 blades of pandan leaves(tied into a kot)

Ingredients(C):-
80g of the fermented kuih starter dough

Ingredients(D)
1/4 tsp alkaline water/lye water or air abu
1 tsp cooking oil

Method:-
1)-Combine ingredients(A) together in a big mixing bowl. Set aside.
2)-Bring ingredients (B) to a boil, then discard pandan leaves. Pour half portion into (1.) and mix well. Cool the remaining half portion for about 2 mins, before pouring into the rice mixture in the mixing bowl. Mix well, leave mixture to cool. Add the 80g of the fermented kuih dough starter dough and strained it. Let it ferment again for about 12-14 hours.
3)- Add oil into fermented mixture (3). Add alkaline water and mix well before pouring into a greased 10" round steaming tray(I used 8")  Steam for about 15-20 minutes over medium heat. Test with a skewer before removing from the steamer.
5) You can glaze the Pak Thong Koh with some oil whilst still hot and cool well before cutting kuih into pieces.
Sources:-From auntyyochana.blogspot.com

The 'Ragi'  I used for making the Pak Thong Koh, available at Malay stall.

3 comments:

WendyinKK said...

Hi Ayu,
thanks for dropping by my blog.
Your pak thong koh looks lovely.

There are few types of ragi of which we chinese call them wine biscuits. They are used to make rice wine, just like the later stage of tapai when it turns achoholic. Oh don't worry the rice wines are not made for the purpose of getting drunk, but for health benefits and cooking purposes.

About the types of wine biscuits, I bought mine at Chinese Medicinal Shops, and there are 2 varieties, sweet or spicy. The sweet variety is for kuih.
I tried Yochana's version(that will be my 3rd version) and made tapai,and my tapai didn't smell sourish, but it smelt alcoholic but sweet, due to amount of ehtanol released during fermentation.
I've tried another version of Pak Thong Koh(my 4th version), using the same ragi, but no rice fermentation, and it didn't taste or smell sourish too.

If it smelt sourish, it could have overfermented, when the alchohol was turned into vinegar :ethanol to acid ethanoic. You can counter that with some air abu which is alkaline.

Some Pak Thong Kohs do taste sourish, do read my first version. I did write why I never liked this kuih, due to the tang. If yours only have a slight tinge of sourness, it's ok la, not too sour will be fine. Some people can make it really sour.

WendyinKK said...

Oh yes,
Some apam beras eno or no eno, also taste sourish at times. They use the same 1st stage fermentation process.
Don't worry, as long as it is not too sourish, it is fine.

Ayu said...

Hi Wendy,
Thank you to you too, for taking the time to come over and explain to me..

I think I agree with you that maybe my pak thong koh, is overfemented..i like the sweetness side of this kuih, but the sourness ermmm not really like it actually..
So the taste is oklah if its a bit sour is it?..

Wow, your comments really made me open my eyes!!..really details!!..i really appreciate it so much .

Thank you Wendy!..Nice to know you and thank you again for dropping by to my humble kitchen!