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Putu piring
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Putu piring

Palm sugar steamed rice cakes

Long lines form outside the putu piring stalls around Haig Road and Geylang Serai, especially in the evenings of Ramadan, for these soft white discs steamed one by one in shallow cone-shaped moulds. Each one hides a centre of gula melaka that melts into a dark, smoky syrup, and the cakes come off the steamer on a pandan leaf with a heap of fresh grated coconut, lightly salted, on top. The texture is crumbly and light, and the salt in the coconut keeps the palm sugar from cloying; eat them hot, with a cup of teh. The usual mistake is chopping the gula melaka too coarsely, so the big chunks never melt and stay grainy; shave or chop it fine. Chef's tip: steam the grated coconut with a pinch of salt and a pandan leaf for a few minutes first, so it stays fresh-tasting and keeps longer.

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