Ingredients
Batter
- 250 grice flour
- 50 gplain flour
- 200 ggula melaka or palm sugar
- 250 mlwater
- a pinch of salt
- 1pandan leaf, knotted
To fry
- plenty of oil, for deep frying
To serve
- warm, with tea or coffee
Directions
- Chop or grate it and dissolve it in the water over a low heat with the pandan leaf. Let it cool completely before it goes into the flour, since hot syrup would cook the rice flour into lumps. Strain the syrup, since palm sugar often contains grit and fibre.
- Whisk the rice flour and plain flour into the cooled syrup until completely smooth. It should be thick, closer to a heavy pouring cream than to a thin batter.
- Cover it and leave it for at least an hour, and several hours is better. Stir it again before use, since the rice flour settles heavily to the bottom. Use a deep pan with a good depth of oil, since the cake must float rather than sit on the bottom. Heat it to a moderate temperature, around 160 to 170°C.
- Keep the heat moderate, since fierce oil sets the outside instantly and the brim never has time to spread. The palm sugar also browns very quickly, so a hot pan gives a dark bitter cake.
- Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre of the oil from just above the surface. Pour it in one steady stream into a single spot rather than dribbling it around. It should sink slightly, then rise and spread outward into a disc with a raised centre.
- Keep spooning oil over for two or three minutes until the top is set. The brim will turn translucent, then golden, then crisp. Turn it only when the top is fully set, since a wet top collapses on turning. Cook the second side for another minute or two.
- Take it out when it is deep golden brown all over. The brim should be thin, wavy and crisp, and the centre should stay soft and slightly chewy. Adjust between cakes rather than persevering with a batter that is not working. Drain them on a rack rather than on paper, so the brim stays crisp.
- Serve them warm, when the contrast between crisp rim and soft centre is at its best. They soften within a few hours and keep two days, and they are still good if no longer crisp.
Technique
- The thin frilled rim and thick chewy centre are the whole point.
- The batter must rest at least an hour so the rice flour hydrates.
- Hot oil is spooned over the top since the cake floats.
Substitutions
- Any dark palm sugar in place of gula melaka.
- Dark brown sugar at a pinch, though the flavour differs.
Variations
- Made with coconut milk in the batter, for a richer cake.
- Flavoured with pandan through the batter.
- Made smaller, as bite-sized cakes.
Frequently asked questions
What is Penyaram?
Penyaram is a snack from Brunei: fried rice-flour cake with a thick centre and crisp frilled rim, sweet with palm sugar.
How long does Penyaram take to make?
Penyaram takes 20 min plus 1 hr resting of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 15. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Penyaram?
Yes, within limits. Any dark palm sugar in place of gula melaka. Dark brown sugar at a pinch, though the flavour differs.
What is the most important thing to get right in Penyaram?
Cover it and leave it for at least an hour, and several hours is better. Stir it again before use, since the rice flour settles heavily to the bottom. Use a deep pan with a good depth of oil, since the cake must float rather than sit on the bottom. Heat it to a moderate temperature, around 160 to 170°C.
