Kue Putu and Klepon (Steamed and Boiled Traditional Rice Flour Cake)

Let's get introduced to Kue Putu Bambu and Klepon, a tiny traditional snacks made from steamed/boiled rice flour and filling with sweet brown sugar (javanese palm sugar) in the center inside. These cutie name snacks are classified into another famous night street snack/food for its only existing when night comes.

A classical. That's my interpretation for the history of how this snack sold. The walking seller must walk around home to home and around the streets. Bearing the cart on his shoulder with ringing the sound of melancholic vapor that desperately trapped in the small can to warning you to noticed. Unique way, then you will notice soon for the louder the sound is heard, the more closer it comes. Sadly, along with time, it turns into a nostalgic for the sound is now rarely to found these days. In different region, Kue Putu can also be found in variants such Putu Mayang, Putu Ayu with different colors, flavor and shape. But they are have same based ingredients and a yummy snack in treats. 

The phrases out

The smell of brown sugar

The dancing cloud of sizzle sound

Do you see me?

Warning to the trapped sound 
Like a night caller
A loneliness songs of erection
A payphone from nowhere
Do you hear me?

Putu Bambu made from rice flour. Yet, it is better to made the fresh flour by yourself so you can get the very best result to yummy you into a delicacy excitement. Fluffy while hot or warm. A quick execution if you want to enjoy the melted brown sugar hugging you and lucky if you could see the smoke and smell the fresh one. How to made? First, soaked rice for overnight, drained until it goes really dry then mashed well to getting into powder. If you have a grinding machine, it might taking you easier in step forward or you just can use a manual blender and filtering again until we got the same condition with the flour which sold in store. The fresh rice used is the important key to have a good taste, so better not to skipping. This is the more complex ways, which you can skip this, after you get the fresh flour, give a pinch of salt and steamed in few minutes. The salt not only giving an extra flavor but also keeping longer the age. Do once more filtering until you get the fine sandy powder. The smoother of rice flour you made gives a good consistency after it steamed. Done.

The stall of Putu Bambu, especially, has the steamer machine, like, the dimsum steamer in the modern day but in small size. Using small bamboo tube in 2-3 cm size or polyvinyl pipe for signature shape. When the steamer is ready, cover the bottom of the tube with your palm or thin paper then pour into the tube or mold. Don't push too much to make a solid mold. Stop after getting half to add enough amount of the brown sugar, then fully cover again with the flour. Put in the steamer until it looks like in the picture. Whilst waiting them, you might enjoy the fresh smell coming together with the smoke and prepare the fresh grated coconut, sprinkle with sugar dust as you like and enjoyed them together!

Klepon this cute green balls are likely best friend of Putu to sold in the same stall and makes you easier to found them at night. In the day, they usually sold in the market or cake shop and placed in banana leaf with three to four balls at each portion. A soft impression that disguised by the fresh grated of coconut if you give a chance to rolling into mouth. Soft chewy to the blast surprise of brown sugar are ready to gives you a sweet welcome. Made from glutinous rice flour combine into water of Pandan leaf to bringing the nice green color and aromas (and you can add a few drops of green food coloring to make it prettier), pinch of salt, santan, and air kapur sirih (lime paste, optional) use to stabilize the dough shape.

twinkle twinkle in the sky
give me give me a sweet kisses
to me the dandy man on white shirt
and those ladies on green skirt
whose enjoy hanging around me
hey sugar,
we beep you in hungry sound
do you hear us?

let's get walking to the end
chew chew why you'd be so yum
a firework that broken your night
a ticket to heaven for a minute
watch out the trap of sugar coconut
falling you into sweet crowded
now, come and see about us

Here a recipe you can try :

(*based on Ny.Liem book)

125 gr of white glutinous rice flour   half tsp of salt (or pinch)                 
1 tsp pandan/green paste                   
1 tsp oil                                               50 ml of heavy santan
50 ml water of pandan leaf               
(50gr pandan leaf : 100 ml water)     50 gr brown sugar for filling
fresh grated coconut                           

make pandan water:

rinse clean the leaf, cut and blender together with water until smooth, strain the dirt to ready use the water.

mixed well together santan, oil, paste and pandan water  that has been right measured

Prepare the bowl with the flour, add the water gradually until you can make a dough. Take a little bit of dough, flatten it then add the brown sugar,round like a ball. Make sure it closed well to avoid the unsuccessful result.

Boiling into hot temperature and it's ready to pick when the dough floating in the surface. Rolling them in grated coconut. Enjoy

tips:                                                       

you can use fresh grated coocnut or adding a pinch of salt then steam it for a while just to soften the hard texture of coconut. Sprinkle with the sugar dust or adding more melted brown sugar is on you!

tuu.. tuu.. tuu...
do you see me?
do you hear me?
do you hear us?
do you?

tuu.. tuu.. tuu..
moonlight shine so bright
the walking sound is closer
do you think hear us?
do you see us?
we woke you up with the smoke
fly away gazing your belly
I'm the dandy man in white shirt
and they were ladies on green skirt
in the sweet crowded of coconut
in a fireworks of brown sugar
tuu.. tuu.. tuu...