Wajik: Sweet Glutinous Rice Dessert Cake (Vegan)

Method15 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash the sticky rice (500 g) and soak it, covered in the refrigerator, for 5 hours.

   Refrigerated sticky-rice soak · 300 minUses 500 g sticky rice · Water for soaking sticky rice (quantity unspecified; discard afterwards)

2. 2

   Step 2: Drain the rice. Put it in an already steaming-hot steamer and steam for 15 minutes; keep the reservoir water separate from the rice.

   Steam rice first · 15 minUses soaked sticky rice · Water for the steamer reservoir (quantity unspecified; keep separate from rice)

3. 3

   Step 3: Transfer the rice to a big bowl, and add the hot water (200 ml). Mix well.

   Uses part-steamed sticky rice · 200 ml hot water

4. 4

   Step 4: Return the hydrated rice to the steamer and steam for another 25 minutes over medium heat, until cooked tender.

   Steam rice again · 25 minUses hot-water hydrated part-steamed rice

5. 5

   Step 5: Meanwhile, put the palm sugar (250 g), granulated sugar (50 g), salt (½ tsp), and 300ml water in a saucepan, and cook it until the mixture dissolves.

   Uses 250 g palm sugar, shaved · 50 g granulated sugar · ½ tsp salt, or to taste · 300 ml water

6. 6

   Step 6: Strain the syrup to remove impurities, and transfer it to a cooking pan/non-stick wok.

   Uses dissolved palm and granulated sugar syrup

7. 7

   Step 7: Add the coconut milk (120 ml) and pandan leaves (2), and cook it over medium low heat for 15 minutes or the syrup is slightly thickened.

   Simmer coconut syrup · 15 minUses strained sugar syrup · 120 ml coconut milk (instant) · 2 pandan leaves

8. 8

   Step 8: Remove and discard the pandan leaves from the cooked syrup.

   Uses thickened coconut-pandan syrup

9. 9

   Step 9: When the sticky rice is done, transfer it to the palm sugar syrup and mix it well.

   Uses coconut and palm-sugar syrup with pandan removed · fully steamed tender sticky rice

10. 10

    Step 10: Cook it for around 8 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

    Cook until absorbed · 8 minUses rice and coconut-palm-sugar syrup mixture

11. 11

    Step 11: Grease an 18×18 cm baking pan evenly with the ½ tsp cooking oil.

    Uses ½ tsp cooking oil

12. 12

    Step 12: Transfer the cooked wajik mixture into the greased pan.

    Uses cooked absorbed wajik mixture · greased 18×18 cm pan

13. 13

    Step 13: Gently but firmly press the rice to compress and smooth it evenly using a spatula.

    Uses wajik mixture in greased pan

14. 14

    Step 14: Cool the cake promptly and put it in the refrigerator, ideally within 1 hour of cooking. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until set.

    Refrigerate wajik until set (at least 4 hours) · 240 minUses pressed wajik cake

15. 15

    Step 15: Cut and transfer the dish into a serving plate.

    Uses refrigerated set wajik cake