Puto bumbong is a type of Filipino purple rice cake which is prepared by steaming ground purple rice mixture inside a bamboo tube. The tube is referred to as “bumbong ng kawayan” in Filipino. This might have been the reason why this was named as such.
Puto bumbong has been associated with the Christmas season because it is mostly sold outside the church during the traditional simbang gabi. The puto bumbong vendor can be observed steaming a powdered concoction inside a bamboo tube using an odd shaped steamer. The steamed rice cake is then placed on a piece of pre-cut banana leaf and then topped with margarine (or butter), freshly grated coconut, and muscovado sugar.
This puto bumbong recipe is the best that we can come-up with when trying to capture the good old traditional puto bumbong back in the days, when the vendors were not yet using purple yam (ube) as an alternative ingredient.
The color of traditional puto bumbong should come from the rice. Food coloring is not necessary. The rice should also give it a subtle nice taste, which will later be enhanced by the toppings. This is the reason why a generous amount of butter or margarine is necessary, and the freshest grated coconut is recommended. Muscovado sugar, which is a type of partially refined sugar, helps a lot to make your puto bumbong taste good and authentic.
Pirurutung or sticky purple rice is the main ingredient of this treat. Traditionally, the rice is soaked in water along with other rice varieties and then ground in a grinder made of solid stone. This recipe makes use of this type of rice along with malagkit (glutinous rice), and long grain purple rice. Instead of a grinding stone, I used a food processor to grind the soaked rice. My wife Dey and myself played with different variations of the recipe, and this is the best as far as our testing goes. This is how we remember how the puto bumbong looked and tasted like when we were still kids.
Before trying to make your puto bumbong, make sure that you have the necessary equipment such as the steamer and the bamboo tubes. Note that this is best eaten hot, so don’t delay. Enjoy your puto bumbong. Merry Christmas!
While I had a nice pre-Christmas treat through this puto bumbong, I think that I will need to preapare leche puto for Christmas dinner to complete my Filipino Noche Buena.
Try this Puto Bumbong Recipe. Let me know what you think.
Puto Bumbong Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups sticky purple rice
- 1 1/3 cups glutinous white rice malagkit
- 2/3 cup long grain purple rice
- 6 cups water for soaking the rice
- 3/4 cups muscovado sugar
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated coconut
- 1/2 cup softened butter
Instructions
- Combine all types of rice in a large mixing bowl. Pour water. Soak for 2 days.
- Drain the water by pouring the contents of the bowl into a large sieve.
- Put the soaked rice in a large food processor. Start to grind the rice until it becomes very fine. Note: It took me around 10 minutes to achieve this consistency.
- Fill your puto bumbong steamer with water halfway through. Apply heat and then let the water boil.
- Meanwhile, fill each bumbong (bamboo tube) with powdered rice. Note: Do not compress the rice so that steam can pass easily.
- Once the water starts to boil rapidly, arrange each bamboo tube on the steamer. Continue to cook until steam comes out of the tube.
- Remove the tube from the steamer. Arrange the contents over a piece of banana leaf. Spread butter all over and then top with freshly grated coconut and muscovado sugar.
- Serve. Share and enjoy!
Racquel Lazo says
I love your easy recipe. But, wherebdonI get the bumbong and the steamer? Do they have this at Seafood City? Thanks!
Joan butt says
Where ca I find/ buy steamer, bamboo, and sticky and grain purple rice is there any alternative for sticky n grain purple rice ? Pls reply . Thank you.
Leah says
Ilan araw bago masira ung powder putubungbong?need ba ilagay s ref?
Dynnavie Dasa says
I have a question po . Bkt hndi po naluluto ung skin halos 30mins. N d prin po nalluto.nilakihan ko nrin ung butas ng tube ganun prin po. Ano po b ang tamang pagbutas at pglagay ng tela s tube? Pa help nmn po.ang dali2x lng po kc tignan s mga videos pro ang hirap plng gwin.
Vanjo Merano says
There is an issue with your unit. Seal the outlets to make sure that the team goes out on the right tubes.
Clarissa Torres says
I’ve been making puto bumbong since last year using your recipe. I’ve been using the proper steamer from the Philippines. It’s super ok taste-wise. The only problem I have is I find it hard to take off the puto bumbong from the bamboo tubes. Cleaning them afterwards is also a nightmare! I’ve put in loads of margarine/butter inside to no avail! Can you teach a technique please as to how i can get them out from the bamboo tubes effortlessly? Thanks very much!