Rice Puto

Rice 
Manang's Rice Puto
Rice Puto - not just puti

I would have said "Putong Puti" on the title, but because I used several flavorings to come up with bite-size puto to bring tomorrow to my SIL's for Easter celebration, these mini-puto have pastel colors,and will be the right way to Filipinize Easter, I would say!

I used rice flour (to save time), and added coconut milk instead of plain water just because I love the flavor imparted by it. I also added fresh pandan leaves to the boiling water for additional flavor.

My kids liked them, tasting each and seeing which flavor they liked best. Hubby was likewise delighted.

I also experimented with using additional tapioca starch (added 1 tsp to 1 tbsp to one of the 4 colors) to see whether it would help prevent the "eruption"; I also tried to lessen the heat as soon as I placed the bamboo steamer, so as not to make "gulat" and create that erupted look. Not that I don't like the erupted top; I was just wondering how some puto vendors manage not to have any on theirs. These seem effective, and tapioca subtly changes the consistency to make it a little bit chewier (almost rubber-like, but not tough, whereas pure rice would result to a more crumbly texture, especially if batter is not thin enough, or if rice did not soak long enough).

I will have to make special mention of MaMely of PinoyAmericanRecipes for the puto molds and the wonderful Pinoy flavorings she sent to me. Thanks, MaMely!

Update as of 2/4/2011: WonderWoman tried this recipe (after previously trying 2 other recipes that she did not particularly like) and I got the thumbs up from her! Thanks, WonderWoman!

Ingredients:
1 package (16 oz or 1 lb) rice flour (regular, red writings on package)
1-1/2 cup water
1 can (14 oz or 13.5 oz) premium coconut milk (unsweetened, first pressing)
1-1/2 cup sugar
a dash or two of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
few drops of McCormick flavorings (langka, ube, pandan)

Optional:
tapioca starch (1 tbsp for the whole batch, or 1 tsp for each after dividing)
pandan leaves for the boiling water

Instructions:
In a plastic container, blend rice flour with water very well. Cover and let rest in room temp overnight.


Next morning, add everything else except flavorings and mix very well until smooth. Batter will be very very thin. Do not be tempted to add any more flour.

Prepare water for steaming. Add pandan leaves if desired.

Divide batter into 4. Add a few drops of the flavorings to 3, leaving one white, so you end up with 4 different colors. You may add tapioca (1 tsp each) to each of these, or try one with tapioca and see if you like the result. If you don't, leave the rest alone.

Lay the puto molds on top of cloth lining as shown (I use the ones in the photo below; I bought it from Walmart, where the housekeeping/building stuff are). Pour the batter almost to the brim of the molds. When water is briskly boiling, steam the puto and time for 10 minutes for these bite-size puto (muffin size will probably take 15-20 minutes). If using metal pan, line the lid also with dry cloth to absorb moisture and prevent condensation. Do not steam the puto too long that the excess moisture gets absorbed by the cooked puto that might result to sogginess. In trying to figure out the right steaming time for your size of puto, try a few, steam for about 10 minutes, try it (or break in half to see the middle), before you proceed with the rest of the batter.

Once done, remove right away from the mold and cool on wire rack so excess moisture evaporates. These puto molds easily releases the puto; I just had to slip the tip of a toothpick at one side, the gently pull it out and drop onto the cooling rack. Store (what you will not eat right away) in airtight container when cooled completely.





Comments

  1. I love the look of your puto. Oh yes, what would do the Pinoy do without his puto? I'm going to try your recipe. I make puto using the White King Mix which is ok, but nothing to write home about. Your recipe looks more adventurous. I don't have those tiny molds, but can use my small muffin pan. And my steamer - a metal one - should come in handy.
    I hope I can duplicate the look of your puto!

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  2. Hi Manang,
    Happy Easter to you and your family!I have a question on your rice flour... Do you really need to soak it overnight?Please advise.Thanks.

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  3. Hi Sharon,
    I think this recipe is almost as simple as having a mix, if you have the ingredients in your pantry anyway. The flavorings are just to make it more interesting. Plain still tastes good otherwise.

    Luz,
    At least 6 hrs soaking time would be ideal. If not, maybe try about an hour to two hours. I think the soaking makes it smoother (I would think if you do not soak, the outcome might be crumbly, but go ahead and try if you will like it anyway). You know how the lumpiang sariwa batter, if left in the fridge for a while before cooking, makes the crepe more intact?...that's the create soaking makes...almost like the process of developing gluten, although this has not gluten because is has no wheat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tried not soaking the rice flour, when the puto is still hot its a but crumbly,a slight mistake transfering them from the mold breaks it easily, but i havent tried soaking to see the difference...

      Delete
    2. I tried not soaking the rice flour, when the puto is still hot its a but crumbly,a slight mistake transfering them from the mold breaks it easily, but i havent tried soaking to see the difference...

      Delete
  4. i usually use all-purpose flour for my puto 'coz that's the usual recipe found in the net/book. This must be a better version as the traditional puto sold in palengke is made from galapong, which I really love :)

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  5. hi manang!

    when you said slightly chewy puto with the tapioca flour, kapareho ba ng puto calasiao yung consistency niya? i love the texture of puto calasio kasi

    ria

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  6. I have plenty of cookbook on Filipino cuisine but I know that you will always have the best and most straightforward recipes! This is fantastic - I also make puto only from the White King mix but would prefer to do it from scratch. Thank you for this! I will make putong puti for my next batch of dinuguan for my husband. 8-)

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  7. Nina, it must be better...the thing is, if I have to make puto from scratch (instead of the white cake mix I used before), I would opt for a non-all purpose flour recipe, since we all know puto is made from rice. The major thing that kept me from making puto from rice prior to this was, I was afraid the result would be the puto that I disliked back in the Philippines...the kind that was too crumbly, and leaves a certain unpleasant film inside the mouth after biting. This one does not have that afterfeel. I don't know if the coconut milk (with its oil component) did the trick, but I loved the result.

    ria, I have not had puto calasiao, so I have no idea whether this comes close and I don't have a basis for comparison. You can try this recipe and you tell me if it is. You can also try to modify and see what you have to do to make it like puto calasiao.

    TN, That was some big expectations from me! Haha! I am not sure if my recipes are the best, but I know they work for me, and most of them work for a lot of my readers as well. I am sure you will like this one too.

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  8. I got to try it with rice flour, I normally use grounded rice but I'm not consistant.

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  9. I tried to make puto with online recipes using rice flour and coconut milk without soaking it.I'm sure it will be better if I will do your way.Thanks again.

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  10. Luz,
    I hope you will like the outcome as much as we did!

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  11. Manang, thanks for this recipe! When I'm in Manila one of my first stops is... Goldilocks! for the puto. I'll try this at home here. I sure hope I can find real pandan leaves.

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  12. Hi Lannie,
    Just a caution -- do not place in the fridge...somehow it dries up even if you microwave it.

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  13. manang can i use whole milk instead of coconut milk?

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  14. HI Anonymous,
    I think you can, but it will not taste quite the same, and I am not sure how much oil whole milk has compared to coconut milk...How about trying half and half instead?

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  15. thanks manang, i'll try it today!

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  16. Hi Manang,I tried your rice puto ,I like the outcome,except I had a erupted top :).I did not have tapioca starch on that time. Does it really
    work for you?I can see your puto meron ding biyak
    sa ibabaw.Please advise.Thanks.

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  17. Hi Manang,

    Kailangan ba wag takpan yung steamer?

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  18. Hi Manang - These look exactly like the puto I miss back home. I'd love to try your recipe. Where did you get your puto molds. Thanks
    jo

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  19. Hi, this is Thelma. I'm finally trying this recipe. My rice flour is soaking, meanwhile, I'll link this to my facebook for easy reference later. I'm not using the optional tapioca since I don't mind the erupted look on top as long as they don't explode out of the puto pans(it happened to me), in fact, that's how I remember puto back home. I hope I'll succeed this time. I have guinea pigs to feed tomorrow. Heck, they ate my puto before, even if the consistency and form were disastrous.

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  20. Do you mean 1.5 cups in your ingredients? I just want to make sure I can assume it's really one and a half cups by reading 1-1/2.

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  21. hi manang. thank you so much for sharing your recipes to us who misses home, the philippines. i tried the rice puto today. i soaked it overnight. i followed all the engridients and intructions but the outcome was not good. its so rubbery. i thought if i used rice flour, the result would be like binan puto. binan puto is the kind of texture i am familiar with. fluffy and yet soft.

    ReplyDelete
  22. The recipe I have been using calls for water and not coconut milk. It was ok but a little too crumbly. I added 1 Tbsp of glutinous rice flour to 1 cup of the rice flour and it was chewier. I hadn't seen your recipe yet. I will try your recipe and let you know how it goes. Thanks for all the recipes and tips.

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  23. HI Anonymous,
    I am not sure why yours turned rubbery. Mine was very good when freshly cooked. When I placed them in the fridge, they sort of dried up, and were rubbery when reheated in microwave.
    There's a recipe shared by a friend in fb where he uses some cooked rice. Maybe that will help with the softer and moister consistency.

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  24. Hi Manang.

    Pinapatanong po ni mama kung ano ba daw po yung cloth lining? Diba parang regular na cloth lang yon?

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  25. Hi Kim,
    Kahit anong tela na manipis at cotton para ma-absorb yung steam (kasi kung magko-condense yung steam at tutulo sa puto, magiging soggy yung puto). Katsa ang best na gamitin kung meron. O kaya lumang t-shirt na cotton.

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  26. manang ask ko lang where did you buy your cups for the puto? thank you

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi grace, bigay lang sa akin ng co-blogger. Sorry I don't know where to get them.

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  28. you have amazing blog - so many recipes...I found your space by googling puto...some Filipino people had mentioned this dish in comments on my space when I did a post some time back on rice pudding...I am now ready to try this...will link back to you once I try the recipe
    Mireille
    http://gourmetglobal.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Chef Mireille, thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. I am sorry I am making just quick replies here due to time constraints. But please know that I appreciate what you plan to do with the recipe.

      Delete
    2. manang can I use pandan water,instead of plain water? thank you po....Johnbel

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    3. johnbel, you definitely can, and I think that will even make it yummier!

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    4. Hi manang,can I add vanilla in the batter ?

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    5. Hi flame123, you can if you don't plan to use other flavorings.

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  29. hi manang...thanks for the recipe...my son loved it and im definitely going to make this on his 7th birthday...super sarap... ;)


    -jessica

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    Replies
    1. Hi jessica, thanks for your feedback! I am glad your son liked it. :)

      Delete
  30. hi manang, Can i use pure glutinous rice?

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    Replies
    1. HI Anonymous,
      Sorry I haven't tried. It might be too dense.

      Delete
  31. Hi manang! Ilang cup po na coconut milk at sugar sa 1kg na rice flour ang dpat?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anonymous, Hindi madaling sagutin yang tanong mo kasi kelangan ng conversion. Convert mo to kg yung pounds ng rice flour. Tapos, yung 1.5 cups ng sugar ay equivalent sa 0.34 kg. ung 14 oz ng coconut milk ay equivalent sa 1.75 cups. Bahala ka na mag-convert at ako ay inaantok sa ngayon galing trabaho...Use ratio and proportion principles ng basic math...practice, hane? :)

      Delete
  32. hi, i would like to have also the flavoring... where can i buy them on net?! i'd never seen something like that on filipino market here in rome, italy..

    however..i'd dsovered your blog yesterday and i love it...i read people sayng they failed other recipes, but urs worked perfetly so i'm defnitly going to try your recipe, want to start with the ensaymada supersoft, siopao and pandesal...and of corse this puto... puto at kutinta ang laging hinahanap hanap ko sa pilipinas pagngbbakasyon kame nung maliliit p kame..ngaung my asawa na ako, tsaka ko lng nadiscovered ang ibang lutong pilipino..so gusto kong matutunan lahat! hehe..

    thanks a lot for your recpes :))

    jas

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi jas,
      Thanks for your comment. I suggest you start with pandesal so you will first learn the feel of dough that is ready for shaping (hoping you do have a bread machine) before you go to ensaymada and siopao (although there have been those whose first ever try of yeast breads is the supersoft ensaymada and has success).

      Yung flavorings na to were only a gift to me from someone who lives in UT. I myself have not seen it around here. But I found them online also: http://www.philamfood.com/search.php?mode=search&page=1

      See if you can get yours from that site. :)

      Delete
  33. Hi manang, i am making puto out of flour and pancake mix and using this gpr years and i even sell it here in belgium and netherlands....but through years i experimented separating yolks to eggwhites and beat white then made puto so soft...i will try ur recipe i think this is nice pair to dinuguan ...i used your pichi2 recipe too and selling it here when friends order...:-D thanks a lot

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  34. Pwedi Yung Coliring Manang.

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  35. hello! just made rice puto with pandan flavour. followed your recipe and it's yummy. my only addition is star anise seeds as my experiment of flavours. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I'm a big fan of yours. Hettyx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Hetty, Thanks for your feed back!

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  36. hi Manang. i am trying to do your version of puto. But when i put 1-1/2 cups of water to soak the rice flour, i had to add another 1 cup. would that make the puto different? i will be cooking it tomorrow and let you know what happened. i hope it's not a disaster. Thank you for sharing.

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  37. hi manang, I want you to try my putong puti galapong rice flour mix.with simple instruction & simple steps. I reserch this special long grain rice,make some experiment, I can consider, authentic pinoy taste & texture. my name is bong carlos from queens new york, just email me your address , to bongputo@ymail.com , i will ship your sample. thanks

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    Replies
    1. hi manang , my new email bongputo@live.com , thanks bong carlos 917 574 8426

      Delete
  38. I have tried soooooo many puto recipe & this is the exact taste that I was looking for. I just have one question regarding the soaking process. Should the mixture be thin or same like the galapong for palitaw? thanks for sharing this recipes so many other that I would definitely try. God bless! -Katrina

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  39. Hi Manang, just wanted to know what makes a puto dense that i wish it would be fluffy and not heavy. I used to make wheat flour for the puto and fresh milk instead of evaporated milk to lessen the sticky sweetness. But my problem is how to make it fluffy and not dense. Thank you so much.

    ReplyDelete

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