In a large bowl, combine 4 cups rice flour, 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 can coconut milk and 1 cup water until incorporated.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill overnight. This is a very important step; it allows the rice flour to ferment which results to soft and fluffy puto.
When ready, add 1½ cups sugar, 3 tbsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt to the mixture and stir to combine. Optional: strain the mixture into another bowl to get rid of lumps and to achieve the smoothest consistency.
Pour the puto mixture into individual moulds/cups, which have been lightly greased (I use baking spray). Careful not to over-grease your moulds; too much oil will discolour the bottoms of your puto. Also ensure not to over fill the cups; about ¾ full is perfect.
Steam on med-high heat for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove the puto from the steamer and when they’re still warm but cool enough to handle, remove from moulds and enjoy!
Video
Notes
To make cheese puto, all you need to do is place a piece of cheddar cheese on top of the semi-cooked puto. I usually place my cheese around the 10-minute mark. Then continue steaming until fully cooked.
For putong ube, simply add ube extract to the batter just before you pour into moulds, then stir. That’s it! I usually do 1 tsp of extract for every cup of puto batter.
And for salted duck eggs puto, just buy salted duck eggs, slice, and place on top of puto similar to puto cheese.
See post for more tips on how to make perfect puto every time.