Kuih bingka ubi durian (cassava cake with durian)

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This Malaysian kuih is traditionally made with all cassava, but here Abby Lee adds a funky twist with some puréed Musang King durian. The cassava gives the kuih a chewy texture, and the turmeric makes it bright sunshine yellow.

First published in 2024
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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Equipment

  • 20cm square tin

Method

1

Defrost the cassava and add it to a muslin-lined bowl. Give the cassava a good squeeze (it doesn’t need to be completely dry), and set aside the cassava juice for 15 minutes allowing it to separate

  • 900g of frozen grated cassava
2

Break up the cassava, pulling and spreading it in a bowl. Check for any cassava fibres that haven’t been removed

3

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan

4

In the same bowl, add the melted butter, coconut milk, durian, sugar, eggs, salt and ground turmeric. Stir well until combined

5

The cassava juice should have separated now. Pour away the juice that will be sitting on top and save the white starchy paste at the bottom. Add the cassava starch to the cake mix and combine well

6

Soften the banana leaves on an open flame – it will only take a second on each slide. Flip the leaves continuously until they colour. Alternatively, you can soften the leaves in a dry pan

7

Butter an 8 inch square cake tin then line it with softened banana leaves

8

Pour in the cake mix and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and preheat the grill to hot

9

Add 0.5 cm cubes of butter evenly around the top of the cake and grill for up to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown

10

Test for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle of the cake: there will be some starchy bits, but as long as these bits are dry, it’s done. Let cool before slicing

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Abby Lee began her career predominantly cooking Italian food but after moving back to Malaysia during the coronavirus pandemic, began to learn more about the food she grew up eating and decided to pivot towards Malaysian cookery. She has since made a name for herself at her London restaurant Mambow, where her bold modern Malaysian dishes have gone down a storm.

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