Delicious layers of coconut sticky rice with creamy pandan coconut custard. Kuih seri muka is a chewy and mildly sweet dessert popular in Southeast Asia. It's dairy-free and is great for the family!
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What is Kuih Seri Muka?
Kuih Seri Muka is a delicious layered dessert made of chewy glutinous rice flavored with coconut and a sweet creamy pandan custard layer on top. The combination of these tastes and textures is absolutely incredible!
Kuih, or sometimes known as "Kue or Kueh", is a bite-sized snack that is fragrant and mildly sweet with contrasting textures. It originates from Indonesia and it's popularity has wildly spread it over to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.
During my travels to Malaysia, kuih was a dessert served at many dessert shops or stands and they are usually very colorful and beautiful to look at.
In addition, there are many different types of kuih, such as "Kuis Lapis" which is a layered cake using rice flour, not glutinous sticky rice. Or some can include sweet gula melaka between glutinous sticky rice.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
White Rice
- Glutinous Rice: this is not the same as short-grain rice and it's more sticky in texture. Avoid using other rice substitutes if possible.
- Full Fat Coconut Milk
- Cold Water
- Salt
- Pandan Leaves: it must be pandan leaves and not pandan extract for the best flavors. Select South-East Asian grocery stores will sell these leaves in the frozen section unless you're able to source fresh ones.
Blue Rice
- Glutinous rice
- Full Fat Coconut Milk
- Cold water
- Salt
- Blue Butterfly Pea Powder: you can usually find this ingredient online or at select Health Food Stores or substitute with a few drops of blue food coloring.
- Pandan Leaves
Pandan Custard
- Cold water
- Pandan leaves
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch, tapioca starch or rice flour to thicken the custard.
- All-Purpose Flour: a general use white wheat flour.
- Large eggs
- Full Fat Coconut Milk
- White granulated sugar: or substitute with cane sugar or coconut sugar.
Equipment
- Blender or immersion blender
- Fine Sieve
- 9x9 Square Pan
- Steamer pot or large wok with a wire rack
- Measuring set/kitchen scale
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Tea towel or Aluminum Foil
Expert Tips
- Use pandan leaves when making this dessert for best taste! Avoid using extract or powdered pandan.
- When creating the custard, heat it over low-medium heat and DO NOT bring to a boil or this will make the custard chunky and not smooth.
- When layering, make sure the rice and the custard are still very warm so they can stick together. I suggest covering the first and second rice layer with a warm tea towel or a lid.
- Distribute the rice layer evenly for smooth layers. I found it easiest to slide the rice off the plate (wearing heat proof gloves) right into the pan versus scooping uneven chunks of the rice having to even it off later with my eye.
- Pack the rice down hard using a spatula so the custard does not leak through any holes ruining your layers.
- Before steaming your dessert, cover the lid with a tea towel or aluminum foil. This will prevent any droplets of water from hitting the custard creating small holes.
- Slice kuih with a wet oiled paring knife at an angle. This dessert is very sticky so the oil and water help the knife glide through the cake more easily.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make kuih seri muka:
- In two separate bowls, soak 7.05 oz or 200 grans glutinous rice in each bowl with enough water the night before or 4 hours prior (or the rice will not be soft and sticky after steaming). On the day of cooking, strain out the rice water with a fine sieve. Transfer the rice back into each bowl. Add instructed amounts of coconut milk, water, salt to each bowl and mix well.
- To one of the bowls of rice, mix in blue butterfly pea powder until evenly colored, leaving the other bowl uncolored.
- Next pour the blue rice and the liquids onto a large shallow bowl. Then place knotted pandan leaves into the rice. Fill a large wok or steamer pot halfway with water and place a wire rack or bamboo steamer inside. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and then reduce to medium heat. Carefully place the plate of blue rice on top of the wire rack or bamboo steamer.
- Cover and steam the blue rice for 25 minutes. Occasionally checking it to ensure there's enough water in the steamer and refill with hot water if needed. Remove the plate from steamer with oven mitts and remove the pandan leaves from the rice. Keep the rice warm.
- Next transfer uncolored rice with the liquids to a wide shallow bowl. Transfer to the steamer. Cover and steam on medium heat for 25 minutes checking occasionally if the steaming water needs to be refilled with hot water. Once white rice is done steaming, remove pandan leaves and remove from steamer. Set aside and keep warm.
- To make Pandan Custard Layer: add 10 pandan leaves and 200 ml or 6.76 fl oz of water into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the content into a fine sieve and strain the liquids, discarding the pulp. Pour this pandan extract into a medium sized pot. Then whisk in the remaining pandan custard ingredients: cornstarch, all purpose flour, eggs, coconut milk, and sugar. Heat the pot on the stove over low-medium heat continually stirring until it thickens. Do not bring to a boil.
- When chunks begin to form as you stir, remove the pot off heat. Next stir the mixture well until the chunks have dissolved completely. Cover to keep warm.
- Then grease a 9x9 square baking pan or baking dish with vegetable oil. Using oven oven mitts, slide the blue rice into the greased square baking pan to create an even layer. Use a spatula to pack the rice down hard ensuring there are no holes or cracks to prevent the custard layer from seeping through them. Smooth out the layer of rice.
- Then slide the white rice over the blue rice and pack down very well ensuring no cracks and holes. Smooth it out with spatula.
- Then pour the pandan custard over top. Gently tap the baking pan on a even surface to remove any air bubbles. Transfer the baking pan back into the steamer ensuring there's enough water in the wok or steamer pot.
- Steam over medium heat for 30 minutes covered using a lid covered in aluminum foil or a clean tea towel. This prevents the water droplets from making holes into your pandan custard layer.
- Finally remove the baking pan from steamer with oven mitts and let the cake cool down inside the baking pan. Then slice the cake with a wet and oiled knife at an angle and serve to enjoy!
Storage
- This dessert is best consumed fresh or same day.
- Leftovers can last for 36 hours in the fridge stored in an airtight container. To reheat, microwave each piece covered for 30-60 seconds until hot. This cannot be stored at room temperature because rice is a breeding ground for bacteria if not stored properly.
- Freezer-friendly? I don't recommend freezing kuih seri muka because the freezer changes the texture of the sticky rice.
Pairing Suggestions
Kuih seri muka serves well with:
- coffee, tea, milk teas, bubble teas, or tropical exotic fruit juices like lychee juice
- fresh tropical fruits like dragon fruit, star fruit, lychee, rambutan, mango, papaya, pineapple and more!
- other desserts like Hawaiian Butter Mochi, Chinese Mango Pudding, Glutinous Rice Balls (Tang Yuan), Rose Pandan Coconut Sago, Vegan Pandan Coconut Jelly
- cakes, pastries or cookies
FAQ
Can I make kuih seri muka in advance?
Kuih seri muka can be made up to 36 hours in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. To reheat, microwave each piece for 30-60 seconds until hot.
Is this recipe gluten-free or dairy-free?
This dessert is not gluten-free because it contains all-purpose wheat flour but it is dairy-free since it's made with coconut milk.
📖 Recipe
Kuih Seri Muka (Pandan Custard Sticky Rice Dessert)
Delicious layers of coconut sticky rice with creamy pandan coconut custard. This kuih seri muka is a chewy, mildly sweet and luscious dessert that is popular in Southeast Asia. It can simply be made at home and is great for the family.
Ingredients
For the White Rice:
- 7.05 oz glutinous rice
- 2.53 fl oz coconut milk full fat
- 1.69 fl oz water cold or room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 pandan leaves knotted
For the Blue Rice:
- 7.05 oz glutinous rice
- 2.53 fl oz coconut milk full fat
- 1.69 fl oz water cold or room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon blue butterfly pea powder or a few drop of blue food coloring
- 2 pandan leaves knotted
For the Pandan Custard:
- 6.76 fl oz water cold or room temperature
- 10 pandan leaves
- 5 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch/tapioca starch/rice flour
- 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 6.76 fl oz coconut milk full fat
- 4.93 oz white granulated sugar
Instructions
- In two separate bowls, soak 7.05 oz or 200 grams glutinous rice in each bowl with enough water the night before or 4 hours prior (or the rice will not be soft and sticky after steaming). On the day of cooking, strain out the rice water with a fine sieve. Transfer the rice back into each bowl. Add instructed amounts of coconut milk, water, salt to each bowl and mix well.
- To one of the bowls of rice, mix in blue butterfly pea powder until evenly colored, leaving the other bowl uncolored.
- Next pour the blue rice and the liquids onto a large shallow bowl. Then place knotted pandan leaves into the rice. Fill a large wok or steamer pot halfway with water and place a wire rack or bamboo steamer inside. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and then reduce to medium heat. Carefully place the plate of blue rice on top of the wire rack or bamboo steamer.
- Cover and steam the blue rice for 25 minutes. Occasionally checking it to ensure there's enough water in the steamer and refill with hot water if needed. Remove the plate from steamer with oven mitts and remove the pandan leaves from the rice. Keep the rice warm.
- Next transfer uncolored rice with the liquids to a wide shallow bowl. Transfer to the steamer. Cover and steam on medium heat for 25 minutes checking occasionally if the steaming water needs to be refilled with hot water. Once white rice is done steaming, remove pandan leaves and remove from steamer. Set aside and keep warm.
- To make Pandan Custard Layer: add 10 pandan leaves and 200 ml or 6.76 fl oz of water into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the content into a fine sieve and strain the liquids, discarding the pulp. Pour this pandan extract into a medium sized pot. Then whisk in the remaining pandan custard ingredients: cornstarch, all purpose flour, eggs, coconut milk, and sugar. Heat the pot on the stove over low-medium heat continually stirring until it thickens. Do not bring to a boil.
- When chunks begin to form as you stir, remove the pot off heat. Next stir the mixture well until the chunks have dissolved completely. Cover to keep warm.
- Then grease a 9x9 square baking pan or baking dish with vegetable oil. Using oven oven mitts, slide the blue rice into the greased square baking pan to create an even layer. Use a spatula to pack the rice down hard ensuring there are no holes or cracks to prevent the custard layer from seeping through them. Smooth out the layer of rice.
- Then slide the white rice over the blue rice and pack down very well ensuring no cracks and holes. Smooth it out with spatula.
- Then pour the pandan custard over top. Gently tap the baking pan on a even surface to remove any air bubbles. Transfer the baking pan back into the steamer ensuring there's enough water in the wok or steamer pot.
- Steam over medium heat for 30 minutes covered using a lid covered in aluminum foil or a clean tea towel. This prevents the water droplets from making holes into your pandan custard layer.
- Finally remove the baking pan from steamer with oven mitts and let the cake cool down inside the baking pan. Then slice the cake with a wet and oiled knife at an angle and serve to enjoy!
Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
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Nutrition
Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2mg
Rosemary
Wow those layers are so cool! I love sticky sweet rice so much hehe
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
I haven't had kuih seri muka but the colours are amazing! I love kuih lapis though, so I'll have to try it soon!