Saturday, February 14, 2009

Kuih Seri Muka

It has been some weeks since my last attempt at baking. I have been preoccupied with the house and other mundane things in life. But mostly, it's the house. I'm hoping that something exciting is going to happen soon, and that I could put my priorities back in the right places. For now, I'll just enjoy life a little.

I've been thinking a lot today about a memorable quote from the cartoon movie, Ratatuoille, that "Anyone can cook". There's some truth in it. Cooking is no rocket science. It just requires some passion and a heart. As simple as that, really. So when a friend posted pictures of some delectable Malay cakes on facebook called Kuih Seri Muka, I thought to myself, "Hey, I could do this". Indeed, it was a great and easy recipe. I modified it a little to suit my taste.

Glutinous Rice Layer
1. Soak 500gm of rice grains in water for up to an hour.
2. Mix 2 cups of coconut milk and a pinch of salt with the grains.
3. Steam the rice in an 8-inch square cake pan at low heat until it's cooked (takes approximately 30-45 mins)
4. Let it cool, and then press the cooked rice layer till it sets firmly into the cake pan. Set aside.

Pandan Layer
5. Prepare pandan extract. Cut 4-6 pandan leaves into small pieces, and add 1/4 cup water into a processor. Blend them thoroughly and then strain to get the pandan extract. 
6. In a separate bowl, add 2 cups of coconut milk, 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of castor sugar, 2 large eggs and the pandan extract. Mix well to form batter.
7. Strain the pandan batter to remove any crumbs. Pour batter over the glutinous rice layer.
8. Place the cake pan back into the steamer for another 20-25 minutes or until the batter is cooked. Remember to steam at low heat to ensure a smooth cake surface.
9. Cake is ready.

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