Kue Putu — steamed rice-flour cakes from a bamboo tube
Kue putu are small, vivid-green steamed rice-flour cakes from Indonesia, cooked inside short bamboo tubes around a centre of grated palm sugar. The street vendor's high-pitched whistle of escaping steam is one of the most recognisable sounds in Jakarta after dark.
i. Origin & history
Kue putu are night-cart food across Indonesia and Malaysia. The same vendor will often sell putu mayam, klepon and other steamed sweets — putu being the showpiece for the dramatic whistling steamer. The bamboo tubes give the cake a faintly grassy perfume that no metal mould can replicate.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 12 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 200 g rice flour
- 20 g tapioca starch
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp pandan juice
- 180 ml warm water
- 100 g palm sugar, finely grated
- 150 g freshly grated coconut, steamed with a pinch of salt
iii. Method
- Mix rice flour, tapioca and salt. Stir pandan juice into warm water; sprinkle gradually over the dry mix while rubbing with your fingertips until the texture is uniformly damp like wet sand. Press through a coarse sieve to break any lumps.
- Pack short bamboo tubes (or small 5 cm dariole moulds) half-full with the green flour mix. Spoon a teaspoon of palm sugar in the centre. Top with more flour mix and level — do not press hard.
- Steam over high heat for 8-10 minutes until the colour deepens and the centre has melted.
- Push each cake out of its mould with a chopstick. Roll immediately in the steamed coconut. Eat hot.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Damp, not wet. The mixture should hold a shape when squeezed but crumble when poked.
- Don't pack tight. A loose pack gives the right open, tender texture.
- Eat hot. The melting palm-sugar centre is the whole point.
v. Variations
Malaysian putu bambu is the close cousin. Putu mayam uses rice flour pressed into vermicelli noodles — different dish, same family. Modern carts also do flavoured versions with cocoa or coffee.
vi. Common questions
What is kue putu?
Kue Putu is steamed rice-flour cakes from a bamboo tube, from indonesian & malaysian cuisine. The street vendor's high-pitched whistle of escaping steam is one of the most recognisable sounds in Jakarta after dark
Where is kue putu from?
Kue Putu is from the indonesian & malaysian dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does kue putu keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: Same day.