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Thursday, June 03, 2025

Kueh Kueh, Kuih Kuih

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Shortly after I posted my article on Chinese steamed buns (paus or baos) back in March, I received an email asking if I would do a “photo listing” of the various Nonya kuehs that are commonly eaten in South East Asia. At the time, I said I would try, but it could take a little time. While I like Nonya kuehs, I do not buy or eat them on a regular basis, so there is usually little opportunity to, urm, get up-close-and-personal with them kuehs.

J, if you are reading this… no, I have not forgotten your request. It has been more a matter of working out the photographic logistics. But, as with so many things in life, serendipity has a way of working all things out in time.

A few weekends back, several girlfriends came over for afternoon tea. I was supposed to have baked a cake, but didn’t manage to get round to it. So two of my girlfriends offered to buy some cakes and confectionery to bring over instead. They coordinated among themselves as to who was to buy what. However, at the last minute, for whatever reasons, both couldn’t get what they had planned, and each made a spur-of-the-moment decision to buy something else instead, assuming all the while that the other person was still going ahead with the original purchases. But, as coincidences would have it, the “something else” that the both of them ended up getting turned out to be Nonya kuehs! Talk about resonance! Fortunately, the kuehs were from two different shops, and while there were some overlaps in choices, there was also a significant variety. One thing for sure though, we had a lot of Nonya kuehs to eat that day!

As we sat on the carpet around the living room coffee table eating the kuehs, I suddenly remembered the email and the request. A little yelp from me, a short explanation, and a quick dash to grab the camera later, our afternoon tea session turned into an impromptu photo session, featuring Nonya kuehs as the super-models! It was a hilarious event, filled with giggles and tummy-aching guffaws. The girls were busy either lining the kuehs up for their turn in the spotlight, or “doctoring” some of the half-eaten candidates, hoping to spiff them up a little bit and to make them at least somewhat photogenic.

I think we had more fun playing with the food than we did eating them! And here then, finally, is a fairly comprehensive, though by no means exhaustive, guide to various South East Asian kuehs.

So, what is a kueh?
First, maybe we should try to define the word “kueh” (or “kuih” as spelt in Malaysia). This is actually a very hard word to translate accurately into English, simply because it represents a category of food that doesn’t really exist in Western gastronomy. There is no single, simple, succinct English equivalent to this word.

This Malay word, “kueh”, is a fairly all-encompassing term that is given to many manners of small food items, usually (but not always) sweet creations, including cakes, cookies, pudding-like desserts and even confectionery. In many senses, it can also be used to describe pastries. However, having said that, it is important to keep in mind that the Asian concept of “cakes” and “pastries” is quite different from that of the Western one. Cakes are more often than not steamed rather than baked, and can have a very different texture from what is understood as “cake” in the Western sense. And pastries are not of the flour-combined-with-solidified-fat variety, but instead can again be steamed, baked or even deep fried, and again have very different textures from the Western short or puff pastries.

So, kueh is often sweet, but can be savory at times; it can be baked, steamed, cooked over a charcoal fire or even deep-fried; it can be of pudding-like softness or it can be firm; it can be a “cake”, a cookie, a “pudding” or many other variations of sweet “desserts”; or it can also be small savory snacks.

Kuehs are not confined to a certain meal or a certain time of day, for example as a dessert or as a tea-time food. They are eaten throughout the day. They are eaten at breakfast, as snacks, for dessert, at supper, or just whenever the fancy strikes. They are also a most important and integral part of hospitality during festive occasions, like Hari Raya (the Malay New Year) and Chinese New Year (for the Peranakans).

Now that I’ve made such an erudite, clear, concise and non-meandering explanation of the word “kuehicon_wink.gif… Now that you know precisely what a kueh is icon_biggrin.gif, let’s paint the kueh landscape in broad strokes.


Painting the kueh landscape
There are several general parameters for kuehs that can perhaps give a better understanding of this food concept.

In almost all kuehs, the key and most common players in the flavoring department are coconut milk (thick or thin), grated coconut (plain or sweetened), pandan (screwpine) leaves and gula melaka (palm sugar). Various permutations and combinations of these main aromatics form the basis of almost all variety of kuehs.

While those are the more noticeable “public faces” of kuehs, shall we say, their foundations are built on a group of starches – rice flour, glutinous rice flour, glutinous rice and tapioca. Two other common ingredients are tapioca flour and green bean (mung bean) flour (sometimes called "green pea flour" in certain recipes). However, their roles are less that of “building blocks”, and more that of what I call “texture regulators”. They play a most important part in giving kuehs their distinctive soft, almost pudding-like, yet firm texture. You will also notice that wheat flour is rarely used in South East Asian “cakes and pastries”.

[At this point, it might be worth pointing out that there can be many different versions of recipes for any given kueh. Precise recipes for kuehs can be hard to come by, and the recipes that are out there can vary in the amounts of ingredients used or even what is used. The reason for this is that, in the past, the making of traditional cakes was almost exclusively the domain of elderly grandmothers, aunts and other women-folk, for whom the only (and best) method for cooking was by “agak agak” (approximation). They instinctively took a handful of this and a cupful of that and mixed it all together without any need for weighing scales or recipes. Everything was judged by the look and feel of the food – the thickness of the batter, how it feels to the touch and so on. Each family would have their own traditions, and the recipes were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. So, it may take some personal experimenting to find recipes that suit you and your tastes.]

Now, back to the painting…

Kuehs come in all shapes, colors, textures and designs. They can be filled kuehs, wrapped kuehs, coated kuehs, sliced kuehs or layered kuehs.

And finally, as mentioned earlier, most kuehs are steamed, with a smaller proportion being boiled or baked. On other occasions, they are deep-fried, and sometimes they are even cooked over a charcoal fire and/or grilled!


Nonya or Malay
The above basics apply to both Nonya (Peranakan or Straits Chinese) and Malay (and/or Indonesian) kuehs. In fact, the distinguishing line between the two is vague and indistinct, with large areas of overlap. There are more commonalities than there are differences.

Let’s put it another way. Both Nonya and Malay kuehs come from the same family, the same genetic pool, so to speak. The historic Peranakans, especially those in Malacca and Singapore, took heavy influences from Indonesia and its Malay culinary and cultural heritage. This means that, when it comes to kueh, there are many that are identical to both cultures, with maybe only a change of name.

It is like family members who are identical twins, but each has their own name. Then there are the fraternal twins – they look very similar but may have slight distinguishing marks in their physical appearance and somewhat different shades to their personalities. Finally, there are the siblings who are completely different from each other, and each lives in their own house with little intermingling. And yet, everybody exists and lives together as one complex, diverse and interesting family. So it is with kuehs.

With the passage of time, the lines of distinction between the two groups of kuehs have been fudged even more. Few South East Asians will be able to tell you precisely which kuehs are exclusively Nonya and which are exclusively Malay or Indonesian. The term “Nonya kueh” is probably more commonly used in Singapore, and “Malay kueh” perhaps more common in Malaysia, but both terms essentially refer to the same group of foods.

Now that I’ve confused you sufficiently, lets move on to the kuehs proper, and I’ll try to point out the cultural nuances as much as possible as we go along. How’s that?

Here’s how it’s going to break down… I figured the easiest way would be to first break it down by cooking methods (steamed, baked etc), which then breaks down by the main type of starch used (rice flour, glutinous rice flour etc), and finally the various ways of presentation and the flavorings used.

[A small editorial note before we begin. The word “cake” is used here to refer to these Nonya/Malay kuehs, and does not carry the same meaning as when used in relation to Western cakes.]


STEAMED KUEHS
Rice Flour
Let’s look at the layered steamed rice flour-based cakes first.

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Kueh Talam is a familiar Nonya kueh to many. The two layers are made with slightly different ingredients and different flavorings. This gives a nice contrast and balance of two different textures and tastes. The thicker green layer is made from rice flour mixed with some tapioca flour, green bean flour and alkali water*. Pandan leaves provide the color and the fragrance. In some cases (as in this case, as pictured) a little coconut milk is also added to give a richer, denser consistency to the batter. The thinner white layer is simply rice flour with a little green bean flour mixed with coconut milk. The green layer is first steamed, before the white batter is poured on top and the cake returned to the steamer.

* Alkali water gives a springy texture to the cake, and can be left out if unavailable.

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Talam Hidjau uses the same basis but with a different flavor combination. Here, gula melaka (palm sugar) takes centerstage and forms the main layer, with the secondary layer being flavored with pandan.

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This is perhaps one of the best-known and most endearing of the kuehs – the multi-colored layered cake. It is so well-loved that it has been adopted by the Malay, Nonya and even the South East Asian Chinese cultures. For the Malays and Nonyas, it is called “Kueh Lapis Sagu” (layered cake), and for the Chinese, it is “jiu chen gao” in Mandarin or “gao chang gou” in Cantonese, which literally translates as “nine levels cake”. And indeed, the cake always has nine layers.

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Almost every child in South East Asia would have grown up eating this favorite snack. And most people, myself included, will tell stories of how, as kids, the only way to eat this cake is to carefully peel off each thin layer by thin sticky, soft, chewy layer, before popping it into the mouth. Now, even that has an art-form to it. The thin layer can be held up from one end, dangled over your upturned face, and slowly lowered into your wide-open and waiting mouth. Or the layer can be rolled into a tight bundle before being popped into the mouth. Or heck, just shove the piece in any old how. But always count and make sure you get your nine-layers worth of kueh!

The cake itself is made mainly from rice flour with a little bit of tapioca flour mixed in. Thick coconut milk provides richness of flavor. The cooking of the cake requires great patience, dedication, skill and accuracy. The cake is cooked painstakingly one 2mm layer by one 2mm layer. Only after the previous layer has been steamed and set, can more batter be poured on to form the next layer. There can be no rushing and trying to pour in too much batter at any one time. The layers should all be uniformly thin, and 2mm is thin! It requires good eye judgment and fairly precise hand work.

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This is a variation on the theme. It is both a layered and a coated kueh. A 7-layers cake cut into small slices and coated with grated coconut.

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Grated coconut is a recurring theme in kuehs. It is a favorite as both a topping and as a filling. Here, in the case of Kueh Kosui, it is used to coat the palm sugar rice cakes. This kueh is probably more of the Nonya tradition than of the Malay.

A rice flour and tapioca flour mixture is combined with some palm sugar syrup, before being steamed. It is interesting that the traditional shape of Kueh Kosui is actually a bowl-shape. It used to be that the batter was poured into mini individual shallow cups or bowls and steamed. The cooked cake would then have a small mound of grated coconut placed on it. Nowadays it seems more common (and probably easier) to steam one large cake, cut it into smaller pieces and toss them in grated coconut so that the entire piece is coated.

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And to round out the rice flour-based group of kuehs, a wrapped kueh – the Nagasari. This is very much an Indonesian/Malay kueh. It is a simple pudding-like concoction of rice flour with a little bit of tapioca flour mixed with lots of thin coconut milk and flavored with pandan leaves. Slices of fresh banana are added before the batter is wrapped into small individual parcels and steamed. The traditional (and in my opinion, the proper) wrapper is banana leaves. However, the bottom line seems to dictate that modern confectionery shops make these wrapped in plastic! It’s never the same.

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The Nagasari is a popular kueh. It has a soft yet firm custard-like texture. A sort of pudding I guess. And bananas and coconut milk always make an easy and highly compatible pairing.


Glutinous Rice Flour
When it comes to the glutinous rice flour-based kuehs, a lot of them are of the filled variety.

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This is probably my personal all-time favorite kueh – the Ang Ku Kueh to the Chinese and Kueh Ku to the Nonyas.

The history of this kueh can generate much debate. Some would have it that it was of Peranakan origins, and later adopted by the Chinese community. While others maintain that it had its roots in Chinese culture, which had a strong influence on the development of the Peranakan society. (For a brief background on the Peranakans, see my previous post on the Nonya Rice Dumpling). Whatever its “true” heritage is, this kueh is much loved by both the Peranakans and the Chinese. In fact, for the latter, Ang Ku Kueh is one of the “must-have” key components (another being the red-dyed hard boiled eggs) of the gift boxes that are sent out to relatives and friends on the First Full Moon celebration of a new-born child.

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The dough is made from glutinous rice flour and coconut milk, and colored auspiciously with red food color. Some recipes add a little mashed sweet potato to the dough mixture to give it added softness and smoothness. The kueh is traditionally filled with either green/mung bean paste or ground peanuts. “Modern” innovations have created fillings such as yam and even durian. However, I personally still prefer the traditional versions, with peanuts being the hands-down favorite for me (and the ones from the Alexandra Village stall being particular well-made, in my opinion). These ones we had that day were unfortunately not too good. The bean paste was too mushy and “wet”.

Once small circles of dough have been rolled out, a small dollop of filling is placed in the center and the dough is wrapped around it to form a ball. The kueh is then pressed into a wooden ku kueh mould with carved out designs. A sharp tap on the table top releases the kueh from the mould. The nicely shaped kueh is then placed on a small piece of banana leaf, liberally brushed with cooking oil to prevent the surface from becoming sticky and then steamed.

A well-made Ang Ku Kueh should have a thin layer of soft, sticky, slightly chewy dough surrounding a generous portion of filling. The embossed design on the top of the kueh should also be distinct and clearly etched.

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This kueh is called Bugis. Until that afternoon tea session, I had never had it before. I understand that it is an Indonesian kueh.

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It is essentially a soft, slightly sticky and chewy dough of glutinous rice flour, coconut milk and pandan juice wrapped around a very tasty filling of sweetened grated coconuts, and topped with a luxurious drizzle of rich, thick coconut cream. Very nice!


Glutinous Rice
Very often, instead of glutinous rice ground into flour, the rice itself is used to make many types of delicious kuehs.

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This is one of the most popular kuehs in this category, and is my dad’s absolute favorite. This layered and sliced cake is actually not an easy to kueh to make well.

Both the Malay/Indonesian and Nonya cultures lay claim to this cake, with each community giving it a different name. It is Kueh Salat to the Nonyas and Serimuka to the Malays.

The rice layer is basically glutinous rice cooked with a lot of coconut milk. The rice is first steamed with pandan leaves until partially cooked. It is then mixed with thin coconut milk and steamed again. Thick coconut milk is then added, and the rice is steamed a third time until fully cooked.

The pandan custard topping is eggs and sugared cooked with thick coconut milk that has been flavored with pandan, and then thickened with a little flour and cornflour. The custard is poured over the cooked rice layer and the cake is steamed.

A well-made Kueh Salat will have a rice layer that is not hard or too compacted. It should be soft and somewhat chewy, and without too overpowering a coconut flavor. The custard should be smooth and fine textured, with a nice thick density. It should be soft and pudding-like, yet firm enough to be sliced.

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This is simply another Nonya variation of the above Kueh Salat. Black glutinous rice (pulot hitam) is used instead of white, and the custard layer is flavored with gula melaka (palm sugar) instead of pandan.

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Yet another variation on a classical Nonya glutinous rice kueh. This is sort of a hybrid of the well-known Nonya kueh, the Pulut Tekan, which is an indigo and white marbled rice cake served with Nonya kaya (pandan flavored coconut jam). In this case the kaya is cooked into a firm custard and topped onto the marbled rice to form a sliced and layered kueh.

The characteristic indigo marbling is obtained from using the deep indigo-colored juice of the bunga telang (butterfly or kordofan or pea flower; L. clitoria ternatae). The petals of the flowers are pounded in a mortar and pestle, and then squeezed to extract the juice. No water is added.

The Nonyas are known to be particularly fond of using the bunga telang to color many of their dishes, including rice dumplings (zhang or zhong zhi).

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Here is another Nonya delicacy that uses the same flower juice extract. This time, it is a wrapped kueh – the Pulut Inti.

A similar coconut milk-infused glutinous rice base is used. But it is then topped with a generous mound of sweetened grated coconut mixture. It is from this grated coconut mixture, called Inti, that the kueh takes its name. The mixture is simply grated coconut cooked with some palm sugar syrup and flavored very lightly with pandan leaves.

Again, traditionally, these pyramid-shaped kuehs are wrapped in banana leaves. Modern factory operations however eschew these for the more practical, but definitely non-aromatic plastic sheets.


Tapioca
Tapioca is a very useful tuber in Malay and Peranakan cooking, and is used in both savory and sweet dishes.

Let’s start with the layered kuehs.

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Tapioca layered cake or Kueh Talam Ubi. The main layer is made up of grated tapioca and tapioca starch which is mixed with palm sugar syrup and then steamed. The thinner top layer is coconut milk that has been slightly thickened with flour and rice flour.

The hard work lies in the prepping of the tapioca tubers. These have to be first grated, and then squeezed through a muslin cloth. This is to rid the tubers of any bitter juices. The squeezed grated tapioca is used in the recipe, together with the starch, which is the residue obtained by leaving the juice to stand and then discarding the liquid on top.

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This kueh has a very nice contrast of textures and flavors. The dense, slightly “rough” bite of the tapioca layer with its caramel notes, balanced by the silky smooth, soft, rich, very creamy and thick coconut layer.

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And this is Ms Carrot-Top. No, I’m kidding. This is Getuk Ubi. It is a layered kueh with a base of tapioca steamed with slightly sweetened coconut milk, and topped with a thick, generous layer of sweetened grated coconut that has been colored a very bright and cheery orange! This is among one of my well-liked tapioca options.

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Yet another variation on the theme. Instead of a layered cake, this is simply a sliced cake topped with grated coconut. The tapioca in this case is flavored with both palm sugar and coconut milk.

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The small bits of tapioca make for an interesting, slightly chunky texture.

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And the ubiquitous tapioca representative in the kueh world – the Ongol Ubi. When you mention tapioca kuehs to many South East Asians, this is probably the first that comes to mind.

This is slightly different from the other tapioca kuehs mentioned above. The texture is very smooth. And glutinous rice flour is added to give the cake a very soft texture. As soon as it has been steamed, each small piece of kueh is rolled and coated very generously with grated coconut.


BOILED KUEHS
As you will have noticed, the vast majority of kuehs are steamed. However, there are some that are boiled instead…

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…such as the highly popular filled glutinous rice flour kueh – the Onde-Onde (sometimes spelt “ondeh-ondeh”). This one probably has more Nonya genes than Malay genes. icon_wink.gif

Grated coconut and palm sugar are the key flavoring ingredients, with pandan playing a very important supporting role. The dough is a simple mixture of glutinous rice flour, some tapioca flour, pandan juice and water. To make the small rounds of filled kueh: with hands well-greased with cooking oil, take a small piece of dough and shape it into a ball. Make a well in the center and fill it with grated palm sugar. Wrap the dough around the filling, making sure the entire ball is well sealed and smooth to prevent leakage during the cooking process.

The filled balls of dough are dropped into a pot of simmering water. They are ready when they float to the surface. Once drained, they are tossed in grated coconut to coat evenly.

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The pleasure in eating Onde-Onde lies in the sensation of the filling as it hits your tongue. Pop the whole kueh into your mouth. Bite down. And feel the squirt of rich, sweet, caramel-y palm sugar syrup hit your palate. As the kueh is chewed, the syrup coats and melds with the dough to create a soft, slightly springy, sweet experience, with an added crunch and aromatic fragrance from the grated coconut. Simple pleasures, exquisite enjoyment.


BAKED KUEHS

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This is a distinctly Indonesian cake, Harum Manis.

We had a debate raging as to whether this cake was originally a steamed version, which had since evolved into a baked version. Some of us felt that this was a variation of the steamed caramel cake – a batter of sugar, butter, evaporated milk, egg and flour that is poured into individual cups and steamed to produce a soft fluffy, brown, caramel-y cake. Others were sure that both were very different creatures and were not connected.

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Whatever it is, this is a sweet caramel cake that has been baked with a few slices of bananas.


CHARCOAL COOKED
Before the use of ovens became common in South East Asia, a lot of cooking was done on charcoal fires, and this included the making of sweet desserts and cakes.

I vacillated between putting the next two cakes in this category or under the “baked” category. Originally, they were cooked over a charcoal fire. Nowadays of course, they are always baked in the oven. For me, tradition won out this time round.

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Tapioca tubers are also used to make a “baked” version of tapioca kueh. And in this incarnation, it is called Bengka Ubi.

This is a simple concoction. The tubers are grated and the starch extracted by the method described earlier. These are combined with sugar, coconut milk and egg and then “baked”. It’s that simple.

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This is another “baked” then sliced cake. It is a cake claimed by both the Malays/Indonesians and the Peranakans, and is famous for its unique honeycomb texture, and thus its name… Bengka Ambon in Malay and Honeycomb Cake in English.

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It is a notoriously difficult cake to make. The batter is simple enough, the tricky part is in getting the honeycomb effect. One would be lucky to get half a honeycomb effect, and to get a full honeycomb effect, like the beautifully made one that we had takes quite a bit of skill and probably experience too.

The batter is a simple mixture of sago flour, eggs and coconut milk, flavored lightly with pandan leaves. Some more traditional recipes seem to call for the additional use of yeast in the dough, but other recipes leave this out. Having never made this cake myself, I am not sure which would be the best way to go.

In the olden days, the batter was poured into heavy brass “kueh bolu” (a type of spongey Nonya cake) moulds and cooked over a charcoal fire. These moulds create small individual, near-bitesized cakes. In modern times, the batter is poured into a large round cake pan, baked in the oven and then cut into wedges.

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This is an Indonesian durian cake – Durian Pukis. Again, small individual serving-sized moulds are used to shape the cakes. Cooking over charcoal fire produces a nicely crusty, deep golden brown bottom half, with a light, soft, sponge-like top.

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Inside, one finds a little surprise… a chunk of pure durian pulp. Definitely not a cake for those who do not like durian! The cake itself has a light, airy yet slightly springy texture. But my favorite bits are the crusty edges!

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Another well-known Malay and Nonya kuehKueh Dadar. This is pandan-flavored coconut crepe filled with sweetened grated coconut.

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Flour, eggs, thin coconut milk and a little pandan juice form the basis of the crepe batter. These pancakes have a softer texture than normal crepes. Traditionally, they are cooked on a large metal plate heated over a charcoal fire. Now, of course they are simply done on the stove.

The standard gula melaka sweetened grated coconut (inti) is used as the filling.

This particular version that we had was quite a disappointment. There were way too many layers of crepe, upsetting the coconut to pancake proportions too much. Ideally, it should just be a thin layer of crepe encasing a very generous amount of the very fragrant, slightly crispy and wonderfully sweet coconut filling.


GRILLED & SAVORY
When it comes to cooking over a charcoal fire, naturally, it is not just sweet kuehs, but also savory ones, that are made this way.

This is a favorite of many, many people…

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Lempur Udang. The roots of this kueh lie probably more in Malay and Indonesian cultures.

It is simply glutinous rice, filled with delectable dried shrimp, wrapped in banana leaves, and grilled over a charcoal fire. It is simple. It is absolutely delicious. And it doesn’t get much better than this. I have wonderful memories of childhood picnics at the beach, where bags and bags of these cylindrical shaped lempur udang would be bought, and with straw mats placed on the sand, we would all sit and eat these incredibly addictive morsels of food, while chatting and swapping stories.

The banana leaves impart beautiful aromas to the rice, and the slight charring that usually happens just adds to the heavenly fragrance of the coconut milk-infused glutinous rice.

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Inside, the dried shrimp mixture is savory, spicy and a bit sweet all at the same time. It is a finely balanced combination of flavors, and it is completely more-ish. I have never known a time when just one piece, or make that two or three pieces are enough.

While the ones that we had that day did not come close to the home-made ones sold at make-shift road-side stalls in Brunei that I remember so well and which are, in my opinion, some of the best I’ve ever tasted (fragrant, aromatic and spicy), lempur udang is definitely my favorite savory Malay snack, and I never miss out on an opportunity to eat some!


So, these are just some of the more common, easily available and very popular South East Asian kuehs. There are many more that are not shown here. Unfortunately, many varieties of kuehs have been lost to posterity due to their labor-intensive and highly involved methods of preparation. As the older generations passed away, they took with them the unwritten, often well-guarded family recipes. In the modern age, women are not inclined to spend hours, much less days, in the kitchen steaming up wondrous kuehs. We have come to rely on factory-made, mass-produced versions which are undoubtedly not quite the same as those that are home-made, by hand.

The world of kuehs is a colorful, multi-textural, highly flavorful one. It is one that many people, including South East Asians themselves, have not really explored. If we will only step inside, it can open up a whole new sensory and cultural experience for us.

Finally, I would like to say a word of gratitude to those who have contributed valuable information that has made this article possible:
• My mum – for being a constant source of incredible nuggets of food information!
• My group of fun-loving, food-loving friends – for happily and patiently letting me take the photos of their tea spread while their tummies rumbled, and for enthusiastically volunteering many useful [as well as unuseful(?!) and just downright wacky] information about kuehs.
• Mrs Leong Yee Soo – for her invaluable cookbook, “Singaporean Cooking”. This was my very first cookbook, a gift from my mum when I was 12 years old! (Yes, I was started on my cookbook collecting habit at a very young age!) And it is a cookbook that I still have to this day.


Copyright © 2004 Renee Kho. All Rights Reserved.
Please contact me for permission to copy, publish, distribute or display any of the images or text contained in this article.

06:53 PM in Tastes of South East Asia | Permalink

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Comments

One of the things I miss most from England... I love nonya kueh but never knew all the details behind them. Your entry has certainly taught me to appreciate them even more! I'm totally ready to 'whack' all the kuehs when I reach home in a month =]

By the way, you guys certainly had alot of kuehs to eat that day... haha =]

Posted by: suz | June 3, 2025 08:02 PM

Gorgeous! But have you noticed what great similarities there are between the various kuehs and some of the beauty products from Lush?

:-)

Posted by: santos | June 3, 2025 09:47 PM

My goodness, Renee -- that was exhasting and filling to just read! That was some afternoon girls congregation. What an amazingly thorough list, pictures and all...I'm impressed!

Posted by: Jennifer | June 3, 2025 10:33 PM

Looks like you've just done a Kueh IMBB all by yourself (with your mum and good ol Mrs Leong)! It's true how kueh dadar - the green wrapped up one - is so easily spoilt by clammy skin and worse, too much of it. The onde-onde is unbeatable with its gula melaka filling. I have never tried lempur udang though. Does it taste like bak zhang (without the 'bak'?)
I hope the kueh never disappears with time! *shudder*

Posted by: Theresa | June 3, 2025 10:59 PM

the pictures are so beautiful!!! *sob* *sob*...i miss kueh so much

Posted by: toru | June 3, 2025 11:01 PM

Hi Renee,
I like all the nyonya kuih's,i love them all...:)
my most favorite nyonya kuih is kuih Serimuka,Bingka Ubi,kuih kasoi and Lempur Udang(also know as Pulut Panggang in Malaysia):)

Posted by: Anita | June 3, 2025 11:13 PM

Wow Renee! What an amazing spread of kuih for afternoon tea. Reminds me of tea at my gran's.

The kueh Nagasari is also called Hoen Kueh - we sometimes use creamed corn instead of banana slices. And yes I definitely agree wiht you that it must be wrapped in banana leaves!

The Kuih Bugis is known as Kuih Kochi Santan in Malaysia. There’s also a variation with black glutinous rice.

Posted by: Shiewie | June 3, 2025 11:38 PM

Bravo! Fantastic! As a Singaporean, I must say this is by far the best local food site I've seen. The fact that it is non-profit only adds to the achievement. Well done Ms. Kho, and have fun.

Posted by: SFT | June 3, 2025 11:43 PM

Thank you, Renee. That was so much fun to read--and the pictures are fabulous!!!

Sher

Posted by: Sher | June 4, 2025 12:24 AM

drooling at my workdesk as we speak. Thanks for the toture :) Can't wait to come home next year and eat my fill of kuehs and hawker food!

Posted by: AL | June 4, 2025 01:19 AM

The article on the "kueh-kueh, kuih-kuih" reminded me of the fabulous kuihs I used to devour at one go like some retard when I was living in Malaysia. Anyway, I must say that you've got a magical cook and a great food photographer who sure know how to drive a kuih-crazy person like me into insanity. I was desperately skimming the whole article for a clear, detailed recipe for each kuih illustrated. So dear Editor, I, on behalf of all the kuih-crazy mankind living outside Malaysia and Singapore, would like to make a humble request for *all* the mouth-watering kuih recipes. Even trials and failures will help make our world a much more "shioker" place to live in.

Thank you.

Regards,
Tee

Posted by: Tee Alsberg | June 4, 2025 01:55 AM

I learn so much from your blog. I have to go find these things in Chicago now.

And such beautiful photography to boot!

Posted by: barrett | June 4, 2025 04:50 AM

Until I came and read this I had never even heard of a kueh. Now I can not wait to try and find and eat as many as I can find. Thanks for the lecture. I learned a lot!

Posted by: Nick | June 4, 2025 06:54 AM

hi Suz,
haha! it was quite alot of kueh, but then again it wasn't *that* much either.
luckily, my friends only bought 1-2 pieces of each kind, which we all shared, so each of us only had maybe 1/4 of a kueh and even then we did not each *have* to eat every variety that was there.
so it worked out fine. and we only had a couple of pieces left untouched at the end : )
but I think I've probably had my kueh fix for the next 9 months! lol.

hi Santos,
thanks.
in my personal opinion though, I think the kuehs smelt (and tasted) alot nicer than lush products ; )
(for those in Asia where Lush is not available, it's a chain of toiletries/beauty products stores that sell products made of fruits and other edible foods with overwhelming - in my opinion - fragrances... a stronger smelling version of Body Shop in some ways)

hi Jenn,
thanks : )
we had a lot of fun... us crazy, giggly bunch... : D

hi Theresa,
haha... kueh IMBB : D
oh, and not forgetting kudos to my wacky bunch of friends too : )
lempur udang is somewhat different from bak zhang... the texture is a tad chewier... and because it is panggang (grilled) instead of boiled, the fragrance is different too... (the different aroma is also due to the banana leaves instead of bamboo leaves for the zhang)

hi Toru,
: (
sorry... ; )
will you be stopping home on your way to Australia? (sorry, I forget, is home M'sia or S'pore?)

Posted by: Renee | June 4, 2025 10:20 AM

hi Anita,
: ) ; )
oh... do the Nonyas call it serimuka or kueh salat? which is the nonya name and which is the malay? I've also heard serikaya before?
you wouldn't believe the *heated* (and giggly) discussions my friends and I got into about the different names for the kuehs!
and thanks for the "pulut panggang" addition... didn't know that : )

hi Shiewie,
thanks so much for the names input... really appreciate it : )
ah yes, I like the corn version of the Nagasari too! haven't had it in a looong time tho'.
I really enjoyed the Bugis... now that I've heard about it, I really want to try the pulut hitam version one day... thanks for the heads-up : )

hi SFT,
oh wow, thank you! I'm not sure I can live up to such high expectations though... there are so many other Singaporean food sites, but thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm blushing!
glad you are enjoying the site : )

hi Sher,
thanks : )
and glad you enjoyed it :)

hi AL,
ah, nothing like abit of *torture* to make one miss home, eh? ; ) : p
and the best part of it all... the eventual homecoming and all the eating : )

Posted by: Renee | June 4, 2025 10:23 AM

hi Tee,
it is actually just one person, and not a group of us running this website...
it's just me, and my name is Renee... and I'm the photographer, cook, writer and um, I guess the editor too ; )

you have made a *big* request (there are easily 25 different kuehs listed above), and as there is only one of me (although I do sometimes wish there was a whole group of me to do everything I need to do in one day, so I can go sit on a beach somewhere and read a book! : D), and as this is a personal hobby site and not a professional one, it would be a little hard to fulfill your request at this point due to time constraints.

however, I am sure most good bookshops will have Nonya, Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian cookbooks with recipes for most of these kuehs in them.
or maybe even a quick search on the Internet will throw up many recipes.
good luck! and thank you for your interest in my site : )

Posted by: Renee | June 4, 2025 10:24 AM

hi Barrett,
thanks ; )
hope you manage to find some to try : )

hi Nick,
you're welcome! : ) and happy to know you enjoyed it.
ah, sounds like you are in for a little gastronomic adventure ; )

Posted by: Renee | June 4, 2025 10:29 AM

is kuih bugis same as kuih koci
http://www.kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=489

Posted by: Milk Teddie | June 4, 2025 11:23 AM

excellent and interesting write-up! keep up the good work.

is kuih bugis same as kuih koci?
http://www.kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=489

Posted by: Milk Teddie | June 4, 2025 11:24 AM

Renee, your kueh-kueh post has the best descriptions I have ever read about kueh. I do miss kueh a lot, my favourite being kueh lempur udang. while i grew up with kueh, i have never come to know the name of the kueh until i read your post. thanks so much ;-) now i have just got to find a recipe for kueh lempur udang to satisfy my cravings!

Posted by: pinkcocoa | June 4, 2025 12:17 PM

Renee,

Now that my mouth has stopped watering...this looks like enough for me to eat in one sitting! =) hehe! I'd probably end up with such a major sugar rush though. I was thinking of trying to make treats like these and have a small recipe book called "Indonesian Cakes & Desserts" printed by Periplus that my friends brought from Popular for S$4.75. It has a lot of wonderful recipes that I'm dying to try, especially the one you call Kueh Lapis Sagu. It's called Kue Pepe in this book. Looks like a lot of work, but calls for only 20 minutes of prep time and 50 minutes of cooking time! Wish me luck. I'm going to try this next weekend! =)

Posted by: Reid | June 4, 2025 12:18 PM

Oh yum! What an interesting and informative write-up on kuih! I have tried most of them but never knew what they are called :P Btw, I still eat the 9-layer cake in exactly the same way you described ;)

Posted by: Ariel | June 4, 2025 01:21 PM

What an informative post! Now I finally know how to name kuehs (maybe next time, I go and buy, I"ll bring your post as a handy reference) instead of just pointing and hoping that I'd like the taste of the kueh I chose!

Posted by: Bea | June 4, 2025 02:45 PM

Hi Renee

I second what SFT wrote. I definitely always enjoy reading your site, with its mixture of restaurants reviews, food recipes and background information.

All the types of kueh. I wanna go get some now. So many new kuehs to try :D

Posted by: carolyn | June 4, 2025 03:32 PM

hi renee

will be stopping by both spore/msia...haha!...

anyway on another note, i am cooking ur chicken curry tonite...i have my chicken marinating away in the fridge....but i am not cooking the rice...eating it with pitas instead....and not putting mint leaves....will tell you how it turns out....

Posted by: toru | June 4, 2025 06:48 PM

hi Milk Teddie,
thanks : )
um... not entirely sure... I think they are fairly similar to each other but are of different varieties.
I've seen the kueh koci sold along side kueh bugis... I think the former is just glutinous rice flour-coconut milk dough, without pandan flavoring like the bugis... also, koci is usually pyramid/cone shaped and wrapped in banana leaves... and bugis has coconut cream drizzled over it...
other than that, they are fairly similar... probably can adapt the koci recipe to make bugis : )

hi Pinkcocoa,
*blush* thank you for the very kind words : )
I'm also tempted to make my own lempur udang... it's quite hard to come across very nice ones in S'pore.

hi Reid,
haha... I think if you ate all the kuehs listed, you may have to roll out of the room instead of walking ; D
personally, I find these kuehs, because of all the coconut milk and glutinous rice, very, very filling...
oh yes, I've seen that book in the Periplus series... there is also another one in the same series called "Malaysian Cakes & Desserts" (I think) which has more recipes for the kind of kuehs that I featured.
if I remember correctly the Indonesian book has more deep fried stuff...
actually, I think kueh pepe could be slightly different from kueh lapis... if not wrong, former uses almost solely tapioca flour and the latter mostly rice flour with only a little bit of tapioca flour to give it the right texture.
let me know how your kueh pepe goes. good luck! : )

Posted by: Renee | June 4, 2025 09:56 PM

hi Ariel,
hehe. me too. I still eat kueh lapis layer by layer... seems to taste so much better to me that way. lol.

hi Bea,
glad you enjoyed the post : )

hi Carolyn,
aww... thanks! you're very kind! appreciate the vote of confidence : )

hi Toru,
can't wait to hear about the chicken : ) hope you like it.
yeah, I'm not much of a mint person myself, so if cooking only for myself, I would leave it out too, and put more coriander/cilantro (which I love!)

Posted by: Renee | June 4, 2025 10:00 PM

Hi Renee,

You have definitely hit the spot! Been in the US for 6 years now, and this is one of the second ;) foods that I miss (my first being my all-time favourite - popiah).

I actually made Kueh Salat for the 3rd IMBB - Rice edition and was going to ask you for a favour to put it up on your website, but the photographs were with somebody who was not very efficient with sending me the photographs till May 31, 2025 (3 weeks later!) and I was too polite to ask more than once. Oh well, maybe next time.

But, once again, thanks for a very detailed and informative posting and you have definitely made me reminisce about all the great kueh times that I had in Singapore. My favourites being the Kueh Lapis Sagu, the Kueh Kosui and like you, the Pulut Panggang, though I have yet to find a really really good Pulut Panggang. I have tried making Kueh Lapis Sagu and Kueh Kosui once each, but had to throw the results out - too disastrous! My only edible Kueh right now is the Kueh Salat. It probably does not have all the properties of a good Kueh Salat like yours listed above, but it is definitely edible.

Anyway, thanks again for a wonderful post, and if you ever embark on some kueh-making, please, please post the recipe! :D

Posted by: jcheng | June 5, 2025 12:16 AM

Bravo Renee!
For all that you're doing, you're doing a *great* job. I'm sorry, I realise that was a tall order indeed... requesting for 'all' the delectable kuih recipes was a little much. Can't help it...it's a syndrome I'd coin it as KDA; "Kuih Deprivation Anxiety".

Renee, I am currently running a successful (true, authentic) Malaysian-Singaporean cooking classes, cooking demos, and a small-scale catering service. I'd like you to know that the former especially consists of a very enthusiastic, very international group of participants and friends and they also enjoy reading your website alot so much so that they someday want me to take them on a foodie adventure trip to Malaysia and Singapore.

So once again a *BIG THANK YOU* to you RENEE from all of us here in Oklahoma City.

Warmest Regards,
Tee

Posted by: Tee Alsberg | June 5, 2025 01:42 AM

Tee,

thank you for coming back to clarify.
now I understand why this is the second time you have come to ask for "all types"/"any types" of recipes... the first time being when I made my pau post back in March (although you left your comment only in April)...
in that instance you termed it "killer recipe" and asked for recipes for various items...
both posts, and the recipes requested at both times, relate to food items that have, shall we say, commercial viability. ; )
unfortunately, this site is not intended as a commerce facilitator.
the regular readers of this site are, in the main, passionate food/cooking/baking hobbyists, who enjoy sharing their passion for food with other like-minded people in a personal, friendly atmosphere.
the recipes contained on this site are intended for PERSONAL use only.

I sincerely hope the articles and recipes on my blog are not being distributed or used in profit-making commercial cooking classes and cooking demos, or any other form of commercial activity, without my permission.
as stated throughout the site, the rights to ALL content are fully reserved and are protected under copyright laws, and expressed permission from me is required for distribution and/or copying of the content - especially for commercial purposes.
if you would like further clarification on this matter, or would like to provide me with further clarification, please email me.

Posted by: Renee | June 5, 2025 02:39 AM

hi renee...you should definitely compile the blog entries and write a book...i will be first in line to buy your book :)

i just made the chicken curry...with modifications...I didnt buy the spices for the rice (on an austerity drive)....and I used brown rice instead of basmati rice (trying to be healthy and lose weight - an oxymoron i know - considering i am eating curry)

anyway the curry turned out very well...first time i cooked curry....thanks again...your recipes are always fool proof (like your honey spared ribs)

tommorow night - i am going to try cooking pan mee :)

Posted by: toru | June 5, 2025 04:06 AM

Dear Renee,
I'm writing you to clarify my stand on this matter pertaining to as what you mentioned as "commercial viability" of your website to which I am fully aware about the terms and conditions on copyright laws; in fact, any copyright laws.

First of all, I am saddened and regret that both my e-mails have somehow misled you to misinterpret my honorable intentions. If at all you sensed some kind of a "desperado" undertone in my e-mails, it was only due to the fact that after bumping into your website, I developed a sense of personal interest, curiousity and appreciation for something which was different, complex and most of all, lots of fun. Amidst that, never had I the slightest intention at all to violate anybody's copyright laws. Never had and never will.

Second of all, do let me reassure you that your website is NOT , and has NEVER been distributed or used in any profit-making commercial cooking classes and cooking demos of mine, nor for any other form of commercial activity at all.

Third of all, absolutely none of your articles have been ever distributed or copied for any personal nor commercial purposes. The agenda and objectives for my classes have been planned specifically to meet the desires and expectations to suit the local palate 13 years before I even knew your website existed.

Last but no the least, I thank you for requesting me to clarify. I understand that if I were to be in your shoes, I guess I would have probably reacted the same way too.

Sincerely,
Tee

Posted by: Tee Alsberg | June 5, 2025 02:01 PM

Renee,

I'm sure I'd have to roll myself out of the room and down the sidewalk. I guess I'll just have to limit my intake! =( I do love desserts and sweets...maybe I'll have some for tea time, and as a dessert after every meal! =)

Posted by: Reid | June 5, 2025 02:40 PM

hi jcheng,
I'm a big popiah lover too! : )
but sadly, the versions that are now sold in the hawker centers and food courts are a far cry from years ago... and not worth their much higher prices : (

oh wow! ooh... I would have loved to have seen your kueh salat, and it would have been so much fun to have had you as part of the rice IMBB.
well, if you would still like to share your pictures and recipe with all of us (including this extremely curious and kay poh one here ; )), I would still be happy to post it up here.
heh. I'm sure alot of people would love to try their hands at making the kueh...
no pressure of course ; ) ahem... but email me if you would like to ya?

I've been tempted to try making kueh salat many times... but never tried... heard it's difficult to get right... my cousin's maid tried making it a couple of times, and it came out a real mush... and also I don't have that many mouths to feed, and wouldn't know what to do with a whole tray of kueh salat! lol.
but lempur udang (as I can't seem to find very nice ones in Singapore) and honeycomb cake (simply because I'm intrigued by the challenge) are on my loooonggg list of "to makes"... eventually, I'll get there - hopefully : )

first though, we are supposed to be making zhong zhi for the duan wu jie coming up...
was supposed to make them this weekend, but am busy this weekend and next... so maybe the following one... yikes! that is just before the festival itself... cutting it a little close!
but duan wu jie without our home-made version with the ground peanuts just doesn't seem right : (
we'll see...

Posted by: Renee | June 5, 2025 05:10 PM

hi Toru,
that's very sweet of you : ) thanks!
always so nice to feel your support : )

oh, so glad the curry turned out well!
no, no contradiction actually... this curry is quite healthy I feel... especially if you use low fat yogurt and low fat evaporated milk...
btw, the gravy is really good the next day... : )

ah... so nice to hear Toru's back in action in the kitchen ; )
so, will we be seeing pictures again anytime?

Posted by: Renee | June 5, 2025 05:12 PM

hi Reid,
: D always nice to know that there is a fellow sweet-tooth struggling against sweet temptations along with me! ; )

Posted by: Renee | June 5, 2025 05:14 PM

What a well-researched and comprehensive entry. I was really impressed. Personally I love any of the kueh that have the sweet coconut filling. Yum!
Speaking of which, when in an Asian grocery today I bought a jar of "Coconut Jam". The ingredients state "coconut cream, brown sugar" and it's made in the Phillipines. I'm not sure if it is the same thing as your favourite, kaya, (which has eggs in it, right?). What can I do with it besides just spreading it on bread? (it's a big jar, and the flavour is very intense!).

Posted by: Niki | June 6, 2025 07:30 PM

thanks, Niki : )
yeah, the "coconut jam" doesn't quite sound like the kaya we have (which, as you say, has alot of eggs in it).
um... not too sure what you can do with it as I don't know the consistency of the jam or the intensity of the flavors... I tend to use kaya only on toast or to make sweet/savory combined sandwiches (I did a previous post on the various concoctions I normally eat : )).
here in Singapore, the bakeries also sell soft bread rolls/buns with a kaya filling, so maybe that is something that might work with this coconut jam as well?
sorry, can't think of any other suggestions at the moment...

Posted by: Renee | June 8, 2025 05:16 AM

Just discovered this blog of yours and now can't stop drooling over your beautifully photographed kuehs and all the interesting titbits behind each kueh! Wow!

Posted by: SeaDragon | July 12, 2025 09:20 PM

hi SeaDragon,
thanks for stopping by!
glad you enjoyed the post : )

Posted by: Renee | July 13, 2025 02:01 AM

Am glad I came across this site! Fantastic pictures of my country's 'kueh/kuih-muehs!'--a term used to group together all the kuehs-- (i.e., 'kuih-muih')just like you would call tables, chairs -- furniture. Haven't browsed yr site thoroughly yet, but are there recipies for these 'sedap' kuihs?

Thanks for sharing!

Sincerely,
jbens.

Posted by: jbens | August 26, 2025 04:05 AM

jbens,
thanks for stopping by.

yes, I'm well-acquainted with these malay terms.
a quick search on the internet or in any Malaysian, Indonesian or Nonya cookbook will offer many recipes.

cheers.

Posted by: Renee | August 26, 2025 06:36 AM

Hi Renee,
Thanks for responding and for your suggestion. Like the rest here, I am drawn just to drool on your pictures! Can't wait till the next time I am home to actually taste each of them! Did you make all those kuihs?? Lucky you! ^_^

thanks,
jbens

Posted by: jbens | August 28, 2025 01:26 AM

jbens,
glad you enjoyed the pictures.

as I wrote at the beginning of this kueh post, the kuehs were bought from the stores by two of my friends, and were not home-made.
and when you've had a chance to browse through the rest of this site, you will see that I am very open about sharing whatever recipes I have cooked or baked from (some people have even told me I'm too generous in my sharing!)
and in almost all instances, if the food was cooked/baked by me, I will include the recipe in the post, unless there are restrictions on me that prevent me from doing so.
the reason I referred you to the Internet and cookbooks is because I do not have tried-and-tested recipes for any of these kuehs.
also, as per my reply to an earlier comment/request posted above, it is unreasonable to expect me to post so many recipes - which I have not tried anyways and which can be found in a myriad of cookbooks, due to time constraints - this is a hobby site and not a professional site.

cheers.

Posted by: Renee | August 28, 2025 02:50 PM

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