Rohani Jelani - Mini Malysian Cakes and Desserts

Basic Ingredients

Agar-agar is a tasteless dried seaweed widely used to thicken soups, sauces and desserts, as it sets without refrigeration. Commonly sold in small packets of fine, white powder, agar-agar is also available in the form of bars, strips and flakes. Powdered gelatine may be used as a substitute although it gives a slightly different texture.

Alkaline water, also known as lye water, is a dilute alkaline solution made from sodium or potassium carbonate that is added in small amounts to noodle, rice dumpling or cake recipes to give a sheen and springy texture to the starch. Small bottles of alkaline water are sold in grocery shops. If you cannot find it, replace with the same amount of baking soda solution (made from 1 part baking soda dissolved in 1 part water).

Banana leaves are used to wrap foods when steaming or grilling them. The moisture within the banana leaf lends texture and flavour to the food, but if you can't find fresh or frozen banana leaves, use aluminium foil. Before using them to wrap food, the leaves should be softened for easy folding, either by pouring boiling water over them in a tub and allowing them to steep for 1 to 2 minutes, or briefly heating them over a low flame.

Coconut cream and coconut milk are widely used in Asian desserts. While freshly pressed coconut milk has more flavour, coconut cream and milk are now available in cans and carton packets that are quick and convenient to use. Consistencies vary from brand to brand, so use your judgment and dilute with water as needed. Thick coconut milk is obtained from coconut cream by diluting by half with water; and thin coconut milk is half again as diluted as thick milk. If preferred, you can make your own from fresh coconuts. For fresh coconut cream, add cup water to the grated flesh of 1 coconut, knead it a few times, then strain it with your fist or using a muslin cloth or cheesecloth. This yields about cup of coconut cream. Thick coconut milk is obtained by adding 1 cup of water to the grated coconut flesh, which will yield about 1 cup of thick coconut milk. Thin coconut milk is obtained by adding another cup of water to the already pressed coconut flesh and squeezing it a second time; this will yield 1 cup of thin coconut milk.

Grated coconut is obtained by grating fresh coconut flesh. Freshly grated coconut can be purchased in many Asian markets. Packets or cans of dried or desiccated coconut, both sweetened and unsweetened, are widely available in supermarkets. To make your own, you first need to open the coconut by tapping firmly on the centre with the blunt end of a cleaver until a crack appears. Drain the juice and continue tapping until the coconut cracks into two. Place the coconut halves in a moderate oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the flesh shrinks away from the shell. Remove the flesh and use a vegetable peeler to shave off the brown outer skin, then grate it in a blender or food processor. This will yield about 4 cups of grated coconut. To toast the grated coconut, spread it on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven at 175C (350F) for about 5 minutes until golden brown.

Dried bean curd skin is a thin, cream-coloured sheet made from soybean milk solids. It comes in flat sheets and is sold in plastic packets in the dry goods sections of food stores. Dried bean curd skin packed in plastic bags will keep for up to a year when stored in a cool, dry place.

Durian has attracted a cult-like following. It is called the King of Fruits by aficionados in Southeast Asia, but Westerners usually don't care much for its sweet oniony flavour. Once cut open, the durian gives off a strong odour. Look for it in Asian markets.