Steaming Puto Bumbong: Bamboo-Free Method For Home Cooks

Puto bumbong is a Filipino delicacy that is especially popular during the Christmas season. It is a purple rice cake made by steaming ground purple rice inside bamboo tubes. However, it is possible to make puto bumbong without a bamboo steamer by using aluminium foil, banana leaves, and a regular food steamer or rice cooker steamer.

Soak the rice

To make puto bumbong, a Filipino purple rice cake, you'll need to soak the rice for a minimum of overnight, and up to two days. The rice used is a combination of glutinous rice and purple rice. The ratio of rice to water is usually 1:3 or 1:4. For a more traditional taste, use salted water.

For the glutinous rice, you can use white glutinous rice (malagkit) or regular white rice. The type of rice you use will change the consistency of the dish. Using malagkit will give the dish a chewier consistency, whereas using regular white rice will make it less chewy.

For the purple rice, you can use pirurutong (also called tapol in Visayan), which is deep purple to almost black in colour. This type of rice is mixed with a larger ratio of white glutinous rice. Pirurutong is the traditional rice used, but it can be difficult to find. If you can't find it, you can use long-grain purple rice or glutinous purple rice instead.

Prepare the steamer

There are a few ways to prepare the steamer for puto bumbong without using a bamboo steamer. Here are some alternatives:

• Aluminium foil: Cut several pieces of aluminium foil to a size of 4x6 inches each. Brush the foil pieces with oil or butter to prevent sticking. Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of the grated dough on the prepared foil and form it into a long log. Pick it up like a taco and fold and pinch the edges to seal, leaving the top open. Arrange the foil packets in a steamer, leaving some space between them for the steam to circulate.
• Banana leaves: Brush banana leaves with butter and wrap the dough in them. This method may affect the taste and texture, so proceed with caution.
• Regular food steamer or rice cooker: If you don't want to use foil or banana leaves, you can simply use a regular food steamer or the steamer function on your rice cooker. Grease the steamer basket or tray with butter or margarine before adding the dough to prevent sticking.

Regardless of the method you choose, make sure that your steaming equipment is clean and ready to use before you begin preparing the puto bumbong dough. This will ensure that you can start steaming as soon as the dough is ready, as puto bumbong is best enjoyed hot and fresh.

Make the dough

Making the dough for puto bumbong is a simple process, but it does require some preparation. The first step is to soak the glutinous rice. For traditional puto bumbong, you would use black glutinous rice, but white glutinous rice can also be used. Soak the rice in water overnight, or for at least 2 days if you are using a mixture of different types of rice.

After the rice has been soaked, drain and discard the water. Then, place the rice in a food processor or blender. If you are using white glutinous rice, you will need to add a natural food colouring such as purple sweet potato to achieve the signature purple hue of puto bumbong. Add a small amount of water to the food processor or blender, and pulse the mixture until it becomes very fine and has the desired colour.

Now it's time to form the dough. In a bowl, combine the rice flour with ube flavouring or violet food colouring. Gradually add water or coconut milk and mix until a dough forms. The dough should not be too wet or too dry. If it is too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Once the dough is formed, place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. This will make it easier to work with and help it retain its shape during steaming.

After chilling, use a cheese grater to grate the dough and form it into grain-like pieces. The grating step is optional but gives the puto bumbong a bit of texture and mimics the grains of the authentic dish.

Now your dough is ready to be steamed!

Shape the dough

To shape the dough, you will need to cut some foil into pieces. You will need several pieces of aluminium foil measuring 4x6 inches. Cut about 5 pieces of foil measuring 8 x 4 inches or 8 x 5 inches. You can make them bigger if you want a chunkier puto. Grease each piece of foil with butter or oil to avoid sticking.

Now, place about 2-3 tablespoons of the grated dough in the middle of the foil. Form the dough into a long log shape. Do not pack the dough too tightly, as you want to allow for faster and more even cooking. Pick up the foil and dough as you would a taco. Fold and pinch the edges (log ends) to seal, but leave the top open. Repeat this process until you have used up all the dough.

Steam the puto bumbong

Steaming is a crucial step in cooking puto bumbong, a type of Filipino purple rice cake. While the traditional method involves steaming ground purple rice inside a bamboo tube, it is possible to achieve similar results without a bamboo steamer. Here are some alternative methods and detailed instructions for steaming puto bumbong:

Using Aluminium Foil and a Regular Steamer:

• Cut several pieces of aluminium foil to a size of approximately 4x6 inches each. Brush the foil pieces with oil or grease them with butter to prevent sticking.
• Place about 3 heaping tablespoons of the prepared puto bumbong mixture (grated dough) on the greased foil. Form the mixture into a long log shape, ensuring it is not tightly packed for even cooking.
• Fold and pinch the edges of the foil to seal, leaving the top open. This will allow steam to penetrate the mixture easily.
• Arrange the foil packets in a single layer in your steamer, leaving a bit of space between each piece for even steaming.
• Steam the puto bumbong for around 15-20 minutes or until it is cooked through. The exact steaming time may vary depending on the amount of mixture and the type of steamer used.
• Once cooked, carefully open the foil packets and transfer the steamed puto bumbong to a clean banana leaf.

Using a Rice Cooker Steamer:

• Prepare the puto bumbong mixture by blending or processing the ingredients as per your chosen recipe.
• Grease each piece of foil with butter.
• Place approximately 2 tablespoons of the puto bumbong mixture on the foil.
• Roll the mixture into a log shape and seal the sides of the foil. Repeat this process until all the mixture is used.
• Place the foil packets in your rice cooker steamer.
• Steam the puto bumbong for about 20 minutes.
• Once slightly cooled, unwrap the foil and transfer the steamed puto bumbong to serving plates or a banana leaf.

Using a Bamboo Steamer:

• Soak the glutinous rice in water overnight.
• Drain the rice and place it in a food processor or grinder. Add the remaining ingredients as per your chosen recipe.
• Fill your bamboo steamer with water and place it on a heat source to bring the water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, fill the bamboo tubes with the powdered rice mixture. Do not compress the mixture to allow steam to pass through easily.
• Once the water is boiling vigorously, carefully arrange the bamboo tubes in the steamer.
• Steam the puto bumbong until steam starts to escape from the tubes.
• Remove the tubes from the steamer and carefully empty the contents onto a piece of banana leaf.

After steaming, the final step is to top the puto bumbong with butter or margarine, freshly grated coconut, and muscovado sugar or coconut palm sugar. Serve hot and enjoy the delicious, traditional Filipino treat!

Frequently asked questions