Wajik (Sweet Glutinous Rice Cake)

Wajik is one of traditional Malay's sweet delicacy. It is made from glutinous rice, palm sugar and coconut milk. You can easily could find this at Malay hawkers stall.
I learnt this recipe from my mother in law. I can say she had mastered the skills of preparing Wajik. She learnt the secret recipe from her Malay neighbour during her teen ages. As I remember I could not find any other better Wajik than hers. After my second trial only I manage to get pretty close to the original taste. Still not as the original as my husband claimed. Proud son!
You could not resist to have more when the sweet caramelized and milky taste triggers your taste buds. Eventhough it's not a healthy choice but, can pamper yourself once in bluemoon!

Ingredients :

• 2 cups glutinous rice
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• 1 cup palm sugar or jaggery
• 1/2 cup Water
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tsp ghee
• screwpine leaves

Preparation Method :

1. Soak glutinous rice in water for at least 6 hours.
2. Soaked rice steamed with just 2 tbsp of coconut milk in a steamer for 15 minutes or until half cooked. Here the rice should not fully cooked. You will find the texture very dry but sticky.  Please do not add more water, cause it will end up with overcooked rice and very moist texture. 
3. The jaggery that you are using will determine the taste of this sweet delicacy. The taste of palm sugar is different from jaggery powder. Even when you are using jaggery powder please try to get, which is dark brown, moist and lumpy. It taste better.  
4. Boil the jaggery with just 1/2 cup of water. Dissolve completely. Strain the sugar to remove foreign matter such as stones and so on. Its optional anyway.
5. Reboil the sugar in medium flame. Add screwpine leaves for better aroma.
6. Just add pinch of salt. Continue to stir.
7. Add the coconut milk little by little while you are constantly stirring. You will notice a shiny surface of syrup mixture. Keep stirring until 1/4 of coconut milk left and syrup becomes thick.
8. Add the steamed half cooked rice to the syrup and mix it to well combined.
9. Add the remaining coconut milk to the rice mixture.
10. Keep stirring till the syrup well absorbed and rice mixture becomes sticky. At this point, please add ghee to give more shining to the apperance.
11. Transfer it to the shallow tray and spread it evenly.
12. Let the rice cake to cooll completely before it could be cut in shapes. If you are patient enough to do that.