Ondeh-Ondeh

Ondeh-ondeh is a traditional dessert in Malaysia, characterized by balls of bite-size filled with Gula Melaka and coated with shredded fresh coconut. Its pleasant chewy texture comes from the use of glutinous rice flour and if well made, the Gula Melaka should burst out in the mouth once you sink your teeth in. Pandan juice (screwpine leaves juice) is also used to impart a mild fragrant and a tint of green to the fuzzy ball.

The key of making delicious ondeh-ondeh lies in the quality of Gula Melaka. I got my supply all the way from Melaka because I could really tell the difference! Gula Melaka is made of the coconut flower and well known with its distinctive caramel-like flavor. A good quality one is not only more fragrant but also easier to cut/chop into small chunks, whereas a low quality one tends to be harder like hard candy. Sinking your teeth down the chewy ball just to meet with some hard rock candy is utterly disappointing... and at times, painful to your gum.

Ondeh-Ondeh

Ingredients

A

100g glutinous rice flour
60g pandan juice
25g coconut milk (2 heaping tablespoon of coconut mix with 6 tablespoon hot water, sift out the juice)

Others

50g gula Melaka
80g shredded coconut + 1/8 tsp salt, steamed

Cooking Directions

Mix A together until form a dough.
Divide the dough to 20 portions, each around 9g.
Cut and divide gula Melaka into 20 portions, each around 2.5g. Cut each portion into 2-3 smaller pieces.
Wrap a portion of gula melaka into a portion of dough, seal up.
In a pot boil some water.
Cook the glutinous rice ball in the water. When the balls started to float up, keep a timer for 4 minutes and then drain the balls.
Immediately coat the balls with shredded coconuts.

Tips:

1) Alternatively, to reduce the cooking time, chop the gula Melaka finely, then roll the dough round and make a dent with your finger. Fill in the gula Melaka and seal up the edges. When cooking, after the glutinous rice balls float up, let it boil for another 1.5 minutes before drain it.