Kuih Peria

I bet some of you really thought that the picture that I shared on Instagram & FB page two days ago was really that of real bitter gourds. Since I labelled the picture as 'sweet bitter gourd',  two of my friends thought that there was really a sweet bitter gourd variety... hehe. 

They are actually Kuih Peria or what the Indonesians call Kuih Perape.  Sweet & rich, they are quite similar to Kuih Angku, except they're shaped to look like bitter gourd & the filling is sweet grated coconut instead of mung bean paste. They really taste like Kuih Koci. I find them quite cute & if you were to serve them for a gathering, I'm sure it'll be an interesting topic of discussion!

Kuih Peria a.k.a. Kuih Perape
Ingredients:
250g glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp limewater (air kapur)
1/4 tsp salt
175 ml thick coconut milk from 1/2 coconut (I used 240ml.)
50 ml pandan juice
4 drops green colour
filling (recipe below)
coconut milk wash (see below)
banana leaves (cut into rectangles of about 5x2.5 cm)

Method:

1. Combine limewater, salt, pandan juice & colouring & mix well. Pour into the flour. Add in coconut milk & mix thoroughly to form a smooth & soft dough.
2. Take some dough (I weighed 25g.) Spoon a teaspoon of filling onto the dough & seal. Roll the dough gently between palms till round. Then roll it to form an oval. Using the thumb & forefinger, gently pinch the two ends of the oval dough. Then, use  the  blunt edge of a knife & press some lines to create the 'bitter gourd'. Place the kuih on a piece of  banana leaf which has been lightly greased with oil. Brush the top of kuih with some coconut milk wash. 
3. Do the same with the rest of the dough. Steam for about 15 minutes. Then brush the cooked kuih with the coconut milk wash again before serving.

FILLING
50 ml water
75g gula Melaka (chopped)
15g granulated sugar
100g freshly grated coconut
1 pandan leaf
1/8 tsp salt

     Combine water, gula Melaka, granulated sugar into a saucepan & boil the mixture. Strain & pour back into the saucepan. Add in coconut, pandan leaf & salt. Stir until cooked & almost dry. Set aside to cool.

COCONUT MILK WASH
50 ml coconut milk
1/8 tsp salt
     Combine both ingredients in a saucepan & cook over low fire, stirring frequently, until it starts to boil. Set aside to cool.

Makes 20 pieces.
Recipe from Sedap Magazine (October 2014).

Notes & modifications:

1. Since I used freshly-squeezed coconut milk, I cooked it over medium low fire, stirring frequently, until it starts to boil. I used 125ml thick coconut milk (squeezed without water) & added some water & boiled it to get 240ml. If you are using coconut milk from the box, I don't think you need to cook it. Just mix some with water.
2. I had to add more liquid (65 ml more) to the dough because my dough was quite dry. Please adjust the liquid accordingly. The dough should be smooth & moderately soft.
3. To prepare pandan juice, take a big bunch of pandan leaves (10-20), blend with some water & strain, preferably with a cheese cloth.