Puto Bumbong

Ingredients

• 2 cups of white glutinous rice
• 1 cup of purple glutinous rice (pirurutong)
• 1 cup of brown sugar (muscovado)
• 1 cup grated fresh coconut
• butter or margarine
• 2 cups of water
• bamboo tubes for molds (bumbong)

Instructions

1. Put the two types of glutinous rice in a large bowl.
2. Rinse the rice with cold water, then drain the water.
3. Now fill the bowl up with clean water.
4. Soak the rice in the water overnight.
5. The next day, drain the water, but leave some water with the rice (about 2 tablespoons worth of water).
6. Pour the soaked rice in a large blender.
7. Process the rice with the blender until it has the consistency of pancake batter.
8. Pour the mixture on a large piece of cheese cloth or muslin.
9. Wrap the mixture with the cloth then securely tie the ends.
10. Put the muslin in collander over a bowl or pot.
11. Now place a heavy object on top of that so the pressure will force water out of the mixture.
12. Once the mixture has stopped dripping, remove it from the muslin.
13. Now that the rice has dried, rub it against the screen of a strainer to produce coarse grained rice flour.
14. Then take a bamboo tube and fill it with just enough glutinous rice so that it is nearly full, but not completely full.
15. Put the bamboo tubes into a steamer.
16. Steam the bamboo tubes for about 10 minutes.
17. When you see steam coming out of the bamboo tubes, that means it is done.
18. Carefully remove the cooked glutinous rice from the bamboo tubes with a knife or clean stick then transfer it to a serving plate or banana leaves if available.
19. Spread margarine onto the puto bumbong.
20. Sprinkle them with mascuvado sugar and grated coconut before serving.
21. Serve while they are still warm.
22. Enjoy!

Pour a little bit of melted margarine on the inside of the bamboo tubes before you fill it with glutinous rice so it is easier to take the puto bumbong out when they are done.