Khanom Chan — layered Thai rice-flour cake
Khanom chan is a Thai layered dessert — nine fine, brightly-tinted layers of rice-flour and tapioca batter steamed in succession into a smooth, peelable block. The texture is dense and bouncy, the flavours floral with pandan and coconut. It is the canonical Thai festival sweet.
i. Origin & history
Nine layers (chan means "step" or "layer") is considered an auspicious number in Thai Buddhist tradition. Khanom chan is associated with weddings and is one of the canonical "nine auspicious sweets" (kanom mongkol).
ii. Ingredients
Makes 16 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 200 g rice flour
- 100 g tapioca starch
- 60 g mung bean flour
- 250 g sugar
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 250 ml water
- Pinch salt
- 6 tbsp pandan juice
- Drop of green food colour
iii. Method
- Mix flours; dissolve sugar in warm coconut milk and water; combine and pass through a sieve. Add salt.
- Divide batter in half. Tint one half green with pandan juice and a drop of colour.
- Lightly oil a 22 cm square tin. Steam empty 5 min to heat.
- Pour 4 mm white layer; steam 5 min until set. Pour 4 mm green; steam 5 min. Continue alternating for 9 layers.
- Steam the finished cake an extra 10 min. Cool fully (3-4 hours) before turning out and cutting into diamonds.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Khanom chan toey emphasises pandan. Khanom chan saraek uses rose tints. Modern variations use butterfly-pea flower for blue layers.
vi. Common questions
What is khanom chan?
Khanom Chan is layered thai rice-flour cake, from thai cuisine. The texture is dense and bouncy, the flavours floral with pandan and coconut
Where is khanom chan from?
Khanom Chan is from the thai dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does khanom chan keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 2 days at room temperature.