Malaysian Desserts: Top 5 Confections and Drink Pairings You Must Try

Malaysian cuisine brings together a number of different flavours and aromatics in the making of different curries, stews, seafood and vegetables. And as with savoury dishes, Malaysian desserts are also filled with earthy flavours and sweet and floral aromatics. These sweet treats are excellent offerings at a dinner or luncheon gathering featuring a Malaysian culinary feast.

Kuih or Malaysian dessert confections are small, bite sized treats usually made of rice flour, coconut, pandan, palm sugar and sometimes even beans and tapioca. While kuih can be both sweet and savoury, as a dessert option, these are generally cooked with the addition of sweeteners and creamy ingredients and are steamed, grilled, fried or baked depending upon the confectionery variations. 

Kuihs are good alternatives for serving as sweet treats post a hearty meal and can be paired with versatile cocktails and mocktails which compliment their flavours. Here are some of the kuih and drink pairings that can be brought together while hosting a dinner party curated to feature a Malaysian themed menu:

Kuih Lapis And White Wine Spritzer

Kuih are generally colourful and aromatic confections which pair well with floral and brightly flavoured drinks. Kuih lapis are nothing but chewy, layered cakes made out of glutinous rice that is steamed until it acquires a gooey texture. Generally, kuih lapis are bright green, red and white coloured sweet offerings put together in colourful layers. They tend to go well with drinks like a white wine spritzer whose fizzy qualities and fruity tastes undercut some of the sticky textures and sweeter notes in the confection. 

Pulut Inti And Ginger Lime Soda

Pulut inti or sticky rice with coconut toppings is yet another kuih or small bite which can become an interesting dessert alternative post a hearty meal. Rice is cooked with palm sugar and aromatics so it acquires a sweet and dense flavour profile. It is then topped off with freshly grated coconut and served as a small bite during the dessert course. Pair this potently sweet offering with ginger lime soda whose citrusy touch, acidity and sharp zing cuts through the sweeter notes in the dessert to make for a well-balanced culinary and drink pairing.

Onde-Onde And Espresso Martini Cocktail

One of the more famous Malaysian desserts, onde-onde is essentially a plateful of sticky rice balls which are filled with molten palm sugar and coated in coconut to lend them a creamy exterior layer. This dessert, filled with pronounced sweet, coconut-filled tasting notes can go well with the contrasting earthy and nutty profile of an espresso martini cocktail prepared using 30 ml Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka or any other premium vodka of choice as well as 15 ml freshly brewed espresso. 

Kuih Talam And Pandan-Infused Iced Tea

Pandan leaves are used widely in the making of Malaysian kuih for their bright colours and grassy flavour notes. One type of confection that can be prepared using pandan leaves is the kuih talam or a layered pandan and coconut milk custard. Coconut milk custard has a creamy taste and wobbly texture that is complemented by the sweet and vanilla-like notes of pandan. This dessert tends to go well with a chilled iced tea prepared by infusing it with the complimentary tastes of pandan syrup.

Kuih Seri Muka And Coconut Water Mojito

Another popular kuih, the seri muka comprises sticky rice served with pandan custard – a combination that brings together the glutinous textures of rice with the jelly-like consistency of the sweet pandan dessert. Pair this sweet treat with a coconut water mojito which plays into the tropical, nutty and creamy notes that are characteristic of this Malaysian dessert.