How To Make Filipino Steamed Rice Cake

It’s the 226th day of quarantine period in our region and this lockdown is almost reaching Christmas. It’s kinda sad that we’ll be suspending some Christmas activities due to the pandemic. I haven’t heard children singing carols outside our house. Christmas parties won’t likely to happen because the government won’t allow gatherings.

Somehow, I’m glad that we wouldn’t miss the Misa de Gallo since we can attend them through live mass. However, we wouldn’t get to experience buying rice cakes outside the church whenever the mass ends. I’ll truly miss the puto, kutsinta, bibingka, puto bumbong, pichi pichi and more. I guess I’ll just make them at home. I’ll make sure to show you how. Let’s start with Puto or Filipino steamed rice cake.

Putos are like colorful small buns with melted cheese on top. But the flavors are different and unique. Don’t confuse it with Vietnamese Banh Bo Hap, which has coconut milk, and Chinese White Sugar Sponge Cake, which is more of a flat bread. 

1. Prepare all the ingredients needed. This includes rice flour, sugar, evaporated milk, salt, baking powder, eggs, food color, melted butter and cheese.

2. Boil water on the bottom pan of the steamer.

3. While boiling, grease the molding cups with melted butter.

4. Make the batter by mixing two cups of rice flour, a cup of sugar, a cup of evaporated milk, a quarter teaspoon of salt, two teaspoon of baking powder and two eggs.

5. Divide this mixture into three or into the number of food colors that you have.

6. Drop a small amount of food color on the first batter. We had green.

7. Drop a small amount of food color on the second batter. We had yellow.

8. Drop a small amount of food color on the third batter. We had red, though it will look like pink.

9. Fill in the molding cups with the mixture.

10. Place these molding cups on the second pan of the steamer.

11. Steam for 15 minutes.

12. After 15 minutes, position a small cube of cheese on top of each puto and continue steaming for five minutes.

13. Remove from the pan and the cups. Your Putos are now done and ready to be served.