Malaysian Pandan Balls (KLEPON/ONDE ONDE)

Klepon in Indonesia and onde onde in Malaysia, these sweet-salty rice flour balls filled with palm sugar and garnished with shredded coconut are totally addictive. I first had them in Banda Aceh, at Mita Sugesty’s house. It was Ramadan and even though the family was all fasting, Mita insisted that I should taste her mother’s klepon, which she made there and then for me to see how they were prepared. Mita’s mother used fresh pandan leaf to color her cakes but you may not find this, in which case use pandan paste, and if neither is available, use a natural green food coloring to impart the pale green color that is so typical of these rice balls.

SERVES 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pandan leaf or 2 to 3 drops pandan paste
• 1⅔ cups (250 g) glutinous rice flour
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 cup (150 g) crumbled palm sugar
  1 cup (75 g) desiccated shredded coconut, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Break the pandan leaf (if using) and steep it in 1 cup (250 ml) water. Add pandan paste drops and stir until water is green. Remove pandan leaf.
2. Mix glutinous rice flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add pandan-colored water little by little. Mix until a soft, pastel-green dough is formed.
3. Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Make an indent in the middle of the ball and add 1 teaspoon of crumbled palm sugar. Pinch the dough together to close and roll it into a ball again, ensuring there are no gaps from which the palm sugar can escape during boiling. Repeat to make the remaining klepon.
4. Put desiccated shredded coconut in a bamboo steamer or a steamer basket lined with cheesecloth. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened. Spread on a medium platter and sprinkle lightly with salt to make a bed of shredded coconut to place the klepon on.
5. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop as many balls of klepon as will fit comfortably in the pot and boil for 4 to 5 minutes or until they float. Let them boil for an additional 30 seconds, then transfer to the bed of shredded coconut. Roll the balls to coat with coconut and remove to a large serving platter.
6. Serve klepon warm while the palm sugar is still melted inside.