Desserts
Onde-Onde (Palm Sugar Rice Balls)
Knead glutinous rice flour with fresh pandan juice, wrap small balls around chopped palm sugar, boil them until they float, then roll them in steamed grated coconut; about 1 hour for about 30 balls.
Onde-onde, also called buah melaka, are little green glutinous rice balls coloured and scented with fresh pandan, filled with palm sugar and rolled in grated coconut. When you bite one, the hot, melted gula melaka bursts out, so eat them whole. They are quick to make once the dough is right: soft and smooth, like play dough, so the balls seal without cracking.
- Serves 6
- Prep: 35 min
- Cook: 25 min
- Total: 1 hr
- Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients
- 10 pandan leaves, cut into pieces
- 180 ml water
- 250 g glutinous rice flour
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 120 g palm sugar (gula melaka), finely chopped
- 150 g grated coconut, white part only, fresh or frozen
Method
- Blend the pandan leaves with the water and squeeze the pulp through a muslin cloth or fine sieve. You need about 170 ml pandan juice.
- Mix the grated coconut with 1/4 tsp salt and steam it for 10 minutes. Spread it on a plate to cool.
- Mix the glutinous rice flour with the rest of the salt. Pour in the pandan juice gradually and knead to a soft, smooth dough that does not crack when pressed. Add water 1 tsp at a time if it is crumbly, or a little flour if it is sticky.
- Pinch off 15 g pieces of dough, about 30 in all. Flatten each into a small cup, put 1/2 tsp palm sugar in the middle, pinch it closed and roll it into a smooth ball. Make sure there are no gaps.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cook the balls in batches of 10. When they float, cook them for 1 minute more, about 4 minutes in all.
- Lift them out with a slotted spoon, let them drain for a few seconds and roll them in the coconut. Serve warm or at room temperature on the same day.
Tips
- Careful: the palm sugar inside is very hot straight from the pot. Let the balls cool for 5 minutes before eating.
- Sweet potato version: replace 100 g of the flour with 120 g mashed, steamed orange sweet potato and use less pandan juice.
- Melting sugar: chop the palm sugar finely so it melts completely while the balls cook.
- Storage: onde-onde are best eaten on the day they are made, because the fresh coconut spoils quickly. Keep them covered at room temperature.
Questions
Why didn't the palm sugar melt inside my onde-onde?
The pieces were too large. Chop the palm sugar finely, and cook the balls for 1 minute after they float.
Why do my onde-onde crack or leak?
The dough is too dry or the balls were not sealed. Knead until soft and smooth, pinch the seam closed well and roll each ball until there are no gaps.
Can I make onde-onde ahead?
They are best on the day. You can shape the balls a few hours ahead and keep them covered, then boil and coat them just before serving.
What can I use instead of fresh pandan?
Mix 1/2 tsp pandan paste into 170 ml water. Frozen pandan leaves from Asian grocers also work.
Is this onde-onde halal?
The recipe is pork-free and lists no alcohol. It is not halal-certified: check that the palm sugar and any pandan paste carry halal certification.
A Dada Cooking original recipe. Quantities are metric first, with US amounts in brackets.