So I am into making talam at the moment. Making and doing research and I felt like I have been to mathematics class last couple of weeks and back. kekekekekeke
Luckily I have enough guinea pigs and even the British neighbours have been promoted to try though it is very far and few that you will meet any British born and bred whom will like our kuih-muih. Well except my husband! He has actually placed an order for a special kuih lapis of his designs! I accepted his challenge. I just have to figured out how to make what he wants as I have not seen this designs online 😀 So watch this space!
Today I have decided to finally pen this recipe out. If I tried some more (research) my friends and neighbours and family might kill me. I have bought 2 dozen tins of coconut milk. Go figures 😀 However when my classmate from age 13 years old informed me that I have made the best talam pandan she have ever tasted I believed this recipe is a keeper.
Now when I said I felt like I have been to Mathematics class the last week, I meant I have calculated ratios of countless talam recipes online and from my cookbooks. This is the final ratio that I settled on which I can comfortably slice without breaking because I prefer softer talam.
However I did make some in glass jars and those I add a touch more liquids and a touch more salt for the crazy hubby who (thinks he’s a food critic) really like a touch more salty top to contrast with the sweet bottom (his words; not mine!) Shocking right? Coming from a white British guy – hahahahaha
Now if you have read all my musings this far I think you deserve a good tip. I actually added A DROP of alkaline water to my top layer. it works fine but do not be tempted to add more. If you want to know why, you can try it and see 😛 I did and the talam went into the bin.
TIP – Use as many pandan leaves as you can afford. Blend with water the night before. Store in a container with a cover and put in the fridge. I hate cross contamination of smell in the fridge. My everything is in either lock & lock, tupperwares or vacuumed sealed. For this recipe of 7×7 tin I used 2 packets of pandan leaves.
The next day when you are ready to make, it is entirely up to you how you use your pandan juice. You can throw the top water away and used the more condensed bottom bit or you can use all but sieve again one more time to remove residue.
TIP – If you want your pandan green to be slightly more deeper green try adding a few drop of intense blue pea flower water. Just boil blue pea right down to get a darker colour. However I am not sure I like it. I prefer a more natural pandan leaf colour. Which do you prefer?
TIP – As long as you stick to the flours and liquid ratio, do experiment. You can omit the tapioca flour and used just green bean flour and rice flour…..but you cannot do the reverse aka you cannot omit the green bean and used tapioca instead. Well I suppose it is all up to you to try 😀 Enjoy trying. I did.
p/s I am also trying to perfect the gula Melaka talam. Will update that recipe this weekend if free. It’s so much easier to make as just need to melt the gula Melaka
Kueh Talam – My special recipe
Ingredients
Bottom layer (Pandan layer)
- 35 g Mungbean flour
- 80 g White rice flour
- 35 g Tapioca flour
- 180 or 200 g Caster Sugar (I would suggest not lower than 180g)
- 1 tsp alkaline water
- 30 pieces Pandan leaves blend with water to get 750 ml juice.
Top White Coconut layer
- 400 ml coconut Milk (1 tin )
- 100 ml Water to rinse out the tin of coconut milk
- 40 g White rice flour
- 30 g Mung bean flour
- 10 g Tapioca flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- ONE DROP Alkaline (lye) water
Instructions
Bottom layer (Pandan layer)
- Mix everything, stir well then leave for 10 to 15 minutes. Sieve into your sauce pan.
- Using a balloon whisk mix well again then switch on the heat to medium and later low. Cook stirring non stop till you get the consistency of just a touch thicker than kaya (think mayonnaise) then turn off the heat quickly. Continue stirring for another minute or so so that the mixture do not lump together in the residue heat of your pot.
- Get your pan ready 7×7 inches or 8×8 inches (entirely up to you and brush it with a sunflower oil (oil must be odourless) Then wipe with kitchen roll. I use a non stick pan and it always come out nicely for me. Unless you use food and heat grade plastic please don't steam with plastic. Ewwwww.
- Pour your batter into pan and steam on medium high heat for 20 minutes or until you shake your pan and it will wobble a bit but not too much and you can see it's set.
Top White Coconut layer
- Mix everything together and leave it for 10 minutes. Sieve into your pan and then turn on your heat to low and cook stirring all the time again to a runny custard consistency not as firm as the bottom layer!
- Keep an eye on your bottom layer and then just pour in using a spatula to cushion the pour. (Refer to pic)
- Steam for another 15 minutes or so. Turn off your heat as soon as the talam is set. Continue steaming will cause the coconut top to be off white and dry.
Notes
The night before – prepare the pandan juice
Thank you kindly for sharing it looks amazing.
Hey Zaida, Thanks so much.
This is the yummiest talam I have tasted. Thank you Julie.
Thanks Rachel 🙂 Glad you love it!
Good morning Julie.
Love your kuih talam and would love to give it a try.
May I know are there any substitutes for mung bean flour and alkaline water as I don’t have them and eager to make it today. ?
Thank you.
Phaik Leng
hey Phaik Leng,
I known of people using just rice flour but texture will be different but can eat. For the alkaline water you can try with equal quantity of mineral water and bicarbonate soda. Mix well and the add like recipe. Good luck.
Thank you for your prompt response Julie, just retrieved the email from the spam folder. ?
I shall try to source the mung bean flour, something good is worth waiting for. Thanks again for your advice. Best wishes. PL
Hi Phaik Leng,
If you live in the UK you can buy from Loon Fung supermarket. Good luck.
Hi Julie,
Yes, your friend on Facebook has kindly confirmed it’s available at LF Alperton, I shall try to get some.
Thank you so much.
PL
Hi, Julie. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Can I just ask, can I use lye water (kansui) as alkaline water in this recipe? Thanks.
Hey Leona, Yes lye water is kansui (Y)
Hi Julie,
I love your kuih talas. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I have not heard of mung bean flour before. I have had a look online and found different products that call themselves mung beans flour.
Please can you let me know the type/brand of mung bean flour you used for this recipe?
My British husband was very excited about the gula Melaka version. I wonder if you have had a chance to try it and be able to share the recipe?
Thank you. Keep cooking and stay safe.
Keng
You are most welcome 🙂
Hi Julie , Thanks so much for your generosity . I would like to ask if this recipe makes firm or softer Talam . I am from Kedah and live in NY . Our Kedah Talam usually bottom is firm not harder ,touch chewier . The top is custardy . How do I achieve this ? I hate to waste the ingredients .I am deeply missed my hometown food and this is something me and my wife do on weekends .Thanks again .
Hi Mogan,
So sorry for not noticing this. I was not too well last 2 months but yes this is very soft, almost jelly like.
Hi Julie, I made the Kuih using your recipe (Exactly), it came out very very authentic. So good. It is a lot of work-:(( but the result was worth it.
I did not use any coloring, pure pandan juice. Thanks
Hi John sorry for late reply, not sure why I did not get any notifications. If you have tried a few more times by now I am sure you would have find it a lot easier by now 🙂
Hi Julie, just wanna say thank you for the great recipe! So easy to make and what a success the 1st time round for me! Also I didn’t use any alkaline water and it turned out perfectly wobbly and firm. I got so many compliments from friends and family. ? looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Hi Cindy H, so very happy to hear that you have added to your repertoire (Y)
I would like to know if you used mung bean flour or mung bean starch.
Hi Jacque, I believe they are both the same.
Hi Julie, I’m a fellow Malaysian, been in No for 52 yrs & absolutely love it. Am originally from Ipoh, so am familiar with lil ole Menglembu! I suddenly have the urge to make Kueh Talam, but am having trouble getting mung bean flour, might have to resort to making my own! I noticed you said is a possible substitute. Am nervous about trying to make it.
Oops sorry Julie, that should be NZ!
Oh my goodness. Just noticed this. I must make a note to try and get a ‘ping’ <3 Were you successful Margaret and HI!
This the Kuih Talam recipe I have been looking for. Even my fussy English man loves it and my friends rave about it.. Thank you so much Julie
Hi Julie, do you have the recipe for the gula melaka talam ? tia
Hi Julie, Hope you are well. Do you have the recipe for gula melaka talam ?
A big Hi from Down Under,
Thanks Julie for sharing this Kuih Talam recipe. I tried making it this afternoon and so happy that it was a success. Taste and texture is spot on. Sooo….delicious and everyone in my family loves it!
Hi Susanna,
So glad you and your family like it. I would love to visit Australia one fine day. Should drop by when I go back to Malaysia. ‘smile’