Steamed Pandan Custard Glutinous Rice Cake (Kuih Seri Muka)

A popular dual-layer steamed cake with a soft and creamy pandan-coconut custard layer sits on top a a springy compact glutinous rice layer. A small-portion recipe for a family of four to finish within the same day. This is a snack, not a meal, so small portion is just nice 😍

Blue pea flower pigment is not a must. The steamed cake tasted equally nice without it 😋

Yield: one 14x10x3 cm cake
Pan size: rectangle glass bowl 14x10x5cm, tapered side, heat-resistant.

Ingredients

Glutinous Rice Layer
100g glutinous rice
1/8 tsp low-sodium salt
25g low-fat coconut milk
25g water
1 blade pandan leaf
Some blue pea flower pigment, optional

Pandan Custard Layer
20g pandan paste*
100g low-fat coconut milk
1 egg, about 55g
10g rice flour
1g corn starch
35g fine sugar

* blend 20g pandan leaves with 50g water, and collect 20g of it without straining.

Directions

1. Rinse and soak glutinous rice for about 3 to 4 hours.

Pour about 100g of water to the inner pot of a mini rice cooker.

Drain away the water, and pour coconut milk, water, and salt to the soaked glutinous rice.

The liquid should just submerge the soaked rice.

Place pandan leaves over the rice.

Stand the bowl of glutinous rice over a steamer rack in the mini rice cooker.

Start the cooking process. When the program switches to "Keep Warm" mode, let the glutinous rice simmer for about 5 minutes to dry up the rice. The cooking time was about 20 to 25 minutes, or till the rice is cooked.

Drizzle some blue pea flower pigment over the top of the warm rice. And let the rice cool down to room temperature.

2. Lightly oil a 14x10x5cm glass pan or metal pan. Line a sheet of parchment paper before adding the glutinous rice. Press the cool glutinous rice into the base of the pan. Use the back of a spoon to compact the rice layer. Line a sheet of food wrap between the rice and the spoon would prevent the rice from sticking to the spoon.

3. Combine all the ingredients under the Pandan Custard Layer together in a bowl.

Stir over low heat,

till the custard thickens.

Pour the thickened custard over the glutinous rice layer.

4. Pour enough water into the inner pot of a rice cooker to last for a 20-minute steaming. Stand the glass pan over a steamer rack.

Select "Steam" function and set the "Cooking Time" to 20 minutes. And start the program.

After the "Steam" program has completed, let the cake simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes in the rice cooker, or till the pandan custard has completely solidified.

5. Transfer the steamed cake out of the rice cooker to cool down over a wire rack.

Lift out the cake to cool further after about 15 minutes.

6. Cut the steamed cake using a plastic cake knife after the steamed cake has completely cool down to room temperature.

Enjoy 😋