Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes

菲律賓蒸米糕

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — finished dish

Total time: 35 min
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Kutsinta combines rice flour, brown sugar and precisely measured food-grade lye water into soft amber steamed cakes, finished with fresh grated coconut.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

200 g rice flour
120 g brown sugar
350 ml water
80 g fresh grated coconut

Kutsinta batter

1/4 tsp food-grade lye water
1 pinch salt

Mould oil

1 tsp vegetable oil

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — ingredients

02

Tools

Lidded steamer and rack
Twelve 60 ml moulds
Whisk and large mixing bowl
Fine sieve
Clean skewer and small knife

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — tools

03

Steps

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Oil the moulds

Step 1

Oil the moulds

Oil twelve 60 ml moulds with 1 tsp oil and set them on the steamer rack.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Mix flour, sugar and salt

Step 2

Mix flour, sugar and salt

Whisk rice flour, brown sugar and the pinch of salt in a large bowl until no sugar lumps remain.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Dilute food-grade lye water

Step 3

Dilute food-grade lye water

Stir food-grade lye water, 1/4 tsp only, into 350 ml water; keep the bottle away from children.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Whisk a smooth amber batter

Step 4

Whisk a smooth amber batter

Pour lye water into flour while whisking until the batter is smooth and deep amber.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Sieve the batter twice

Step 5

Sieve the batter twice

Pass batter through a fine sieve twice so no flour grains block the small moulds.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Bring the steamer to a boil

Step 6

Bring the steamer to a boil

Bring steamer water to a rolling boil; water must sit below the rack.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Fill each mould three-quarters

Step 7

Fill each mould three-quarters

Fill each mould three-quarters full and tap once to release large bubbles.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Steam without lifting the lid

Step 8

Steam without lifting the lid

Steam covered over medium-high heat for 15 minutes; do not lift the lid.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Open safely and test a centre

Step 9

Open safely and test a centre

Open lid away from your face and test one centre with a skewer.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Steam longer if still wet

Step 10

Steam longer if still wet

Steam 2 minutes more if the skewer carries wet batter; do not guess from colour.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Rest and unmould

Step 11

Rest and unmould

Rest moulds 3 minutes, loosen the edges and lift each kutsinta out carefully.

Filipino Kutsinta Steamed Rice Cakes — Coat with coconut and serve

Step 12

Coat with coconut and serve

Roll warm cakes in fresh grated coconut and serve the same day.

Common mistakes

Using non-food-grade lye water is unsafe.
Overfilling moulds makes the cakes overflow.
Opening the lid early collapses the cakes.
Serving with wet batter in the centre.

Tips

Use food-grade lye water only and measure 1/4 tsp exactly.

Keep the steamer boiling before the moulds go in.

A clean skewer, not the dark colour, proves the centre is cooked.