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Kuih Talam Gula Merah/Gula Melaka (Steamed Palm Sugar Cake)

written by Marvellina Published: June 7, 2021
7.9K
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Two-layer soft and wobbly Nyonya kueh you will enjoy eating. The bottom layer is made with aromatic and sweet gula Merah/gula Melaka (Palm sugar) and the top white layer is made with coconut milk and lightly salted for that sweet-salty combination.
Kuih Talam Gula Merah/Gula Melaka (Steamed Palm Sugar Cake)
Palm sugar and coconut milk are two ingredients you can be assured you will see a lot in Southeast Asian cooking. The first kuih talam I made was this kuih talam ubi followed by kuih talam pandan. The collection of sweet kuih talam is not complete without the addition of the gula Melaka version 🙂 The recipe is pretty similar to the kuih talam pandan with some adjustments.

How to make kuih talam gula Melaka/gula Merah

1. For gula Melaka layer: Mix mung bean starch, tapioca starch, rice flour, and sugar in a saucepan. Whisk to mix.

2. Simmer gula Melaka and water until the sugar melts. Strain and let it cools down to warm. Add the mung bean mixture

3. Whisk until smooth with no lumps. Strain if necessary. Add alkaline water

4. Cook this mixture over low heat until it thickens slightly. It will coat the back of your spatula and there will be bits of curdles here and there. Turn off the heat. It’s important not to cook until it becomes too thick like a dough. The consistency should be pourable. Don’t worry about the curdles. They will even out during steaming

5. Pour this into a prepared pan and steam over medium high heat for 20 minutes or until the layer is set on top


6. The layer will still be wobbly, but it shouldn’t be wet anymore

7. For coconut layer: Mix rice flour, tapioca starch, and salt. Whisk to mix. Pour in the coconut milk and water and mix again. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth. Strain if necessary to get rid of lumps

8. Cook this mixture over low heat until it thickens slightly. Just coat the back of the spatula and then remove from the heat
Gently pour this layer over the green layer and steam over medium heat for 15-17 minutes or until the layer is set. It’s important not to crank up the heat for this layer or the surface can be bumpy and not smooth

9. Let the kuih talam cools down completely, which may take 2 hours or so

10. Rub the knife with some oil or use a plastic knife to cut the kuih talam into the size and shape you like and serve. Wipe the knife with a paper towel after each cut
Kuih Talam Gula Merah/Gula Melaka (Steamed Palm Sugar Cake)

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Kuih Talam Gula Merah/Gula Melaka (Steamed Palm Sugar Cake)

Kuih Talam Gula Merah/Gula Melaka (Steamed Palm Sugar Cake)

Kuih Talam Gula Merah/Gula Melaka (Steamed Palm Sugar Cake)

Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Servings 15 pieces (7 x 7 square)
5 from 2 reviews
REVIEW & RATE PRINT

Ingredients

Gula merah layer:

  • 35 gr mung bean starch or hunkwe flour
  • 80 gr rice flour
  • 35 gr tapioca starch
  • 230 gr gula Melaka you can use coconut sugar too
  • 750 ml water
  • 1 tsp alkaline water

Coconut milk layer (option 1):

  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 100 ml water
  • 40 gr mung bean starch hunkwe flour
  • 10 gr tapioca starch
  • 1 tsp salt

Coconut milk layer (option 2):

  • 50 g rice flour
  • 25 g tapioca starch
  • 250 ml thick coconut milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 250 g boiling water

Instructions
 

  • Brush your pan with some oil and then lined with parchment paper. I only line the bottom this time. You can line the sides too if you want. Bring the water in the steamer to a boil. Wrap the lid with a cloth to prevent water condensation drips on the cake

Prepare the gula Melaka layer (bottom layer):

  • Mix mung bean starch, tapioca starch, rice flour, and sugar in a saucepan. Whisk to mix.
  • Simmer gula Melaka and water until the sugar melts. Strain and let it cools down to warm. Add the mung bean mixture and whisk until smooth with no lump. Strain if necessary. Add alkaline water
  • Cook this mixture over low heat until it thickens slightly. It will coat the back of your spatula and there will be bits of curdles here and there. Turn off the heat. It's important not to cook until it becomes too thick like a dough. The consistency should be pourable. Don't worry about the curdles. They will even out during steaming
  • Pour this into a prepared pan and steam over medium high heat for 20 minutes or until the layer is set on top. The layer will still be wobbly, but it shouldn't be wet anymore

Prepare the coconut milk layer (top layer):

  • You can use either option 1 or 2 for the coconut layer. Option 1 requires cooking on the stove. Option 2 doesn't. I use option 2 in my Kuih Talam Pandan recipe. Both work just fine

For option 1:

  • Mix rice flour, tapioca starch, and salt. Whisk to mix. Pour in the coconut milk and water and mix again. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth. Strain if necessary to get rid of lumps
  • Cook this mixture over low heat until it thickens slightly. Just coat the back of the spatula and then remove from the heat
  • Gently pour this layer over the gula Melaka layer and steam over medium heat for 15-17 minutes or until the layer is set. It's important not to crank up the heat for this layer or the surface can be bumpy and not smooth

For option 2:

  • Mix rice flour, tapioca starch, and salt. Whisk to mix. Pour in the coconut milk and mix again. Gradually add in the hot boiling water and keep whisking until the mixture is smooth. Strain if necessary to get rid of lumps
  • Gently pour this layer over the gula Melaka layer and steam over medium heat for 15-17 minutes or until the layer is set. It's important not to crank up the heat for this layer or the surface can be bumpy and not smooth

Serving:

  • Let the kuih talam cools down completely, which may take 2 hours or so. Rub the knife with some oil or use a plastic knife to cut the kuih talam into the size and shape you like and serve. Wipe the knife with a paper towel after each cut

Storage:

  • If it's not humid where you are, you can keep it at room temperature for about a day, after that keep them in air-tight container in the fridge for about 3 days for best result. The longer you keep, the tougher the kueh will be. I find them still have great texture for 3 days in the fridge, then it starts to toughen a bit. A quick reheat in the microwave or steamer will bring the soft wobbly texture back

RECOMMEDED TOOLS

Food Steamer
Mixing Bowl
Saucepan
Parchment Paper

*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Nutrition Facts
Kuih Talam Gula Merah/Gula Melaka (Steamed Palm Sugar Cake)
Serving Size
 
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
149
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
6
g
9
%
Saturated Fat
 
5
g
31
%
Sodium
 
191
mg
8
%
Potassium
 
64
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
25
g
8
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
10
g
11
%
Protein
 
1
g
2
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
7
mg
1
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I'd love to see your photos/videos on Instagram
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10 comments

Skye March 27, 2023 - 12:18 am

How much rice flour do I use for the coconut layer ?

Reply
Marvellina March 27, 2023 - 8:37 pm

I have just updated the recipe. You can follow option 2 if you want to use rice flour for the coconut layer.

Reply
Melissa March 7, 2023 - 10:11 pm

Hi there I want try kuih talam gula Melaka however if I don’t use lye water is it ok ?

Reply
Marvellina March 7, 2023 - 11:08 pm

It should be okay, the texture just won’t be as QQ/bouncy.

Reply
Teng August 6, 2022 - 12:54 am

Hi Marv, wondering why the top coconut layer method is different from your recipe for pandan kuih talam using hot boiling water? 🙂

Reply
Marvellina August 6, 2022 - 8:40 pm

Hi Teng, either way, works actually 🙂 Just take care not to cook it until it’s too thick, just slightly thickened, but you can also use the no-cooking method, using hot boiling water too.

Reply
Teng August 12, 2022 - 7:24 am

Great, I’ll give it a go using the hot boiling water cos that works for me in the pandan version 🙂 Thanks for getting back, Marv!

Reply
Marvellina August 12, 2022 - 9:20 am

You are so welcome! Let me know what you think if you have a chance to make this 🙂

Reply
Teng December 14, 2022 - 1:04 am

Hi Marv, I made the kuih 🙂 both methods worked just as good! Thank you for getting back to me 👍

Marvellina December 14, 2022 - 4:11 pm

Awesome! Great to know that both methods worked out just fine for you! Thank you for the feedback 🙂

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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