HAINANESE YI BUA

INGREDIENTS

For the coconut filling

350g gula melaka (palm sugar), coarsely chopped

150ml water

3 to 4 pandan leaves, washed and knotted together

150g ginger, peeled and grated medium-fine

10g orange zest

500g grated fresh coconut

11/2 Tbs plain flour

100g white sesame seeds

150g peanuts, coarsely ground

7 large banana leaves, scalded, cleaned and cut into 30 strips, each 5cm by 24cm long

Peanut oil, to brush on the banana leaves

Peanut oil, cooked in a pan on medium heat for one minute then cooled, to brush on the steamed yi bua

Red food colouring, for decoration

For the rice flour dough (Dough A)

400ml water

100ml peanut oil

100g rice flour

For the glutinous rice flour dough (Dough B)

600g glutinous rice flour

400ml water

180ml peanut oil

METHOD

1. To make the filling: Put the chopped gula melaka and water in a pan on medium-low heat. Add the pandan leaves.

2. Cook until the gula melaka dissolves and forms a syrup. Remove the pandan leaves and take the pan off the heat. Strain the liquid and pour it back into the pan.

3. With the heat still on medium-low, add the ginger and orange zest. Stir until the mixture thickens. To test if it is thick enough, prepare a bowl of water. Add a drop of the syrup to the water. If it sinks to the bottom of the bowl, the syrup is ready.

4. Once the gula melaka syrup is thick enough, turn the heat to low. Add the grated coconut and plain flour. Mix until well combined. Cook until the coconut absorbs the gula melaka syrup. The filling should be only slightly moist.

5. Add sesame seeds and ground peanuts. Mix well. Take it off the heat and pour it into a clean and dry bowl. Set aside.

6. Next, make the dough: To make the rice flour dough (Dough A), pour the water, peanut oil and rice flour into a pan on medium heat.

7. Stir continuously until clumps of dough start to form. Set aside.

8. To make the glutinous rice flour dough (Dough B), add the glutinous rice flour, followed by the water and peanut oil, into a mixing bowl. Using a spatula or your hand, mix until a dough begins to form.

9. Add Dough A into the mixing bowl. Knead until both types of dough are well combined. Set aside.

10. Brush the banana leaves with peanut oil. Take 30g of the dough and flatten it into a round disc about 4 to 5mm thick. It does not have to be perfect.

11. Place the flattened dough in the palm of your hand and spoon 30g or about two heaped dessert spoonfuls of the coconut filling onto the dough. Wrap the filling in the dough until it forms a ball.

12. Wrap a banana leaf strip around the ball or yi bua. Tightly tuck in the excess banana leaf at the base, like how you would wrap a present, to cover the section where the ball of dough has been sealed. There is no need to secure the banana leaf as the weight of the yi bua will hold the leaf in place during the steaming process. Next, flatten the yi bua slightly and roughly shape it into a square. It should resemble a small box without a lid. Place the yi bua on a steaming rack.

13. Repeat to make the rest of the yi bua. (Any leftover dough can be used to make art bua - flatten 30g pieces of dough and boil them in water until they float. Toss these in the same coconut filling to serve).

14. Steam the yi bua over boiling water for seven minutes.

15. Remove from heat. Brush each yi bua with cooked peanut oil. After about five to 10 minutes, use the base of a bamboo skewer dipped in red food colouring to dot the centre of each yi bua.

Makes 30 yi bua. Leftovers can be used to make art bua