Being Malaysians, it is no secret that we all love our glutinous rice, having various desserts that consist of this sticky delight. Although you might be aware of glutinous rice dishes such as Tang Yuan, Muah Chee and Kuih Seri Muka, there is a high probability that you might not know about this glutinous rice Kuih—Kelupis, unless you’re from East Malaysia.
Like many Malay Kuihs, Kelupis is wrapped in leaves. However, you can quickly identify this Kuih with its oblong appearance. Wrapped in nyirik or banana leaves, the fragrant smell of pandan and coconut milk will entice your senses once you unfold it, revealing the pearly white sticky rice inside. Having a bit of salt included in its recipe, Kelupis has a slightly salty aftertaste, which tastes heavenly when combined with the creaminess of coconut milk.
Origin of Kelupis
Translating to glutinous rice rolls in English, the tell-tale name of this Kuih already gives you an idea of what this dish is. This dish is a traditional Kuih for the Bruneian Malay community in Brunei as well as the Sabahan and Sarawakians in Malaysia. Due to that, the exact origin of this dish remains unclear—the only thing sure is that it is either from Malaysia or Brunei.
Due to how simple this dish is, it can be eaten in various ways. It could be eaten by itself or paired with some curry on the side. Although the Ketupat is more common in West Malaysia, Kelupis is also a significant dish to the Bisaya people who serve this Kuih during wedding ceremonies too.
With that, we would end the lecture on Kelupis, and move on to teaching you how to cook this dish!
Kelupis Recipe
If you have a pressure cooker, you could make Kelupis in a shorter time. For this recipe, we will be using the traditional way so that those without a pressure cooker can make this dish too. For those who are interested in cooking Kelupis with a pressure cooker, you could refer to the recipe here.
Difficulty: Easy
Details
2
15 minutes
40 minutes
433 kcal
Print
Ingredients
1 cup of glutinous rice (washed and drained)
1 cup of coconut milk
2 pandan leaves (knotted)
Banana leaves
Salt (adjust the amount to taste)
Directions
- In a pot, add glutinous rice, coconut milk, pandan leaves, and a pinch of salt. Heat the pot over strong heat and stir the mixture until it soaks up the liquid. To check if the mixture has the right consistency, make a line with your spoon. If the line remains without the mixture merging back together, it is a sign that your glutinous rice mixture is ready. After that, turn off the fire and leave your mixture to cool.
- Then, use a spoon and scoop some glutinous rice mixture onto the banana leaf and wrap the leaf around it. Repeat this until you run out of glutinous rice mixtures.
- Finally, put your glutinous rice rolls into a steamer and steam it for 40 minutes. With that, your Kelupis is ready to be served!
Ways to Enjoy Kelupis
Of course, Kelupis is already a delicious treat on its own, so there is no problem at all if you wish to eat it by itself. On the other hand, if you’re looking to elevate the dish even further, you could pair it up with some kaya or Rendang on the side depending on what you’re feeling for the day—Kelupis being suitable with both sweet or savoury sides.
Explore other popular Malaysian delights with Lokataste Recipe and more!
