Onde-onde is one of the traditional kuih (dessert) in Malaysia. The little onde-onde are infused with pandan (screw pine leaf) juice and filled with gula melaka (palm sugar) and then rolled in with some fresh grated coconut. The palm sugar that’s in it bursts in your mouth when you take a bite, so it’s best to swallow it whole.
They are sweet and delicious, truly a sensation!
- 250g glutinous rice flour
- 200ml pandan juice*
- Few drops of green colouring
- 150g palm sugar, chopped into small squares
- 100g dessicated coconut
- Pinch of salt
In a large bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour with pandan juice and colouring; knead lightly.
Pinch a small piece of the dough (about 40g) and drop it into boiling water. When the dough rises up the surface, remove it with a slotted spoon and shake off the excess water. Mix it back into the main dough and knead well to form smooth dough. This mixture of cooked and raw dough is meant to stabilize the dough. Cover the dough and set aside for about 15 minutes.
Mix the grated coconut with a pinch of salt and steam for about 2 – 3 minutes and let it cool completely.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Pinch a small piece of dough (about 15g each) and flatten lightly. Fill the center of the dough with palm sugar. Roll them in your palm to form a smooth ball and cook the glutinous rice balls in the boiling water. When the rice balls float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and shake off the excess water.
Coat the rice balls with grated coconut.
Long explanation but it really is easy to make!
*To make the pandan juice, blend 10 pandan leaves with 220ml water. Sieve and discard the pulp.
