Kueh Bakul (Nian Gao) with Coconut Milk

Soften banana leaves by boiling them in hot water for about 10 minutes

Cut the softened banana leaves to size and line the inside of container

Using a suitable sized can, press banana leaves firmly inside the container

Add 380g gula melaka in a pot of 500 ml water

Add 1/2 tsp salt and 120g sugar

Put 3 crushed pandan leaves in the pot and bring to boil until gula melaka dissolves

Add 200 ml coconut milk and mix well

Sieve gula melaka mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool down

Sieve 600g glutinous rice flour

Slowly add the glutinous rice flour to the cooled down gula melaka mixture a little at a time and mix well

Sieve mixture into a bowl

Cook batter over low heat till batter thickens

Slowly pour the thickened batter into the coconut leaves lined containers

Arrange containers in a steamer and steam at low heat for 2 hrs

Top up water when the water level drops in the steamer

Leave the kueh in the hot steamer for several hours to make use of the residual heat.

Thereafter, remove the kueh from steamer and set aside to cool down

After the kueh has cooled down, loosen the sides with a spatula

Place a plate over it and turn over to remove the kueh bakul