Glutinous rice with coconut custard

Instructions

1. Thoroughly rinse and drain the soaked glutinous rice in a sieve. Spread into a 28 cm (11 inch) cake tin and mix in the pandan leaves. Steam over a wok of boiling water for 20 minutes, then discard the leaves, and mix in the coconut milk, coconut cream and ½ tsp of salt and steam for another 15 minutes. Remove from the steamer to cool. Stir again, then pat the rice with a spatula to compress it.
2. For the custard, place the pandan leaves in a blender with 100 ml (3½ fl oz) water and blend for a minute. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl, squeezing the solids to extract as much green juice as possible. Discard the solids.
3. Combine the pandan water with the remaining ingredients, whisk until combined, then pour onto the rice. Return rice to the wok and steam over gently simmering water for 20 minutes until custard is set – a wooden skewer inserted should come out clean. If it’s not quite set, steam for another 10 minutes.
4. Remove the pulut serikaya from the steamer and allow to cool completely before cutting. Serve at room temperature (see Note).

• You may need 50 ml (1¾ fl oz) more coconut milk as glutinous rice sometimes absorbs more and sometimes less water.
• Pulut serikaya is best eaten on the day it’s made; it’ll harden up too much in the refrigerator. Although traditionally served in the morning, I like to serve it as a small dessert, more like a palate cleanser after meals.