Malaysian Pumpkin and Coconut Pudding (Gluten-Free)

We had entrusted our next door neighbour Miss N and her family with custodianship of our mail while we were on holiday in Malaysia. This pudding was made as our small and simple token of appreciation to them.

Miss N, a French native married to her Australia husband and moved to Australia 12 years ago, she is a fabulous French cook with a passion for good food and wine. I thought I could not have outdone her with any Western desserts. Hence, I resorted to making an Asian style pudding. She and her son are both gluten intolerant, so this gluten-free pudding is perfect for the family.

Malaysia is famous for the colourful strong-tasting, sweet and exotic Nyonya Kuih. They are especially famous for their tropical accents. The word "Nyonya" is used to describe the daughter's of Chinese men & Malaysian women in the early years. Their inborn cooking talent is passed from generation to generation, and they skillfully combined the essence of Chinese and Malaysian cuisines to create unique Nyonya dishes.

This pudding is one of my many favourite Nyonya desserts. It is originally made of sweet potato (kumara) but I have replaced the sweet potato with pumpkin because I find that pumpkin has a particular affinity with coconut milk or cream. The texture is a little more chewy than the usual pudding but the great sweet pumpkin gets an intriguing new flavor from coconut milk that makes this pudding remarkable.

Malaysian Pumpkin and Coconut Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

270g pumpkin
270g tapioca (or potato) flour * (See note at bottom of post)
1 tbsp rice flour
225g sugar
1 /2 tsp salt
300g coconut milk
270g water
shredded coconut

Method

1. Sliced pumpkin. Steam or microwave until soft and mash.
2. Mix in tapioca flour, rice flour, sugar and salt.
3. Slowly add in coconut milk and water, mix evenly.
4. Cook the mixture in a pan until warm, stirring continuously.
5. Pour the mixture into a steamer and steam over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
6. Remove and let it cool slightly.
7. Cut into pieces and coat with shredded coconut.

Note: Tapioca (or potato) flour are frequently used in Asian cooking. You can find it in most Asian grocery stores. Japanese Agedashi Tofu is a classic example of how tapioca (or potato) flour is used in Asian dishes. Recipe will be posted tomorrow. Stay tuned!