Puto Bumbong
Puto Bumbong is a traditional Filipino purple rice cake, especially popular during the Christmas season. Made from glutinous rice flour and often colored with ube (purple yam) extract or food coloring, it's steamed until soft and sticky. Traditionally cooked in bamboo tubes, modern versions often use foil or banana leaves. It's typically served warm, slathered with butter, and topped with grated coconut and muscovado sugar.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 cups Glutinous rice flour
- 0.5 cup Water
- 1 tbsp Ube flavoring or purple food coloring
- 0.5 cup Butter or margarine, softened
- 1 cup Freshly grated coconut
- 0.25 cup Muscovado sugar
- 0.25 cup Grated cheese (optional)
- 10 Banana leaves, cut into rectangles (optional, for wrapping)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, combine the water and ube flavoring/food coloring. Mix well.
💡 Tip: Adjust the amount of coloring to achieve your desired purple hue. - 2
In a separate large bowl, place the glutinous rice flour. Gradually add the colored water mixture, mixing with your hands or a spoon until a sticky dough forms. Break up any clumps into fine crumbs or grains.
💡 Tip: The consistency should be moist but not overly wet. Add a little more flour if too sticky, or a touch more water if too dry. - 3
Prepare your steaming setup. If using banana leaves, briefly pass them over an open flame or dip in hot water to make them pliable. Brush the inside of the banana leaves (or small foil containers if not using leaves) with softened butter or margarine.
💡 Tip: This prevents sticking and adds richness. - 4
Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of the grated rice mixture into each prepared banana leaf or foil container, spreading it into a thin, even layer.
💡 Tip: Don't overfill, as the rice cake will expand slightly when steamed. - 5
Arrange the filled containers in a steamer basket. Steam over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the puto bumbong is soft, sticky, and cooked through.
💡 Tip: Ensure the steamer has enough water and maintain consistent heat. - 6
Carefully remove the steamed puto bumbong from the steamer. Brush the tops generously with softened butter or margarine.
💡 Tip: Serve immediately while warm for the best texture. - 7
Top with freshly grated coconut and muscovado sugar. Add grated cheese if desired.
💡 Tip: The combination of sweet, salty, and creamy toppings is essential to the Puto Bumbong experience.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓For a more traditional flavor, some recipes use a combination of glutinous rice flour and regular rice flour.
- ✓If you don't have ube flavoring, purple food coloring works just as well for the visual appeal.
- ✓The key is to have a fine, crumbly texture after mixing the flour and water, which helps in even steaming.
✨ Twist Ideas
Inspiration for your own version of this recipe
- Some enjoy it with a drizzle of condensed milk.
- Toasted sesame seeds can be added as a topping for extra flavor and crunch.
- For a quicker version, some recipes skip the grating and simply steam the dough in small molds.