Ketuk Ubi 揶丝木薯 (Tapioca with Grated Coconut)

Ketuk Ubi is also one of my favourite kuehs... I love the ones from BengawanSolo.

So this time I will like to try make them myself...

Ketuk Ubi 揶丝木薯

Looks not too bad isn't it...???

Well, in fact, it wasn't..... I am clueless about buying tapioca, let alone choosing one:-p

This tapioca, which I bought from Sheng Siong Supermarket, was a long thin one, and basically there wasn't much choices for me as there was only about 3 or 4 left... I had asked the aunty to help me check if the tapioca was "the right one", but she is just like me, clueless.... :-D

Before I went back home, I had asked my helper to peel the skin & steam the tapioca for 30mins. So that when I get back home, I can just mix it up with sugar and mashed up the tapioca...

To my horror, 30 mins wasn't cooked, and it was still raw & hard... So I cut them up into smaller cubes this time and steam for another 45-60mins.... It was still raw & hard!!!!

So I gave up.... I took them out, and mash them....

I really had a hard time mashing these tapioca... till my arms were aching, I was perspiring away... :-p

The outcome of the kueh was really bad... it was too sticky and it wasn't mashed finely...

As you can see from the above picture, the tapioca was very soft & sticky...even though I had put it in the fridge for awhile. It did not even turn hard even after 2 days... So you can imagine how soft it was.......

For those of you who are like me, clueless about choosing tapioca:
After asking around.... I found out that it is best to choose a tapioca that is fat & round, with a slight darker skin color. This type of tapioca just needs 30 mins of steaming & it will be soft...
Whereas for the thin & long tapioca I bought, it takes a super duper long time to steam or rather I should say, it doesn't soften even though it has be steamed for 2 hours!!! Someone say this type of tapioca is "sa beh seh"... :-p
But I think, the next time when I buy a tapioca, I will go to my usual vegetable stall and ask the aunty to choose for e, for sure, it wouldn't go wrong.... hehehehe!!!

I will definitely try this recipe again, using the right tapioca... hahaha....

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
1kg tapioca (peeled)
250g sugar (you can lessen the sugar)
1/4tsp salt
500g grated coconut

Method:
1. Peel off the tapioca skin & wash. Steam it for about 30mins or until soft.
2. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl and add the sugar immediately.
3. Mash it till sugar is dissolved and compress it.
4. Cut into large cubes and top it with grated coconut.
Serve warm:)


I will be submitting this to : Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011) hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker