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Seri Muka is an amazing Malaysian kuih (sweet cake) made of glutinous rice, coconut milk, sugar and pandan leaves. Seri Muka is a dainty and yummy dessert.
Seri Muka Recipe
It’s been a while since I posted Malaysian recipes. Malaysia is a small country and when it comes to a country’s cuisine, there is a limit to the number of recipes available.
Unfortunately Malaysia is not China, which has unlimited list of regional Chinese recipes that will probably take a very long time to cover.
I still cook Malaysian food and my ultimate food love will always be Malaysian food, nothing will ever change that.
However, I have to save some Malaysian recipes for the future, if and when I publish a Malaysian cookbook. So for now, please bear with me with fewer Malaysian recipes on the site.
One of my favorite Malaysian food is the wide array of local sweet cakes or desserts called “kuih” (click the link to view all kuih recipes).
My late grandmother was a legendary kuih maker and I grew up watching her and my late aunt making trays upon trays of different types of kuih.
They were always colorful, dainty, delightful and absolutely delicious.
I have to be honest, it wasn’t until much older than I learned to appreciate my family’s kuih and the sweet cakes from our culture.
Today I have my contributor Siew Loon back with a popular kuih recipe: Seri Muka.
Seri Muka is a Malay and Nyonya kuih made of glutinous rice and pandan leaves.
They are so pretty, with natural green color and cut into small pieces.
More importantly, seri muka is absolutely delightful—sweet, laden with coconut milk, with a nice sticky texture.
They go extremely well with a cup of coffee in the morning, or as an afternoon snack.
Siew Loon learned this seri muka recipe from her friend Helen, who selflessly taught her to make this ever tasty sweet cake.
It takes about an hour to make seri muka but the end result is rewarding.
If you love kuih, you have to try this easy and amazing recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 115 calories per piece.
What To Serve With Seri Muka
Serve this dish with a cup of coffee or tea. For a Malaysian or Nyonya-themed afternoon tea, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Seri Muka
Ingredients
For Bottom Layer:
- 300 g glutinous rice, soak for 30 minutes in water
- 200 ml thin coconut milk, 100 ml coconut milk plus 100 ml water
- 2 pandan leaves, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Top Layer:
- 200 ml thick coconut milk , or coconut cream
- 2 large eggs , plus 2 egg yolks
- 170 g sugar
- 100 ml pandan juice, from 8-10 pandan leaves
- 5 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the bottom layer and steam on high heat for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the top layer by mixing the eggs, coconut milk, sugar, pandan juice, and flour together. Stir until smooth. Cook over boiling water using the double boiler method until the mixture thickens slightly but remains runny enough to pour.
- After 20 minutes, take out the glutinous rice mixture, stir it, and flatten it with a spoon or your hands to ensure it is compact. Use a sieve to pour the egg mixture over the rice mixture.
- Steam on medium heat for 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting the Seri Muka into diamond-shaped or rectangular pieces
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m abit confuse here. 2 large egg + 2 egg York’s.
So altogether 2 eggs with four Yorks?
Thanks
Yes.
Thanks for great recipe. It tastes great & simple to make.
My boys love it. I’d replaced the glutinous rice with sticky millet.
Hi… What can I do the seri muka left over? Put in the fridge? How long I can keep it? Thks
Yes keep in the fridge for a few days and reheat before eating.
I haven’t had any luck finding panda leaves here in US. Instead, I bought pandan essence extract instead. How much extract should I add to replace the panda juice?
Hmmm, I am not sure as I have never used pandan extract.
Go to Chinese supermarket, they use to hv frozen pandan leaves
How exactly are you steaming these? Are they in an 8×8 pan that is set somehow in a steamer? Does the pan have holes? And what is the setup for steaming the rice? Do you have a pic of what it looks like so those of us not in Asia can make this? Thanks!
Tried and tested! Turned out beautiful. In Australia we can’t get fresh pandan leaves, so I used frozen. It didn’t turn out quite as green and vibrant colored as yours, even though the pandan “juice” was a lovely shade of green. Taste and flavor ? spot on!! This will be my go to recipe from now on! Cheers and thank you for sharing!
Hi! What’s the steaming method please? I ate this on a trip long time ago and I can’t wait to replicate them since it’s impossible to find in Europe! Luv them!!
Can you please explain the steaming method for this recipe..
This dessert looks beautiful, have never attempted asian desserts.
Thank you Rasa Malaysia. Suddenly I found myself craving for all the kuih -kuih and muih -muih! That’s it! I’m going to hit all the peranakan kuih when I go back to Melaka next time.