This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Soft and chewy steamed taro ang ku kueh filled with sweet and creamy taro paste filling.
I haven’t made ang ku kueh for a while. I made quite a bit of taro paste that I froze in the freezer and it’s time to put them to good use. The marriage of taro or yam paste with the soft and chewy exterior of Ang Ku Kueh creates a delightful contrast in textures. The paste’s creamy consistency makes the ang ku kueh unique in taste.
Taro Ang Ku Kueh (Steamed Taro Tortoise Cake)
Ingredients
- 300 g glutinous rice flour and more as needed and for dusting
- 150 g hot boiling water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 160 g mashed taro
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
Filling:
- 250 g taro paste
Instructions
For the filling:
- You can follow this homemade taro/yam paste recipe. You only need 1/4 of the recipe, unless you don't mind leftovers for other use. I added a bit of ube extract (or use any purple food coloring) for a deeper purple color, this is totally optional
Steam the taro/yam:
- Get about 500-600 grams of taro roots. Peel and cut into small chunks. Steam over high heat for 10 minutes or until you can easily mash with a fork. Mash while they are still warm. You can also use an immersion blender or blender to make it really smooth
- Measure out 160 grams of the mashed yam to make the dough and the rest to make taro paste
Prepare the dough:
- Mix the glutinous rice flour with salt, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add oil to the hot boiling water. Start with 100 ml of water and use a rubber spatula to start stirring until it forms a crumbly dough. When cool enough to handle, add mashed taro and use your hand to knead the dough into a soft, pliable and shiny dough. Add a bit more water if needed. Cover and let them rest for 10 minutes
Wrapping:
- The amount of the dough and filling depends on the size of your mould. For example if I use 50-gram mould, I portion 30 grams of dough and 20 grams of filling. Roll the filling into balls for easier wrapping
- Portion the dough into the size you want. Flatten them with the palm of your hand. Place the filling in the middle and bring all edges together and roll them into a smooth ball again
- Dust the mold with some sticky rice flour to prevent sticking and gently knock off excess flour. I roll the dough ball into the flour thinly too. Place the dough ball into the mold. Slightly press it down as you stretch them out to fit the mold. Knock the mold once on a countertop (lined with some cloth to minimize banging sound) and the dough will flop out of the mold. Place individual ang ku kueh on a greased banana leaf or parchment paper if you don't have the leaves
Steaming:
- When the water in the steamer is boiling vigorously, place the ang ku kueh inside the steamer about 1/2-inch apart. Lower the heat to medium and when you cover the lid, let it crack open about 1/2-inch and steam for 10-15 minutes, depending on how big your ang ku kue. This is very important as it helps to maintain the imprints on the cake and to make sure you ang ku kueh is not flattened. If you steam them on high heat with all the steam trapped inside ,all the imprints will mostly be blurred and the cake will expand to the side and flattened.
- To test for doneness, get one ang ku kueh out and cut it open to check the inside. It should be cooked through and not "doughy" and mushy. If it is, steam a bit longer
- Remove from the heat onto a plate and then brush with some cooking oil if you like. Let them cool down completely
Serve:
- Let the ang ku kueh cool down completely before serving
How to store:
- They can be kept at room temperature (where humidity is low) for about 3 days. If you keep them in the fridge, you just need to reheat them in the steamer for 3-5 minutes, as the skin will toughen. But once reheated, they will be soft again
- The cooked ang ku kueh can also be kept frozen in the freezer for up to 3 months and they go from freezer to steamer and steam for 8-10 minutes or until heated through
How to make taro ang ku kueh
1. You can follow this homemade taro/yam paste recipe. You only need 1/4 of the recipe, unless you don’t mind leftovers for other use. I added a bit of ube extract (or use any purple food coloring) for a deeper purple color, this is totally optional
2. Get about 500-600 grams of taro roots. Peel and cut into small chunks. Steam over high heat for 10 minutes or until you can easily mash with a fork. Mash while they are still warm. You can also use an immersion blender or blender to make it really smooth. Measure out 160 grams of the mashed yam to make the dough and the rest to make taro paste
3. Mix the glutinous rice flour with salt, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add oil to the hot boiling water. Start with 100 ml of water and use a rubber spatula to start stirring until it forms a crumbly dough. When cool enough to handle, add mashed taro and use your hand to knead the dough into a soft, pliable and shiny dough. Add a bit more water if needed. Cover and let them rest for 10 minutes
4. The amount of the dough and filling depends on the size of your mould. For example if I use 50-gram mould, I portion 30 grams of dough and 20 grams of filling. Roll the filling into balls for easier wrapping
5. Portion the dough into the size you want. Flatten them with the palm of your hand. Place the filling in the middle and bring all edges together and roll them into a smooth ball again. 
6. Dust the mold with some sticky rice flour to prevent sticking and gently knock off excess flour. I roll the dough ball into the flour thinly too. Place the dough ball into the mold. Slightly press it down as you stretch them out to fit the mold. 
7. Knock the mold once on a countertop (lined with some cloth to minimize banging sound) and the dough will flop out of the mold. Place individual ang ku kueh on a greased banana leaf or parchment paper if you don’t have the leaves
8. When the water in the steamer is boiling vigorously, place the ang ku kueh inside the steamer about 1/2-inch apart. Lower the heat to medium and when you cover the lid, let it crack open about 1/2-inch and steam for 10-15 minutes, depending on how big your ang ku kue. This is very important as it helps to maintain the imprints on the cake and to make sure you ang ku kueh is not flattened. If you steam them on high heat with all the steam trapped inside ,all the imprints will mostly be blurred and the cake will expand to the side and flattened.
9. To test for doneness, get one ang ku kueh out and cut it open to check the inside. It should be cooked through and not “doughy” and mushy. If it is, steam a bit longer
Did you make this taro ang ku kueh recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag it to show me what you’ve made. Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
