Seri Muka & Talam Gula Melaka

I had a tea invitation over my friend's house yesterday.

Just want to bring something light and easy. Since i have been quite sometimes dint touch nyonya kuih so i plan to make 2 types of nyonya kuih.

I choose to make a talam gula melaka because my daughter is a big fan of talam.

I ask my husband to choose another type and finally he suggested seri muka.

Sounds good to me as i also love seri muka very much.

For talam gula melaka, i always follow the Recipe Book: Secreats of nyonya Cooking from Florence Tan and for the seri muka, I tried out a new recipe from Dapur tanpa sempadan. But as usual, i cut down lots of sugar and replaced part of the coconut milk with fresh milk.

The texture is soft but yet smell good. I personally prefer a more firm texture. May be can add some sago flour next round.

## I will be submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011) hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker.

 Seri Muka: (Recipe from Dapur Tanpa Sempadan)

Bottom Layer:

• 250g Glutinous Rice, soaked for 4 hours and drained
• 50ml thick Coconut Milk, 100ml fresh milk
• ¼ tsp Salt

Top Layer:

• 2 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk
• 110ml coconut milk, 100ml fresh milk
• 100g Castor Sugar
• 3tsp corn flour, 2 tbsp plain flour
• few drops of yellow coloring

Methods:

1. Bottom Layer: Steam glutinous rice with coconut milk, fresh milk and salt for 20 minutes until rice turns translucent. Transfer rice into a 7 inch round or square pan. Add some blur color extract from Bunga Telang or blue pea flower if you have it while the rice is still hot. Then press steamed rice to compact it onto bottom of pan. Return compacted rice in pan to steamer and steam for another 10 minutes.
2. 
   
   Top Layer: Whisk eggs and sugar together until sugar is dissolved. Add in fresh milk, coconut milk and yellow colouring follow by flours and whisk till well combined. 
3. Cook the custard in a heavy saucepan on low heat, stirring all the time to ensure it doesn’t burn until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
4. Pour the mixture on top of glutinous rice, cover with an aluminium foil and steam over medium low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Cool completely before serving.

Palm Sugar Talam: Recipe from Secreats of Nyonya Cooking:

Bottom Layer:

• 150 gm crushed palm sugar (gula melaka), 1/4 tbsp pale brown granulated sugar
• 7 tbsp water,3 pandan leaves, shredded and knotted
• 65 gm rice flour; 1 tsp plain (all-purpose) flour; 300 ml coconut milk, extracted from 180 gm grated, peeled coconut and 300 ml water

Top Layer:

• 55 gm rice flour; 300 ml coconut milk, extracted from 180 gm grated, peeled coconut and 300 ml water; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp concentrated juice of butterfly / blue pea flowers (bunga telang)

Method:

Bottom Layer Making:

1. Bring to a boil palm sugar, pale brown granulated sugar, water and pandan leaves until sugar dissolves. Strain syrup and leave to cool.
2. Mix rice and plain all-purpose flour in a bowl. Gradually stir in the syrup.
3. Add coconut milk and blend well. Cook batter and stir until hot.
4. Heat a 23 cm cake tin in a steamer line with banana leaves. Pour batter into the prepared tin. Ensure the inside of steamer lid is dried. Cover and steam over medium heat until mixture sets.
5. Scratch the surface with a fork just before adding the top layer.

Top Layer making:

1. mix rice flour, coconut milk and salt. Strain into a pan and heat, stirring continuously until hot.
2. Pour over the bottom layer and steam with medium heat for 15 minutes. Sprinkle drops of blue pea flower juice over cake. Steaming for 5 minutes until it is set.