Welcome to the launch of our first ever volume of Kitsby's Lunar New Year community cookbook featuring recipes from our AAPI foodie network! The themes we wanted to shine through this project are how incredibly diverse our AAPI community is, and community - none of what we do here at Kitsby would exist without the support of our friends, family, neighbors, and beyond.
Many of us, who help to actively build the growing AAPI network that we have today, share roots in points of common nostalgia, which is exactly why we wanted this project to feature the nostalgia dish (the dish that transports you back to your roots) of each partner in a cookbook-format!
Meet Nigel Sielegar of Moon Man:
Nigel Sielegar is an award-winning designer, entrepreneur, and a chef. He founded Moon Man in 2017, a dessert brand whose mission is to introduce modernized southeast asian dessert and snacks to NYC. This highly acclaimed dessert brand has been featured in New York Times, Food & Wine, Eater, and other popular culinary publications.
This steamed cassava cake is a traditional snack from Indonesia that I'm incredibly fond of. When I was young, I’d always pick some up every time my grandma and I went to the traditional markets in Surabaya (it’s the second largest city in Indonesia!).
Kuih Singkong (Steamed Cassava Cake)
- Servings
- 5 people
Ingredients
- 1 lb finely grated cassava
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 3 pandan leaves OR ½ tsp of pandan extract
- Pinch of salt
- Water (see step 6 for the exact amount)
- Butter or sprayable oil
For the coating:
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- 1/2 tsp salt
Steps
- Knot the pandan leaves (skip if using pandan extract).
- Put the pandan leaves/extract in the coconut milk and heat it up until it’s just below boiling point.
- Let the coconut milk cool and remove the pandan leaves (if using leaves).
- While waiting for the coconut milk to cool down, mix the desiccated coconut with 1/2 tsp of salt, and steam over boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Grease the pan you’ll be using for steaming with butter / spray it with some oil.
- Weigh the boiled-down coconut milk, and add water to it until it reaches a total of 500 mL or 2 cups of liquid. until it’s exactly 17 fl oz. (500 ml)
- Mix the grated cassava, sugar, and the coconut milk in a bowl.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan, cover it with aluminum foil, and steam on medium heat. (Depending on the size of the pan you are using, it will take about 25-45 minutes for the batter to cook) Stick a skewer into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, then your cake is done! Let it cool to room temperature.
- Cut it to bite size squares with a greased knife, and coat each piece with the steamed desiccated coconut.
- Although it's delicious on its own, this cake pairs amazingly with Moon Man Pandan or Ube kaya jam. Enjoy!
