Malaysian Pandan and Coconut Steamed Cake
A creamy two-layer Malaysian dessert with a silky pandan custard bottom and sweet coconut cream top. This elegant, jiggly treat is naturally vegetarian and requires no oven—just steaming.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 156
- Protein
- 1g
Ingredients
- 15 leaves fresh pandan leaves, roughly chopped
- 150 ml water
- 100 g tapioca starch
- 75 g granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 200 ml whole milk
- 200 ml unsweetened coconut milk (full-fat, canned)
- 50 g tapioca starch
- 50 g granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 1
Roughly chop 15 fresh pandan leaves and place them in a blender with 150 ml of water. Blend on high speed until the pandan is completely broken down and the water turns a pale green, about 1-2 minutes. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing gently on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the leaf pulp. You should have a clear, pale green pandan-infused water.
- 2
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 100 g of tapioca starch, 75 g of granulated sugar, and 0.25 teaspoon of salt until combined. Pour in the pandan-infused water and 200 ml of whole milk, whisking continuously to remove all lumps. The mixture should be smooth and slightly thick but still pourable — if you see any grainy texture, pass it through the fine-mesh strainer again.
- 3
Fill a large steaming pot with water until it reaches about 2 inches up the sides. Place a bamboo steamer rack or metal steaming stand inside, then bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare eight 2-ounce custard cups or small heatproof ramekins by lightly wiping them with a neutral oil — this makes the finished kuih easier to unmold later.
- 4
When the water is boiling and steam is rising freely from the pot, carefully pour the pandan mixture into the prepared cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Place the cups on the steaming rack, making sure they're stable and not touching each other. Cover the pot with the lid and steam over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes. The pandan layer is done when it jiggles slightly when you gently shake a cup, but the surface is set and no longer wet — it should look like a barely-set custard.
- 5
Carefully remove the steaming pot from the heat. Using tongs or a small towel, pull out the steaming rack and set it on a heat-safe surface. Let the pandan cups cool to room temperature for about 10 minutes — this cooling time is crucial because it allows the layer to fully set before you add the coconut mixture on top.
- 6
While the pandan layer cools, make the coconut mixture. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together 50 g of tapioca starch, 50 g of granulated sugar, and 0.125 teaspoon of salt. Shake the can of 200 ml of full-fat coconut milk well, then pour it into the bowl. Whisk continuously until completely smooth — the mixture should be slightly thinner than the pandan layer but still creamy.
- 7
Bring the steaming pot's water back to a boil over medium-high heat — you may need to add a bit more water if too much has evaporated. Once the pandan layer has cooled for 10 minutes, carefully pour the coconut mixture into each cup on top of the pandan layer, filling them nearly to the rim. The two layers should remain separate because the pandan has already set.
- 8
Return the cups to the steaming rack and cover the pot again. Steam over medium-high heat for another 8-10 minutes. The coconut layer is done when it jiggles slightly like the pandan layer beneath it — you want a silky, custard-like texture, not a firm gel. The surface should be set but gently yielding.
- 9
Carefully remove the steaming rack from the pot and set it on a heat-safe surface. Let the kuih talam cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes, then transfer the cups to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours — chilling is essential because these custards are best enjoyed cold and firm enough to unmold cleanly.
- 10
To serve, run a thin, flexible knife around the inside edge of each cup, then invert onto a small plate or the palm of your hand. The two-layer kuih should slide out cleanly, revealing the pale green pandan layer on the bottom and the creamy white coconut layer on top. Serve chilled. They'll keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tools you’ll need
- blender
- fine-mesh strainer
- medium mixing bowls (2)
- whisk
- large steaming pot
- bamboo steamer rack or metal steaming stand
- eight 2-ounce custard cups or small heatproof ramekins
- pot lid
- tongs or small towel
- thin flexible knife
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