1/1/08 Update!: The new recipe can be found by clicking right HERE.

another guest was asking for the putong puti recipe. i am posting a simple one here as i’m putting it in the cookbook.

The simplest putong puti is made by soaking some rice in water overnight. Grind it with the water in a blender to make a thickish batter, then add a bit of baking powder (about 1/2-2/3 teaspoon for every cup of rice), sugar and optional salt. Pour batter into brioche tins or other mold (spray with cooking spray first) and steam for 15-20 minutes. You can also add an egg (gives more lift, gives color), top it with cheese and/or salted duck egg. there are many more variations which i won’t go into here.

Putong-puti the way it’s made traditionally is a bit tedious to copy in the home. You’d have to soak rice (preferably year-old rice called laon), then divide it into parts. One part is allowed to ferment with sugar for several hours while the rest are allowed to dry. Then everything is combined once again with the rest of the ingredients and allowed to ferment for several more hours, after which it is ready to be steamed into puto. If you are willing to experiment with this recipe, e-mail me at stefoodie[at]gmail[dot]com and we can talk about it. Thanks.