Emping / Rice Flakes with Grated Coconut

February 08, 2011

I have this picture hanging on my kitchen wall...  reminds me of my hometown...
I love looking at this picture ~ Its Paddy Harvesting season... my thought soon came to this one local snack that I loved, its made out of rice flakes called Emping.

The two ladies were separating 'grains from stalk' by thrashing the bundle into the bucket below... then the kernels were separated from the husk by using the bigger version of mortar and pestle... I don't know the proper name to it...
The ladies in the village would work as a team. Few ladies would take turn to pound and pound the grains... the rest of the 'team' would start using bamboo trays ~ the winnowing process began after the pounding... A really back breaking task for everyone ... until modern day harvesting using machineries took over...


From the harvest, the farmers would use some of the grains to make Emping or rice flakes. They would cook the grains, then  flatten and sundried for few days...
The rice flakes is not only eaten for breakfast ... it serves as snack either mid-morning or in the afternoon...

And this happen to be my favourite snack. Once I start...I can't stop eating them... 

rice-flakes-with-grated-coconut

The taste ~ sweet, slightly salty and chewy (and creamy from dessicated coconut)...

Growing up in big city away from 'village happening'...my 2 munchkins have not seen or even tasted Emping before ... so they were a little bit apprehensive to try this local delicacy... but once they tasted this... just like me... they can't stop munching ....


The rice flakes purchased from Asian grocer here is slightly thicker that the ones sold in my hometown...

Emping / Rice Flakes with Grated Coconut
Recipe
a packet of emping or rice flakes - bought from Asian grocer
1 cup of dessicated coconut
2-3 tablespoon of hot water
2-3 tablespoon of raw sugar
a pinch of salt
  1. Add the hot water in the dessicated coconut. Mix well. Add a pinch of salt to taste. Leave it to cool.
  2. Emptied the rice flakes packet into a medium size bowl.
  3. Add the coconut mix with sugar.
  4. Again mix well.... and serve.

Comments

  1. I was landing on your blog through facebook and excited with the word emping. I thought it was the same term in Indonesian, but I was wrong. The emping that I know is made from paddy oats (melinjo/belinjo, gnetum gnemon).

    I saw these rice flakes before and are used for coating fried shrimps.

    Cheers,

    Pepy

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  2. Yup, we have the same feeling ,when I see this picture it reminds me of my hometown too !

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  3. Pepy,
    Thank you for dropping by...
    I love the keropok Melinjo (its has a slight bitter taste)...

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  4. SparkleMemo,
    Pleasant feeling and memories...:)

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  5. I love emping. My aunt used to send to us emping made from her beras fresh from her bendang in Kedah. Not only the normal type but also the savoury one. Not sure whether she made it herself but that savoury one was my favourite. Blessed her soul!

    Lucky you. Dapat jumpa emping di sini. Ada gambar bungkusan dia tak. Mana tau I boleh cari kat Canning Vale big wholesale oriental shop.

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  6. Wow, very interesting recipe. I've never had this before!

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  7. I must have missed something.. why I never knew this?

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  8. Flower,
    I have not tasted the savoury ones... curious how it would taste like...
    So sorry... I dah buang the packaging... but you may be able to find in the aisle where the dry stuffs are... like sago, pulse etc..

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  9. pigpigscorner,
    Thank you... :) I think its Kedah speciality ;)

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  10. Leemei,
    Maybe your kampung... tak banyak bendang :)

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  11. The savoury emping taste a bit like fish serunding or sambal uban (probably a selangor specialty). Maybe my late aunt made the emping herself or had somebody to make for her. Haven't really had it since she passed away. Just like sambal uban, never really had it anywhere else since my Selangor aunt passed away.

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  12. I have never seen those rice flakes before. They look very tempting with creamy white coconut shreds.

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  13. Flower,
    Sounds yummy...

    That's the problem kalau our elders passed away...

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  14. Angie,
    Maybe Oz is near to South East Asia and we have melting pot culture :)

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  15. I don't think I ever see of tasted emping before. Sound interesting.

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  16. Gert,
    Not many knows about Emping... I think its Northern speciality :)

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  17. In India, well the south, we eat this as a snack as well with our tea. It is called Aval in Malayalam. We use fresh scraped coconut, water or milk and some jaggery/palm sugar and mix it well with our hands till it is soft. It is served with small bananas. So yummy!

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  18. I've never seen or eat emping before, would be a great ingredient for breakfast cereal or granola. Where can i get them in KL/Malaysia?

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  19. Shannon,
    Central in OUG... and that was years ago...
    Perhaps you can try Pusat Senibudaya or Central market... sorry not much of a help here :(

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