Pan Cake Tapai Nasi Borneo

It is a Pan Cake. It only tastes like Tapai Nasi that is a litthle bit sour with a unique smell.

My mother used to cook it when we buy Tapai Nasi, i.e. Fermented Rice. She will leave some, so that she can make Pan Cakes that are fried, or steamed in a tray like Kuih Lapis or Kusui.

 "Pancake tapai nasi" (often traditionally made as **Apam Tapai Nasi** or steamed rice cakes) is a brilliant way to use fermented rice. In Borneo—especially Sabah—*tapai nasi* (often referred to locally as *Komis* when made sweet with a pinkish hue) is a beloved traditional food. It has a naturally sweet, slightly tangy flavor and a wonderful yeasty aroma.

When you use *tapai nasi* in a pancake or *apam* batter, the natural fermentation acts as a yeast. This gives the pancake a distinct, beautifully fragrant aroma and an incredibly soft, airy texture that you simply can't get from regular baking powder alone.

Here is how to make a Borneo-style Tapai Nasi Pancake. You can either pan-fry this batter like a standard Western pancake or steam it to make traditional *Apam Nasi Mekar*.

## Ingredients

**For the Batter:**

 * **1 cup** *Tapai Nasi* (fermented rice — homemade or store-bought)

 * **2 cups** Rice flour (*Tepung Beras*)

 * **½ cup** All-purpose flour (*Tepung Gandum*)

 * **¾ to 1 cup** Sugar (adjust based on how sweet your tapai already is)

 * **1 ½ cups** Water

 * **1 sachet** Eno fruit salt (original/blue packet) OR 1 tsp baking powder (added right before cooking)

 * *Optional:* A few drops of food coloring (pandan green or pink)

## Step-by-Step Instructions

### 1. Blend the Base

In a blender, combine the *tapai nasi*, sugar, and water. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and no whole rice grains remain.

### 2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

Pour the blended mixture into a large mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the rice flour and all-purpose flour until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.

### 3. Let it Ferment (Crucial Step)

Cover the bowl with a clean cloth or plastic wrap. Let the batter sit at room temperature for **4 to 6 hours**. This resting period allows the natural yeast in the *tapai* to activate, which develops the authentic sour-sweet aroma and creates the bubbles needed for a fluffy texture.

### 4. Add the Leavening Agent

Just before you are ready to cook, sprinkle the Eno or baking powder into the batter and stir gently. You will see the batter become foamy and light. If you are using food coloring, divide the batter and mix in the colors now.

### 5. Cook the Pancakes (Two Ways)

**Method A: Pan-Fried (Pancake Style)**

 1. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat and lightly wipe it with cooking oil or butter.

 2. Pour a ladle of batter onto the pan.

 3. Let it cook until you see the surface covered in popped bubbles and the edges dry out (about 2-3 minutes).

 4. Flip carefully and cook for another minute until golden brown. Serve hot.

**Method B: Steamed (Traditional Apam Style)**

 1. Prepare a steamer and bring the water to a rolling boil.

 2. Pour the batter into small, lightly oiled molds (like traditional apam cups) until they are nearly full.

 3. Steam on high heat for **10 to 15 minutes**. *Tip: Wrap the lid of your steamer with a cloth so water droplets don't fall onto the cakes.*

 4. The cakes should "bloom" or crack open at the top (*apam mekar*). Let them cool slightly before removing from the molds.

> **Flavor Pairing:** If you pan-fry these, they are fantastic plain, but they also pair beautifully with a dusting of freshly grated coconut mixed with a tiny pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.

> 

Kuih Kukus Tapai Nasi Borneo

 Kuih Kukus Tapai Nasi (juga dikenali sebagai Apam Tapai Nasi) merupakan kuih tradisional Borneo yang sangat istimewa kerana menggunakan nasi yang ditapai bersama ragi sebagai agen penaik semula jadi. Proses penapaian inilah yang memberikan aroma wangi yang unik, rasa manis-masam yang lembut, dan tekstur kuih yang sangat gebu selepas dikukus.

Resipi & Sukatan Tepat

Untuk mendapatkan hasil apam yang mekar dan lembut, berikut adalah sukatan standard yang biasa digunakan:

• Bahan Tapai Nasi: 2 cawan nasi sejuk + 1/2 biji ragi tapai (dihancurkan halus).
• Bahan Adunan Apam: 1 cawan tapai nasi + 3 cawan tepung beras + 1 cawan gula pasir + 2 cawan air + 1 sudu teh Eno (atau yis segera untuk pilihan tapai ekspres).

Mungkin berdasarkan resepi ini tapi cara mama ku masak lain. 

Di buat di talam macam kuih lapis saja. Tepung tarigu/gandum., 

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Kuih Kusui Sabah

 https://youtu.be/Xwicl7ejm0Q?si=i8v7hkKSLJAznXW9

Resepi orang Sabah tapi terikut cara orang Malaya, yang di panggil Kaswi sebab di campur tepung ubi yang jarang di gunakan di Sabah. Paling pun tepung kanji.

Cara madak di talam lah yang selalu di buat. Tepung ubi atau kanji lebih mahal jadi buat apa guna kalau kapur sudah cukup. 

Tapai Nasi Sabah

 In Borneo—especially during festive celebrations like Kaamatan in Sabah or Gawai in Sarawak—**tapai nasi** is a deeply cherished traditional delicacy. While many regions across Malaysia primarily use glutinous rice (*beras pulut*) to make tapai, the classic Bornean staple frequently utilizes everyday white table rice (*beras biasa*). The result is a highly economical, wonderfully sweet, tangy, and naturally fizzy treat.

Here is how you can craft authentic Bornean-style tapai nasi right at home.

As shown in the image, the traditional Bornean method thrives on wrapping the inoculated rice into neat, conical or triangular leaf packets. Native wild leaves like **daun irik** (phacelophrynium maximum) or **daun nipah** are prized because they impart a distinct, rustic fragrance to the rice as it ferments.

### What You Need

 * **White Rice:** 4 cups (Standard long-grain or any local white table rice)

 * **Yeast Culture:** 1 piece of **Sasad** (traditional Sabahan rice yeast cake) or standard *ragi tapai*—roughly the size of a 20-sen coin.

 * **Wrapping Material:** Cleaned and thoroughly dried *daun irik*, banana leaves, or a clean, airtight container.

 * **Fasteners:** Small wooden picks or *lidi* to pin the leaves together.

## The Method

 1. Cook and Fluff the Rice

   15–20 minutes

   Cook your white rice as you normally would, but reduce the water ever so slightly to achieve an al dente texture. You want the grains to be cooked through but firm. Once done, gently fluff the rice to separate the grains.

 2. Cool the Rice Completely

   Crucial Step — 1 to 2 hours

   Spread the cooked rice out thinly onto a large, flat tray or traditional woven mat. The rice must cool 100% to room temperature. If the rice is even slightly warm, the trapped heat will instantly kill the delicate live yeast cultures, causing the entire batch to turn sour, fail to ferment, or develop mold.

 3. Pulverize the Sasad

   5 minutes

   Take your sasad or ragi cake and crush it into a perfectly fine, smooth powder using a mortar and pestle or the back of a clean spoon. Pro-tip: Sun-drying the yeast cake for 10 to 15 minutes before crushing helps fully activate the microbes.

 4. Inoculate the Rice

   5 minutes

   Using a fine mesh sieve, gently sift and sprinkle the powdered yeast evenly across the cooled surface of the rice. Using a clean plastic spatula or gloved hands, toss the rice softly until every single grain is lightly dusted with the powder.

 5. Wrap and Seal

   15 minutes

   Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the inoculated rice into the center of a bone-dry leaf. Fold it securely into a classic triangular pocket and pin it closed with a piece of lidi. If local leaves are hard to find, pressing the rice firmly into a sterilized, completely dry plastic container works just as well.

 6. Fermentation Period

   36 to 48 hours

   Store your wrapped packets or closed container in a dark, warm, and undisturbed corner of the house (like a pantry cabinet). Let nature do its work for roughly 2 days.

### Verifying the Ripeness

After 36 to 48 hours, peek inside one of the packets. You are looking for a few telltale signs: a beautifully sweet, slightly pungent aromatic scent; soft, glistening rice grains; and a small pool of natural sweet liquid (*air tapai*) collecting at the bottom.

Once it reaches this stage, **move the tapai immediately into the refrigerator**. Cold temperatures put the fermentation on pause, preventing it from turning overly sour or aggressively alcoholic, while making it incredibly refreshing to eat chilled.

> **Cultural Wisdom & Taboos:**

> In Bornean folklore—particularly within Kadazandusun heritage—making tapai is intimately connected with showing respect to the rice spirit, *Bambaazon*. Traditional taboos warn that you should never argue, yell, or display anger while mixing the rice, or the tapai will turn sour and spoil. Many traditional home brewers still place a clean piece of charcoal right on top of the fermenting bundle to ward off negative elements and guarantee a sweet turn-out!

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