Ingredients
Base
- 1 kgcassava, peeled and finely grated
- or 1 kg frozen grated cassava, thawed
To bind
- 400 mlthick coconut milk
- 3eggs, beaten
- 80 gbutter, melted
- 50 gplain flour
To sweeten
- 250 gsugar
- or 200 g gula melaka, palm sugar
- 1/2 teaspoonsalt
- 2pandan leaves, or 1 teaspoon pandan extract
To finish
- 3 tablespoonscoconut milk
- 1 tablespoonsugar
- a little butter, for the top
Directions
- Remove both the brown skin and the pink layer beneath. Cut out the woody core down the middle. Never eat cassava raw at any stage. Cut the root into manageable lengths. Score the thick skin lengthways. Rinse the white flesh under cold water. Grate the white flesh very finely. Brunei versions tend to be firm enough to hold a square.
- Squeeze out about half the liquid. Press it in a sieve with the back of a spoon. Pour off the water and stir the starch back in. White sugar gives a pale golden cake.
- Chop the palm sugar finely if you use it. Melt it in a little of the coconut milk. Strain it, since palm sugar often contains grit. Put the grated cassava in a large bowl. Add the coconut milk and the sugar. Add the salt and the pandan extract. Beat in the eggs and the melted butter.
- Sift the flour over and stir it through. The flour helps bind the whole thing. Mix it thoroughly with a spoon. The batter should be thick but pourable. Heat the oven to 180C with a shelf in the middle. Grease a square baking tin generously.
- Lay pandan leaves in the base if you have them. Pour the batter in and level the top. Bake it for forty-five minutes. Do not open the door during that time. Mix the extra coconut milk with the spoon of sugar. Take the tin out and brush that over the surface.
- Return it to the oven for fifteen minutes. The top should be deep brown and glossy. Finish it briefly under a hot grill for more colour. Testing it tells you when it is done.
- Leave the tin on a rack until it is entirely cold. This takes several hours and cannot be rushed. Cut it with a knife dipped in hot water. It keeps for three days at room temperature.
Technique
- Bingka is a category of baked kuih rather than a single recipe, and versions are made with tapioca, sweet potato, pumpkin and rice flour.
- The cassava version is the most widely made in Brunei and Sabah.
Substitutions
- Frozen grated cassava is sold in Asian shops and works perfectly.
- Dark muscovado sugar can replace gula melaka, though it lacks the smoky note.
Variations
- Bingka ubi uses cassava and is the version described here.
- Bingka pandan is green and made with rice flour.
- A version with grated coconut folded through is made in some households.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kuih Bingka?
Kuih Bingka is a dessert from Brunei: baked tapioca or cassava cake with coconut milk and egg, dark and chewy.
How long does Kuih Bingka take to make?
Kuih Bingka takes 30 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes one tray, 16 squares. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Kuih Bingka?
Yes, within limits. Frozen grated cassava is sold in Asian shops and works perfectly. Dark muscovado sugar can replace gula melaka, though it lacks the smoky note.
What is the most important thing to get right in Kuih Bingka?
Remove both the brown skin and the pink layer beneath. Cut out the woody core down the middle. Never eat cassava raw at any stage. Cut the root into manageable lengths. Score the thick skin lengthways. Rinse the white flesh under cold water. Grate the white flesh very finely. Brunei versions tend to be firm enough to hold a square.
