Recipe
🍰 DESSERT
Kuih Seri Muka
A two-layer sweet of coconut sticky rice under a smooth pandan custard, a jewel of the Malaysian kuih table.
Malaysian · medium · serves 9
prep 30 min · cook 50 min
~397 cal · 7g protein · 61g carbs · 15g fat · 2g fiber · 19g sugars · 12g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
↓ Jump to Recipe
AI-generated illustration
Kuih seri muka, meaning pretty face, is one of the most beloved of Malaysia's vast array of kuih, the bite-sized traditional sweets that fill market stalls and celebration tables. Its two contrasting layers make it as striking to look at as it is to eat.
The base is glutinous rice steamed with into a firm, savoury-sweet layer, pressed down as a foundation. On top sits a smooth, jade-green custard set with eggs and thickened with a little flour, coloured and fragranced with pandan and coconut. Steamed together and cut into neat diamonds, the chewy rice and silky custard make a fine pair.
Saved recipes and passport stamps are kept on this device. Sign in to keep them across your devices and leave reviews.
Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian and gluten-, dairy- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 9
2 cups glutinous rice
2 cups
3 eggs
1/3 cup rice flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp pandan extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
Instructions
1
Steam the soaked glutinous rice with half the coconut milk and most of the salt until tender, then press firmly into a tin as the base.
✎ Chef’s note
Salt the rice layer properly. The gently salty rice against the sweet custard is the contrast the kuih is built on, and pressing the layer down firmly and evenly keeps it solid under the custard rather than crumbling when sliced.
2
Whisk the eggs with the remaining coconut milk, rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, the last of the salt, and the pandan into a smooth custard.
3
Cook the custard gently until it just begins to thicken, then pour over the rice base.
4
Steam gently until the custard is just set in the middle, about 40 minutes, then cool fully before cutting into diamonds.
✎ Chef’s note
Keep the steam gentle and the lid slightly ajar; a hard boil bubbles the custard and spoils the smooth face the kuih is named for.
Malaysian kuih tradition.
Ratings & reviews
Cooked it? Rate this dish:
No account needed. Sign in to leave a full review with a comment.
Cooked it?
Kept on this device, no account needed. Sign in to leave a review and keep your passport across your devices.
No reviews yet, be the first to cook it.
🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Penang. A Penang hawker centre works by specialisation rather than by menu. A stall cooks one thing, often for decades, and a table orders across several of them at once, which is why char kway teow here gets judged on particulars: duck egg, cockles, and how hard the wok was driven.
🗺️
Malaysia. Malaysian food is a delicious crossroads of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisines, from coconut nasi lemak to laksa noodle soups and char kway teow. Sambal, pandan, and rich curries define its multicultural, hawker-driven table.
🌍
Asia. Fermentation is the thread that runs the whole way across: soy sauce and miso, Korean doenjang and kimchi, Southeast Asian fish sauces, the soured batter behind an idli. Chilli is the newcomer among them, arriving only after 1500 with Portuguese and Spanish traders, which makes the heat in Sichuan, Thai and Korean cooking far younger than the fermenting underneath it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Malaysia
Char Kway TeowFlat rice noodles seared in a screaming wok with prawns, egg, chives, and dark soy, Penang’s hawker crown.
Nasi LemakFragrant coconut rice with spicy sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and egg, Malaysia's national breakfast.
Penang Asam LaksaA tart, spicy mackerel-and-tamarind noodle soup topped with pineapple, mint, and ginger flower, Penang's iconic bowl.
Browse all Malaysia recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Steamer, Mould or tin, Whisk.
Storing it: Keep chilled and covered, and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.
Make it a Malaysia meal
Char Kway TeowDinner
Teh TarikDrink
Similar dishes from around the world
Cocada AmarelaAngola
Sankhya LapovCambodia
Pudim de Leite (Milk Flan)Cape Verde
Leche AsadaChile
Natilla ColombianaColombia
Leche FlanPhilippines
Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Kuih Seri Muka?
A two-layer sweet of coconut sticky rice under a smooth pandan custard, a jewel of the Malaysian kuih table.
Where does Kuih Seri Muka come from?
Kuih Seri Muka is a Malaysian dish from Penang, Malaysia.
Can Kuih Seri Muka be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Kuih Seri Muka recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Kuih Seri Muka safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Kuih Seri Muka take to make?
About 80 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 50 minutes cooking), serving 9.
Get the Sunday Spin
One dish from somewhere in the world, in your inbox every Sunday. No spam, just dinner inspiration you can cook that day.