Tri-layer Steamed Tapioca Kueh (Bingka Ubi)

I can't believe that it is already the beginning of August. It almost seems like just awhile back we just had Chinese New year! Okay, maybe not that recent....but time is really going fast...scary fast sometimes. :P Nevertheless, I do feel that my time slots are all fully utilized everyday. Waking up at 6.15 am every morning, then starts off whether to prepare meals, chauffeuring the kids, cleaning the house or simply baking something nice in the kitchen, it just goes on non-stop until night time where I get to spend quiet, quality time with my family. :) Busy SAHM? You bet. Just like any of you out there I believe, I enjoy being able to spend more time home with the kids and not forgetting to bake/blog. It might sound a little "sad" but sometimes trying out a new and interesting recipe can be the highlight of my day, lol! Talking about new recipe, this recipe I am blogging today is not all that new, but perhaps the look is . :) It's Steamed Tapioca Kueh, but in 3 different flavors, Pandan, original & Gula Melaka. :)

Have been trying out a few kueh recipes lately and I am loving everyone of it! And since I love Tapioca Kueh (Bingka Ubi), it's no surprise that I will find ways to tweak the recipe here and there to remake it again. :) Come to think of it, my previous 2 posts are both baked versions, not quite the same as this one. This tri-layer idea was actually from a post which I saw ages ago. But sadly she didn't share the recipe...so I had to come up with it myself. :P

The green pandan layer is actually using not those bottled essence but the traditional method of blending the pinescrew leaves and extracting the decanted pandan essence. See here on how I did it previously. :) And since I made quite a lot for a dinner party, you can always reduce the recipe to your suiting. Bare in mind the ingredients needed are real simple but it's the dividing, mixing and steaming each layer one after another that's the tricky part. Here is the recipe on how I made this tri-layer Bingka Ubi:

Ingredients :
960g peeled, grated tapioca (320g for each layer)
300ml coconut milk (100ml for each layer)
12 tsp tapioca flour (to be divided to 3 tsp for each layer)
3 eggs, one for each layer, lightly beaten 3 tbsp thick pandan juice
130g caster sugar (divide equally to two 65g for pandan and middle layer)
65ml gula melaka for bottom layer

Method:

• To make the bottom Gula Melaka layer first, weigh out 320g of grated tapioca and set aside. Prepare a steamer with boiling water and grease a 9 inch round pan and lined with parchment paper.
  
• In a sauce pot, heat the chopped up gula melaka at medium low fire together with the 100g of coconut milk till almost bubbling. Remove from fire and mix in the about 2 tbsp of the mixture to the beaten egg. Then add the egg mixture into the coconut milk mixture.
  
• Mix in the flour and whisk till no lumps. Then lastly add in the grated tapioca and mix well. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and steam it for at least 20 minutes at high fire.
• While steaming the gula melaka layer, prepare the original layer. Repeat the same as before except replacing the gula melaka with caster sugar.
• Pour the original flavor over the steamed gula melaka layer and continue to steam for another 20 minutes.
• Lastly prepare the top last layer: Repeat the same as the last original flavor but remember to add the thick pandan juice when mixing it all in.
• Pour the pandan layer over the original layer and continue to steam again for another 20 minutes till done.
• Remove from steamer and let cool completely before slicing into it. Remember a clean knife yields a cleaner cut.
  

When I served it to my guest that evening, they thought I have added glutinous rice into it! Strange how the texture turned out almost the same. ;) But I love the chewiness and flavorful layers it yielded...yummy! And the 3 layers have nice distinct colors. ;)

Overall a very satisfactory desert, happy happy! If you want to make this, just remember you can adjust the sweetness to your liking. Since I always play precaution, I made mine less sweet and so if you want it sweeter, simply sprinkle some confectioner's sugar over it. Else if I made it too sweet, I can't get the sugar out anymore!
Anyway, hope you guys will like this and perhaps give it a try. It's quite simple, just the grating of the tapioca can be quite tedious. :P But it's really nice to have some homemade kueh and a cup of your favorite tea....and you are all set for a nice break!

Time is catching up on me again, so signing off now. Have a great week ahead all!