Nyonya Nine-Layer Kuih Lapis

Recipe Description

Nyonya kueh lapis is one of my favourite snacks when I was growing up and I remember as a kid I used to enjoy peeling off one layer at a time when eating it. Traditionally made with just pink and white layers, this kueh has evolved into one with multiple colours, including some with all seven colours of the rainbow.

I remember that one time when my mom made this so many years ago, she had used just natural colours to dye each layer instead of using artificial colouring. Using natural colouring has become one of the challenges that I often impose on myself when creating food that requires colouring.

Whereas blue and green are quite easy to achieve with butterfly pea flowers and pandan leaves, other colours such as red and yellow are a bit more difficult because foods that contain these colours naturally also have flavours that may not lend very well to the dish that I’m making.

Following the theme of our National Day and Malaysia Day, I had intended to make a kueh lapis that evokes the colours of our national flag in red, white, blue and yellow.

So for this dish, beetroot is off the list because of its flavour, and so I was contemplating using dragonfruit for the red batter. When I saw pomegranates in the market, I made my decision to use that instead.

The result was not as vibrant as I had anticipated but it was sufficient for my needs. Perhaps dragonfruit might have worked better but I’ll experiment with that at another time.

For the yellow layer, the usual colourants would be saffron, which may not be accessible to everyone, and turmeric, which will introduce a flavour that may not be pleasant in a sweet treat.

My mother-in-law suggested pumpkin that is steamed, mashed and then added to the batter. I finally opted to use pumpkin shreds instead to evoke the shapes of the crescent moon and star of the Jalur Gemilang. I do like the speckled effect of the final result.

Most recipes consist of batters that are composed of a mixture of rice and tapioca flours, which results in a softer texture. If you want a more springy kueh lapis, you may adjust the proportions of rice to tapioca flour or even all rice flour for an exceptionally springy kuih. Some baking supply shops carry bags of pure rice flour in addition to blended bags from Thailand.

Since Nyonya kuehs can only be kept for 24 hours, this recipe makes quite a small kueh lapis that I think it’s easier to share out to be consumed before it goes bad. If you need to store it in the refrigerator, make sure your container is airtight to keep it from drying out.