Puto Bumbong - No steamer (Steamed Glutinous rice in Bamboo)

Puto Bumbong - No steamer (Steamed Glutinous rice in Bamboo)

Yesterday, when I went to the market the stall where I’m buying my vegetable is selling purple yam. After seeing it, I suddenly remember the traditional Filipino delicacy “Puto Bumbong” that is traditionally cooked and sell during the Christmas season. It is sells together with “Bibingka”or rice cake and other “kakanins” (various local delicacies made of rice or glutinous rice) outside the churches during the “Simbang Gabi” or Night Mass. “Simbang Gabi” is the nine-day series of Masses practiced in the Philippines in anticipation of Christmas. Christmas in the Philippines is not complete without "Puto Bumbong" and Bibingka (rice cake) these are the two local kakanins that only surface during month of December. When month of December is approaching, you will start seeing vendors in the street selling this and bibingka. 

Puto Bumbong as served

“Puto Bumbong is literally translates as “Puto” steamed glutinous rice cooked in a bamboo “bumbong”or “bumbo”. It is served with margarine or butter, brown sugar and freshly grated coconut. My version is a cheat version from the original recipe and traditional way of cooking it (here is the link where you can find the original recipe http://www.inuyaki.com/archives/1142) but still tastes the same as the original. I am making my version of “Puto Bumbong” without the traditional steamer. The steamer is conical in shape with holes and consist of the long tube of bamboo where the uncooked puto is being filled up then inserted into the hole of steamer. The bamboo is wrapped with thick cloth for heat protection. The bamboo will create a whistling sound when the puto is already cooked. Then, they take out the bamboo and take out the puto and laid on the banana leaf, spread it with margarine or butter then add the grated coconut and brown sugar. It is really fun and enjoyable to watch the vendors doing it again and again.

I like my "Puto Bumbong" with lots of margarine, that's why my photo has lots of it, it is really yummy and while I am eating it, lots of memories brought back. I never miss buying it whenever we visited Philippines in the month of December. Try this as well, when you find yourself in the Philippines during the Christmas season.

Puto Bumbong (no Steamer)

 

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup water

2 cups Mashed boiled Ube

1 cup Glutinous rice flour

A pinch of salt

Margarine or butter

Brown Sugar (or white sugar) and grated coconut

Banana leaf

Procedure:

1.    Mix the boiled ube and glutinous rice flour until the ube were fully covered by glutinous rice and the texture is like a powder ube.

2.    Pour in the coconut milk and water then mix well till blended completely

3.    Place mixture in a pre-heated pan, preferable use non-stick pan since this mixture is very sticky, continuously stir the mixture till it is cooked, the mixture consistency should like a very thick paste.

4.    Remove from the fire and set aside

5.    Pre-heat the banana leaf just to make it elastic and soft so it won’t tear easily, cut some small pieces to be use for covering the serving plate

6.    Rub a small amount of margarine on banana leaf surface then place a small amount of Ube mixture, roll with banana leaf till it shaped like a small tube. Continuously do this until all the Ube mixture are finished

7.    Place 3 - 4 pieces of Ube roll (depending on your liking) in a serving plate with banana leaf rub the surface with Margarine or butter, place some sugar and coconut as a condiment of Puto Bumbong. Enjoy!

Note:

If banana leaf is not available you can omit it and use cling plastic wrap instead. When serving coat the serving plate with a thin layer of margarine, this is to prevent the puto bumbong to stick on to the plate.