Onde Onde ( Pandan Palmsugar Coconut dumpling)

Onde Onde ( Pandan Palmsugar Coconut dumpling)

Ingredients:

Glutinous Rice  :  1 cup

Sugar  :  2 tsp

Pandan leaves (screw pine leaf) :  3 or 4 twigs.

Palm sugar   :  5 tbsp

Grated Coconut  :  1/2 cup

Green Food Color  : 1/2 tsp ( optional)

Steps:

Wash the pandan leaves, cut into small pieces 

Blend the pandan leaves to extract juice. A few teaspoons of water is added.
Strain the extract to remove the residue.

In a bowl mix the flour, sugar and the extract. Few drops of green food color can be added.
Form a smooth dough.
Add a pinch of salt to the graded coconut and steam it for 5 minutes (or microwave for one minute ) Spread it on a plate and let it cool.

Knead the dough, make small balls. Flatten the ball and place half a teaspoon or required amount of pounded palm sugar and roll back into balls.

In a heavy bottom sauce pan, boil approximately a litre of water. When the water reaches boiling, add the pandan flavored rice balls into it. 

The balls will start floating once it is cooked. That is the time it has to be removed. Strain water and transfer to the plate of coconut. Roll it to get a uniform coat of coconut. Remove.

Spread the delicacy on a plate and serve.

My Notes:

Onde Onde is a traditional Malay sweet.It is one of the popular kuih in Malaysia. Kuih is a term used for Malay pastries, cakes in which glutinous rice, sweet potato or tapioca will be the main ingredient to which palm sugar, coconut are added . Palm sugar is called Gula melaka in Malay.

A must in Nonya desserts list. I first got a taste of Onde-Onde and other kuihs quite a long back at a function in Singapore. I learnt to do this simple dish of Onde-Onde and is a hit with guests who visit us from India. 

Recently I made this together with Potato Patties for my friend Uma' parents when they visited us. 

The cute little  soft outer ball with a surprise of palm sugar bursting in your mouth as you bite into it, is a yummy feeling.

The pandan flavour infused glutinous rice smells awesome as it boils in water. To get a juicy sugar inside, boil the balls for few more minutes for the palm sugar to melt. If crunchy bits is your choice, remove  the ball once it starts floating in water.

The salt added and steaming gives a longer shelf life for fresh coconut.

 A must try  healthy , delicious dessert.