A little background on nyonya kuih.
Peranakans are the descendants of early Chinese settlers of Malaya, who married local Malays and started families. A female Peranakan is known as a Nyonya, and a male, Baba. Peranakan cuisine is now known as Nyonya cuisine. In Nyonya cooking , Chinese ingredients are coupled with various distinct spices and cooking techniques used by the Malay community. The word “kuih” is derived from the Chinese word “粿“, which is a generic term that refers to bite-sized snacks or desserts.
The most common ingredients in Nyonya kuih are desiccated coconut, coconut cream, pandan leaves and palm sugar (gula melaka). The base and texture of kuih are built from a group of starches, i.e. rice flour, glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour. Hence, kuih should appeal to most gluten-free audiences as wheat flour is rarely used in kuih!
The art of making Nyonya kuih has been passed down by generations and generations. As a Nyonya descendent, I feel it is my responsibility to keep this tradition going strong!