Celebrating Malaysia with kuih seri muka

Kuih seri muka is a Malay dessert that literally translates as “pretty face”.

It is also called Putri Salat in Banjar, Indonesia, where it is said to have originated.

It traditionally consists of two layers, a coconut custard made with pandan juice set over a steamed white glutinous rice base.

However, for this recipe, I tried to replicate the colours of our national flag, hence the various colours in this kuih.

As usual, I’m using only natural food dyes.

So, the colour results that you see may not be as vibrant as they would be if they were sourced from artificial colouring.

While I’ve already decided to colour the rice blue, as how it is done with the pulut tai tai kuih, and use dragon fruit to produce red, I was still unsure of what to use for the yellow hue.

The multi-layered kuih seri muka with the colours of the Malaysian flag.

Then, I had a revelation inspired by Thailand’s mango sticky rice dessert – mango would be a natural choice for yellow.

The juicy mango cubes are hidden within the glutinous rice layer, providing a surprise burst of sweet tartness with each bite.

Do note that the glutinous rice will absorb a lot of the blue colour when cooked.

So, after steaming the rice, don’t be afraid to stir in a bit more concentrated butterfly pea extract to get a deeper blue hue.

Also, do not be alarmed that the red custard takes on a slightly orange tint due to the reaction between the fruit and the eggs, as this doesn’t affect the flavour at all.

Please note that this dessert has a tendency to stick.

So, it is crucial to line the pan with greaseproof baking parchment before pressing the rice into it.

The kuih will also need to be completely cooled down before you can slice into it. And, to prevent the knife from sticking, brush it with plenty of cooking oil repeatedly in between cuts.

Because of the high coconut milk content in this dessert, kuih seri muka should be enjoyed fresh, ideally within 24 hours.

So, gather your loved ones and share this beautiful and delicious piece of our heritage while it is at its best.

Kuih Seri Muka Merdeka

Blue layer

450g glutinous rice, soaked in cold water for 2 hours

400ml coconut milk

2 pandan leaves

10g butterfly pea flower, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes

1 tsp salt to taste

Yellow layer

100g ripe mango, cut into cubes

custard, to be divided into 2 equal portions

400ml coconut cream

6 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp tapioca starch

250g granulated sugar

3 large eggs

White layer

½ portion of the custard

100ml cold water

Red layer

½ portion of the custard

100ml dragon fruit juice

Directions

Rinse the rice in water until the water runs clear.

Then soak rice in cold water for two hours.

Drain in wire mesh and set aside to allow excess water to drip away.

Drain butterfly pea flower extract in wire mesh and set aside.

To prepare the blue layer, stir together glutinous rice, coconut extract and salt in a dish, then steam over boiling water for 20 minutes until cooked.

Fluff up the rice and stir in more blue extract, if desired.

Set aside about a cup of rice, then press the remaining rice into a lined square cake tin until compact and level at the top.

Make indents all over the blue layer with the handle of a knife.

Then, fill the indented wells with mango cubes.

Cover the wells with the set-aside rice, then compact the glutinous rice again to level the top.

Whisk all the ingredients of the white layer together, then pour over the blue layer and steam over boiling water for 15 minutes until cooked.

Whisk all the ingredients of the red layer together, then pour over the white layer and steam over boiling water for 15 minutes until cooked.

Remove from the steamer and allow to cool completely before slicing.

When ready to serve, grease a knife with cooking oil and cut into desired shapes for easy enjoyment.