Kuih Salat / Firm Custard Rice Cake

Makes one 20cm rice cake

[Ingredients]
Rice:
1 1/2 cups (300g) long-grain glutinous rice (sticky rice)
300ml coconut milk (thin coconut milk)
1 teaspoon salt
1 banana leaf, softened, or baking paper
5 pandan leaves, tore along the length then knotted (optional)

Firm Custard:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
100g rice flour
400ml coconut cream (thick coconut milk)
160g sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pandan paste
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[Preparation]
Rice:
1. Rinse the glutinous rice, then soak in water for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
2. Line a 20cm square or round tin with softened banana leaf or use a piece of baking paper, cut to fit the base of the tin.
3. Drain rice and spoon into the prepared lined tin. Dissolve salt in coconut milk and add to the rice. Put the knotted pandan leaves on top, if using.
4. Steam the rice in a wok or steamer for 25-30 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Remove from steamer, discard pandan leaves and use a piece of banana leaf or a spoon to press the rice to lightly compress.

Firm Custard:
1. Beat eggs lightly with a fork. Add rice flour, beat in lightly to combine. Set aside.
2. When the rice is nearly done, combine coconut cream, sugar, salt and pandan paste in a saucepan. Cook over low heat for a couple of minutes, or until sugar has dissolved. Pour coconut mixture over the egg mixture, whisking as you add the coconut mixture. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over moderate heat for a few more minutes, whisking continuously, until you can feel the mixture starts to thicken at the bottom. Remove from heat.
3. Pour the hot custard mixture on top of the hot cooked rice base. Make sure the surface of the rice is moisture free before pouring in the custard so that the custard will adhere properly to the rice.
4. Steam over low gentle heat for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until the custard is set.
5. Let cool completely before cutting into diamond shapes to serve.

Taste: Sweet pandan custard on top of a slightly salty sticky rice base
Consume: Best within 1 to 2 days
Storage: Store, covered, at room temperature if serving the same day, or chill in the refrigerator and re-steam before serving
Recipe Reference(s): “Kueh Salat” recipe from Delicious Nyonya Kueh & Desserts by Patricia Lee