 Putu piring | |
| Type | Sweetdumpling |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Singapore[1][2][3][4] |
| Region or state | Maritime Southeast Asia |
| Created by | Malay Singaporeans |
| Serving temperature | Commonly served with bamboo leaves and sweet sauce. |
| Main ingredients | Rice flour orglutinous rice flour, filled with groundpeanuts andsugar, or shreddedcoconut |
| Similar dishes | Mont baung,Bhapa pitha,Puttu,Idli |
Putu piring (Jawi:ڤوتو ڤيريڠ) is a round-shapedsteamed rice flourkueh (dessert) or sweet snack filled with palm sugar popular inSingapore. Commonly associated withSingaporean cuisine, it is usually made using stainless steel molds with a distinctive flower shape. It is a traditional dessert among theMalay community of the country.
There are two variations ofputu piring. There is a thicker and rounder version as well as flatter version with a disc-like shape. Its composition can be compared to the cylindricalputu bambu that is eaten in Indonesia, which are steamed using bamboo tube containers instead and are of a different colour.
Putu piring is made primarily from finely poundedrice flour orglutinous rice flour, and contains fillings of either ground peanut or brownpalm sugar mixed with shredded coconut. The typical preparation method involves rapidsteaming of both the flour and the filling. Once ready, it is served onpandan leaves to give it a sweet flavor and scent.
In the 1980s, the invention of special steam carts and stainless steel molds for makingkueh tutu helped to popularize this street snack in Singapore on a wider scale, and saw manykueh tutu outlets selling it in many major supermarkets.[1]
Putu piring bears some similarities tokueh tutu, and is often confused with it. However, there are distinct differences. Also unique to Singapore,[5] it is instead filled with coconut or peanut and is smaller in size. Kueh tutu is also eaten without grated coconut. It also leans towards more of a Singaporean Chinese dessert, having been created by Tan Eng Huat, who first sold it in Singapore during the 1930s atBukit Pasoh Road.[6] There is alsoputu mayam that is popular with the Singaporean Indian community.[7]
A traditional dessert among theSingaporean Malay community, the street dessert has seen international prominence outside of Singapore ever since the 21st century. Putu piring was featured on theNetflix TV series,Street Food (TV series) in Season 1 Episode 8 that featured Singapore.[2] The stall featured was located at Haig Road in eastern Singapore and is owned by fifth-generation owner Nooraisha Hashim.[3] The dessert is also on the Michelin-Recommended List which featured this same stall.[4]
Kuih tutu is believed to be unique to Singapore.
