Learn how to make traditional soft and bouncy kuih kosui flavored with pandan leaves and gula Melaka with nice dimples in the middle of the cakes and no alkaline water needed. Natural colors from pandan juice and coconut sugar.
Steam the coconut with salt over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside
Preheat the cups/muffin cups in the steamer:
Brush the cups with some oil on all sides. Bring water in the steamer to a boil and place the empty cups in the steamer and let them heat up for 5 minutes while you are preparing the batter. This step is also important to prevent the flour/starch from separating when you steam
Prepare the batter (for pandan flavor):
Bring water to a boil and stir in sugar and stir until sugar dissollves. Let it cool down for 15 minutes so it should feel lukewarm after that. The warm water will stabilize the starch/flour and they won't separate when you steam, yet we don't want it to be hot boiling that it cooks the starch/flour into a dough
Mix flour/starch in a mixing bowl. Add salt, pandan juice (for pandan flavor) and add the lukewarm sugar water. Stir into a smooth batter. Add alkaline water if you choose to use
Prepare the batter (for gula Melaka flavor):
Combine flour/starch and salt in a mixing bowl. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar melts. Strain the mixture and let it cool down to lukewarm and then pour over the flour mixture and stir into a smooth batter. Add alkaline water if you choose to use
Steaming:
Pour the batter into preheated cups, about 3/4 cup full and steam over medium heat for 18-20 minutes for large cakes (if using muffin cups) or 12-15 minutes for smaller cakes
If your steamer cannot fit all at the same time, do not pour the mixture ahead and let them sit in the cups. The flour tends to settle at the bottom after a while. Only pour the batter to the cups right before steaming AND stir the batter each time before pouring. This is important or your kuih kosui won't turn out right
After steaming, remove from the steamer and let them cool down for 5 minutes. The middle may still appear to have a bit of liquid pooling, but they will dry up as they cool down. They can be easily removed by running a small rubber spatula around the edge and lift them up. Sprinkle with the coconut toppings and serve
Repeat with the next batch of steaming if you need to and make sure the steaming water is back to a rolling boil before steaming and remember to preheat the cups