Best Malaysian Kuih Recipes You Can Try At Home

Malaysia is a multi-racial country made up mainly by 3 races including Indian , Chinese and Malay, and also some indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak living in East Malaysia . Therefore , with the divergent cultures here in Malaysia , Malaysian cuisines and desserts consist of different cooking traditions and practices thus reflecting the multi-ethnic makeup of its population.

Anyways , let’s take a closer look at our main focus which is Malaysia kuihs . Here are some mouth-watering Malaysian favourites that will leave you drooling!



1.Seri Muka
What you need :
- 8-inch square or round steamed pudding

Pandan extract:
-12-15 pieces of pandan leaves, washed and snipped into 1/2-inch pieces

-3-4 tablespoons of water

Sugar syrup:
-1 cup of castor sugar
-1/2 cup of water
-4-5 pieces of pandan leaves

Rice layer:
-1 cup of glutinous rice, soaked overnight (or at least 6 hours) and drained

-1 to 1 1/2 cups of thin coconut milk
-a pinch of salt
-3 tablespoons of freshly grated coconut (optional)

Custard layer:
-1/4 cup of plain flour
-2 teaspoons of corn starch
-4 eggs
-1 cup of thick coconut milk
-a pinch of salt

Steps:
Preparation for the pandan extract and syrup:
In a mortar and pestle or a blender, mash the pandan leaves with the water until it turns into a fine paste. Bear in mind to use as little water as possible.
Next, press the paste through a fine sieve or squeeze through cheesecloth to extract the green juice only. You should obtain at least 100 ml liquid.

If you are not in a hurry , let it sit for a few hour for it to do its thing.

When the green extract settle at the bottom ,remove the excess water before using.

For the sugar syrup in the custard layer, add in the sugar, water and knotted pandan leaves in a medium sized saucepan and cook over medium low heat until all the sugar has dissolved.

Lastly, remove the mixture from the saucepan and set it aside to cool.

Prepare the rice layer:
Cook the glutinous rice till done with the coconut milk and salt in a rice cooker over the stove or in a steamer. Use considerable amount of thin coconut milk according your cooking method .

At the same time ,boil the water in your steamer .

Next, grease the 8-inch round or square baking tin (springform or removable base) with cooking oil and set aside.

Mix in the grated coconut with the cooked glutinous rice. Then , put the rice into the prepared tin.

With a wet spatula or a piece of banana leaf,then press the rice firmly onto the base of the tin to form an even and compact layer.

Cover and steam for about 15 minutes over medium heat. Once done, reduce the heat to low but keep the tin inside the steamer.

Prepare the custard layer:
Mix the pandan extract with the with the coconut milk and stir well.

Bring the water of a double boiler to a boil. On the top bowl of the double boiler, mix in coconut milk-pandan extract mixture ,flour, corn starch, eggs, and salt and incorporate well until well combined.

Next, whisk the mixture until it becomes silky smooth. Then drizzle over the sugar syrup while whisking.

After that ,transfer the bowl into the double boiler and gently cook the custard over medium low indirect heat to prevent it from burning.

Stir cautiously and continuously until custard completely thickens slightly for about 13-15 minutes.

Pour the custard over a sieve onto the rice layer slowly.

Lastly, cover and steam it over medium low heat (keep this on the low side to obtain a smooth custard layer) for another 15-20 minutes until custard is completely set.

Remove the tin from the steamer and allow it to cool completely for about 1-2 hours before cutting it into diamond-shaped pieces. To obtain neatly cut pieces, use an oiled or heated knife.It is recommended to serve it with hot coffee or tea. For your information , Kuih can refrigerated for up to 1 week.




2. Kuih Bingka Ubi – Baked Tapioca or Cassava Cake （木薯糕)
I believe as a Malaysian we all are familiar with tapioca , so here’s a simple and delicious recipe made from tapioca that will satisfy you sweet tooth till the sun doesn’t shine!

What you need :

-1 kg of tapioca
-220 grams castor sugar
-200 grams of coconut milk
-100 grams of fresh milk
-60 grams of melted butter
-3 eggs
-2 tablespoons of custard powder
-Drops of vanilla (optional)
Steps :
Firstly, pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

Next, line a 7’’ baking tray with baking paper or grease the tray with cooking oil.

Cut the tapioca in small chunks using a knife. In a food processor, blend the tapioca until as fine as possible .

Transfer the blended tapioca to a blender, add all the other ingredients (eggs, custard powder, sugar, coconut milk, milk, melted butter, vanilla essence) and blend until as fine as possible.

Transfer the batter to the lined or greased baking tin.

Pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius beforehand and bake the mixture for 45minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean.

Note that the centre of the cake is rather difficult to bake, you have to insert the skewer a few times and at a few places. Apart from that , do take note that the baking time differs slightly according to the temperature of your oven and the size of your baking tray.

COOL COMPLETELY before slicing. It normally takes about at least 3-4 hours before you can slice the cake neatly with a greased or heated sharp knife. It is highly recommended to let it rest overnight before slicing. You can store it in the refrigerator and re-bake the cake at 100 degree Celsius until the cake is warm before serving.

Try out these recipes and find your all time favourite kuih recipe that will be the only one you need to satisfy your ‘kuih’ cravings !