Steamed pumpkin wrapped in banana leaves (Lepat Labu)

I like pumpkin..Have I ever told u that...?  I do not know is it the taste or the bright  yellow colour that i like soo much about this veggie. I will normally bake a pumpkin cake out of it but when I saw a photo of wrap pumpkin at Dari Dapur D'Aleen Persona I decided to give it a try. All the while I thought making a Malay traditonal kuih is hard and tedious and I was totally wrong. My first attempt turned out good but less sweetness because I misread the recipe. The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of sugar (+ 3 table spoons) and my eyes captured only no. 3. Luckily 3 tbsp only, I cannot imagine if I put 3 cups of sugar in a 450g pumpkin batter. Mau kena potong kaki... ishh.. ngeri. The original lepat labu should be wrapped in banana leaves however I used aluminium foil instead. Here in Perth, you can buy banana leaves in Asian grocery at AUD10 for a kilogram. I made a slight changes for this recipe.


Steamed pumpkin wrapped in banana leaves (Lepat Labu)

by : Aleen

I make half of the recipe and make enough 18pcs

1/2 pumpkin (appx 1kg) - cleaned and diced
   2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cornflour  (I used rice flour)
1/4 cup sugar (Aleen add 3 tbsp extra) (I used 3 tbsp.. hehhehe..blame my eyes)

1/2 tsp salt
I added 1/4 cup of coconut milk whilst Aleen advised not to add extra liquid

Banana leaves for wrapping

Filling
Grated white coconut from 1/2 coconut
(I used shredded coconut mix with a pinch of salt. Then I steamed it to soften the coconut)

How to:

1. Boil the pumpkin untill tender. Then mash it while it hot. Put aside and let it cool to room temperature.
2. In another bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Then add the dry ingredient into the mashed pumpkin. Mix well untill all the dry ingredient is incoporated.
4. Add in the coconut milk. Stir to combine. If the batter is runny add more plain flour, approximately 1 tbsp at a time. 
5.  Spread a tablespoonful of mashed pumpkin on to the banana leaves
6.  Put the coconut filling
7. Wrap nicely the banana leaves and steam for 15-20 minutes.