Serimuka or Puteri Salat Batik

Last Saturday, my siblings & their families gathered for dinner at my place, & for dessert, I decided to make an all-time favourite kuih, Putri Salat aka Serimuka. This time,  I decided to use the recipe shared by Ayu. This recipe uses both white & black glutinous as the base which I think is interesting. For the custard layer, I also did what my mum usually does whenever she makes her putri salat, I added some spices to enhance the flavour & fragrance..... 

Initially, I wanted to make just half the recipe as I was afraid that we would have to keep eating the kuih for the rest of the week. I'm glad I decided to go for the whole recipe. The kuih was a big hit... the siblings even asked some for tapau... hehe. There was some left, so I served it to my aunts & cousins who dropped by on Sunday. They gladly cleaned up the plate... as a cousin commented, "Sedap eh kuih ni...." (This kuih is so good eh...) Haha! Seriously, this kuih is really sedap! Thank you Ayu for sharing this & many other delicious kuih recipes! 

Serimuka or Puteri Salat Batik

BOTTOM LAYER
Ingredients:

100g black glutinous rice
400g white glutinous rice

300 ml thick coconut milk

1 tbsp sugar
1tsp salt

250 ml water (I only used about 100ml.)
2 pandan leaves (torn lengthwise)

Method:

1. Wash the black glutinous rice. Drain & place it in a container. Pour some water until about 3 cm above the rice. Leave aside to soak for at least 3 hours. Separately, wash the white glutinous rice & place it in another container. Pour some water until about 3 cm above the rice. Leave aside to soak for at least 3 hours. 
2. Pour the black rice & water into a pot & cook until it's soft. Stir frequently to prevent burning. If the water dries up while the rice is still not cooked, add more water & continue cooking. Once cooked, remove from fire & drain the water. Set aside.
3. Prepare a steamer & heat it up on medium-low fire.
4. Line a 9x9-inch pan (The original recipe uses 10x10-inch pan.) with plastic or silicone paper. Combine the white glutinous rice, coconut milk, sugar & salt in the lined pan. Then pour the water until the rice is just covered, about 2 mm above the rice. So, you need NOT use all the 250ml water. I only used about 100ml. Stir the mixture, throw in the pandan leaves & steam for about 30 minutes or until cooked. (At this point, you may start mixing the top layer.)
5. Remove the pan from the steamer. Pick out the pandan leaves & stir the cooked white rice for a bit. Mix in the black rice & press it down with a lapis legit presser or the back of a metal spoon. Ensure that the rice layer is very compact, especially around the edges and corners. Place the pan into the steamer & continue steaming it on medium-low fire. Top up the water in it if necessary. (At this point, you may start cooking the top layer.)

TOP LAYER
Ingredients:
A

250g castor sugar

100g custard flour (I used cornflour.)

400 ml thick coconut milk

400 ml water

10-20 pandan leaves (mash with some water using a mortar and pestle or blend with part or all of the 400ml water above.)

1 tsp fennel seeds (crushed)

5 cardamom pods (crush the seeds)

B
4 eggs

1/2 tsp fine salt
green & yellow colouring (The original recipe uses only green.)

Method:

1. Combine ingredients A in a bowl & mix with a hand whisk, making sure the sugar has dissolved. Add in ingredients B & continue mixing until well blended,  
2. Strain the mixture, preferably using a cheesecloth, into a pot. Cook on low fire until the mixture starts to thicken, about 3 minutes. 
3. Very gently, pour the custard onto the rice layer & steam for about 30 minutes on low fire.
4. Remove from the steamer & allow to cool completely for about 4-6 hours. Cut using a plastic knife.

Notes & modifications:

1. The original recipe does not use fennel seeds & cardamom. You may omit them & just stick to the pandan leaves. The original recipe also added 1/2 tsp of pandan essence.
2. Start preparing the top layer once you have placed the white rice in the steamer (step 4 for bottom layer) but, do not cook the custard (step 2 for the top layer) until you have pressed the rice & placed the pan in the steamer (step 5 for bottom layer).
3. You may wrap the steamer cover with a large towel to catch any condensation which might otherwise drip onto the surface of the kuih. I didn't do this. I just dabbed the surface with a kitchen paper towel. You may also use a damp kitchen towel.

Adapted from Curlybabe's Satisfaction. 

Original recipe by Chef Asma.