Palm Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake/Kuih Wajik Recipes

I remember the first time I tried this kuih was at my Malay schoolmate house during Hari Raya. Kuih wajik has always been one of my favorite kuih since. Back in Malaysia I never learn to make this kuih as I can buy it easily from the hawker-stalls or from the Malay kuih seller. Living in the US however I don’t have the luxury of going out to buy some when my craving strikes. So whenever I want to eat kuih I have to make it myself. I found this recipe at Kuali.com and it turn out pretty close to the one I ate from back home.

Ingredients:
(Adapted from Kuali.com)

250g glutinous rice, soaked overnight
150g palm sugar (Gula Melaka), chopped into small pieces
50g soft brown sugar
100ml water
150ml thick coconut milk
½ tsp salt
2 screwpine/pandan leaves, knotted

1. Drain the glutinous rice and place in a shallow heat-proof dish. Mix in the salt. Steam rice over rapidly boiling water for 20 minutes or until just cooked. (Do not worry if the rice grains appear dry and tough; this is the way they should be.)
2. Put water, both sugars and screwpine leaves in a pan. Stir and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer syrup for about 10 minutes. Strain the syrup.
3. Place syrup, coconut milk in a wok. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick and syrupy and the surface is full of bubbles.
4. Add the steamed rice. Stir constantly until mixture is thick and sticky. The wajik should be quite gooey. Turn mixture out onto a shallow tray lined with a banana leaf. Allow to cool and harden, then cut into serving-sized pieces.