Nyonya Kuih

As indicated in my bio, I am Malaysian by birth and nationality, so I thought it would be fun to share some of the food I grew up with.  I'd like to start with something rather exotic - Nyonya kuih.  Since most people outside Malaysia will not be familiar with this term, here is some background:

My mum is of Peranakan/Baba Nyonya/Straits Chinese descent, which means that her ancestors came from China and settled in the southern Malaysian state of Malacca approximately 600 years ago.  Over time, their culture and practices were merged with those of the local Malays, creating a unique and distinctive culinary tradition.

The Baba Nyonya ('baba' means 'man' and 'nyonya' means 'woman', terms borrowed from the Persian and Javanese languages respectively) are famous for both their main meals and snacks, but today I would like to focus on the latter.  Nyonya kuih ('kuih' is literally 'cake' in Malay, but the word encompasses both savoury and sweet snacks) is today widely available in bakeries and supermarkets across Malaysia but, as with most traditional dishes, the homemade versions are the best.  I am fortunate enough to have a friend who specialises in making Nyonya kuih, and yesterday she very kindly sent me a range of goodies, which I shall set out here.

Ang Ku

In English, 'ang ku' is known as 'red tortoise cake' because 'ang' means 'red' in the Hokkien dialect, and because the kuih is traditionally made in a tortoise-shaped mould.  Ang ku is typically eaten on special occasions such as Chinese New Year and birthdays but in recent times has become a tea time snack.  

While ang ku is not exclusive to the Peranakan tradition,  some of the best Ang Ku I have tasted has been prepared by Baba Nyonya people, who call it 'Kueh Ku' or 'Ang Ku Kueh'.

Here you can see the imprint of the tortoise mould.  The reason for desiring a tortoise shape was that the Chinese traditionally believed it would bring longevity.

So, what does Ang Ku taste like?  Well, the outer 'skin' is made of glutinous rice flour, so it should be sticky and soft.  Fillings vary, but my favourite (and the most traditional one) consists of sweet mung bean.  Overall, the texture is chewy.  The red colour of these Ang Ku is derived from pumpkin, so happily there are no artificial additives involved (although I am sure many store-bought Ang Ku contain red food colouring).

The mung bean filling.

Somewhat confusingly, Ang Ku comes in several different colours (I know I've just told you that 'ang' means 'red', but terms get used very loosely over time!)  However, after the red version, the green variety is perhaps the most popular.

Green Ang Ku.  The filling also consists of mung bean.

Kuih Talam

This kuih consists of two layers: the bottom layer is sweet and made out of pandan leaves while the top layer comprises slightly salty coconut cream.  The combination is phenomenal!  

Apologies for the slightly damaged piece - the rice flour makes the kuih so sticky that it's nearly impossible to get a clean slice!

Bingka Ubi

This kuih is made out of tapioca/cassava, coconut milk and palm sugar.  Like most other kuihs, it is steamed.

Bingka Ubi.

Kuih Koci

The outer 'skin' or 'leaf' of Kuih Koci is sticky and flavoured with pandan - hence the green colour - and the filling consists of sweet grated coconut.  Ketayap is usually served wrapped in pandan leaves.

Outer view: you can see the conical shape and the stickiness of the glutinous rice!

Inner view: the coconut filling is brown as it is flavoured with gula Melaka or Malaysian palm sugar.

Koci Pulut Hitam

The filling of this kuih is basically the same as that of the Kuih Koci, but the outer layer consists of black glutinous rice.

Koci Pulut Hitam comes wrapped in banana leaves and are vaguely spherical in shape.

The black outer layer and the coconut filling.

Pulut Tai Tai

You can't get more Baba Nyonya than Pulut Tai Tai!  These are blue glutinous rice cakes (the blue tinge comes from a flower called Bunga Telang) and are typically eaten with kaya, which is a sweet coconut custard.

Kaya on the left; Pulut Tai Tai on the right.

Pulut Panggang

This is the first of two savoury kuihs I am going to blog about today.  Pulut Panggang is grilled and consists of glutinous rice filled with dried shrimps.  It is quite spicy and fragrant, and comes wrapped in banana leaves.

Pulut Panggang from the outside.

Glutinous rice 'cylinders' stuffed with chopped spicy dried shrimp.

Savoury Dumplings Filled with Bangkuang and Dried Shrimp

These will look more familiar to those not native to Malaysia (or indeed South East Asia) as they are a bit like dim sum.  However, the filling is slightly different as it consists of shredded bangkuang (a type of turnip) and dried shrimp.  It is a savoury dish, although the bangkuang can taste slightly sweet.

As you can see, these dumplings are traditionally eaten with chilli oil and a black bean sauce.

This blog post by no means covers all the kuih enjoyed by the Straits Chinese (and indeed Malaysians as a whole) but I hope it has given you a flavour of what many Malaysians snack on!