Ondeh-Ondeh is a popular traditional dessert from Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. These delicious bite-sized coconut poppers are made with glutinous rice flour, filled with sweet palm sugar, and rolled in freshly grated coconut. They have a soft and chewy texture and a burst of sweet gooeyness in the center.
To make Ondeh-Ondeh, you will need the following ingredients:
- Glutinous rice flour
- Palm sugar
- Freshly grated coconut
- Pandanus leaves for flavor (optional)
First, mix the glutinous rice flour with water to form a smooth and pliable dough. Pinch off small portions of the dough and flatten them into discs. Place a small piece of palm sugar in the center of each disc and seal the dough around it. Roll the balls between your palms to make them round and smooth.
Next, bring a pot of water to a boil and drop the Ondeh-Ondeh into it. When they rise to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl of freshly grated coconut. Roll the poppers in the coconut to coat them evenly.
Your homemade Ondeh-Ondeh is now ready to be served. Enjoy these delightful chewy coconut poppers as a sweet treat or as a dessert to complete your Southeast Asian meal.
How to Make Ondeh-Ondeh (Coconut Poppers)
To make Ondeh-Ondeh, start by preparing the dough. In a mixing bowl, combine glutinous rice flour with water and knead until a soft, smooth dough forms. Divide the dough into small portions and shape them into small balls.
- Next, prepare the filling by cutting palm sugar into small cubes. Take one portion of the dough and flatten it with your palm. Place a cube of palm sugar in the center of the dough and carefully seal it, ensuring the sugar is completely covered.
- Repeat this process for the remaining dough portions.
Now comes the cooking part. Bring a pot of water to a boil and carefully drop the Ondeh-Ondeh into the boiling water. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until they float to the surface. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Ondeh-Ondeh into a bowl of cold water to cool and prevent them from sticking together.
| Ingredients: | Instructions: |
|---|---|
| – Glutinous rice flour | 1. In a mixing bowl, combine glutinous rice flour with water and knead until a soft, smooth dough forms. |
| – Palm sugar | 2. Cut palm sugar into small cubes. |
| – Freshly grated coconut | 3. Roll the cooked Ondeh-Ondeh in freshly grated coconut. |
| – Water | 4. Bring a pot of water to a boil. |
Finally, roll the cooked Ondeh-Ondeh in freshly grated coconut, ensuring they are fully coated. Serve them at room temperature and enjoy the burst of sweet and coconut flavors in every bite!
Gathering the Ingredients
- Glutinous Rice Flour: This is the main ingredient for making the dough. It gives the Ondeh-Ondeh its chewy texture.
- Palm Sugar: This sweet filling is made from palm sugar, which has a rich and caramel-like flavor.
- Desiccated Coconut: You will need desiccated coconut to roll the Ondeh-Ondeh in after they are cooked.
- Pandan Leaves: Pandan leaves are used to flavor the dough. You will need a few leaves to make pandan juice.
- Water: You will need water to make the pandan juice and to cook the Ondeh-Ondeh.
- Salt: A small amount of salt is added to enhance the flavors of the Ondeh-Ondeh.
Once you have all the ingredients ready, you can start making the Ondeh-Ondeh.
Making the Dough
Ingredients:
- Glutinous rice flour
- Pandanus leaves or pandan extract
- Water
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour and pandan extract or pandanus leaves. The pandanus leaves will give the dough a lovely green color and fragrant aroma.
| Glutinous Rice Flour | Pandanus Leaves | Water |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 5-6 leaves or 1 tablespoon extract | 1/2 cup |
Step 2: Slowly add water to the mixture and knead it until a smooth and pliable dough is formed. The consistency should be soft and slightly sticky, but not too wet. Adjust the amount of water as needed.
Step 3: Once the dough is ready, divide it into small portions and roll them into small balls, about the size of a marble. You can lightly coat your hands with some glutinous rice flour to prevent sticking.
Now that you have made the dough, you can move on to the next step in the Ondeh-Ondeh making process.
Assembling and Cooking Ondeh-Ondeh
Assembling the Ondeh-Ondeh
- Take a small portion of the dough and flatten it in your palm.
- Place a small amount of the pandan filling in the center of the flattened dough.
- Carefully gather the edges of the dough and seal it, ensuring that the filling is completely enclosed.
- Roll the sealed dough between your palms to form a smooth ball. Repeat this process until all the dough and filling is used up.
Cooking the Ondeh-Ondeh
To cook the ondeh-ondeh, you will need a pot of boiling water and a bowl of cold water. Follow these steps:
- Add the ondeh-ondeh balls into the pot of boiling water, making sure not to overcrowd the pot.
- Boil the balls until they float to the surface, which typically takes about 3-5 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked ondeh-ondeh into the bowl of cold water to cool down and prevent them from sticking together.
- Once cooled, remove the ondeh-ondeh from the cold water and roll them in freshly grated coconut.
- Your ondeh-ondeh is now ready to be enjoyed! Serve them as a sweet treat or as a delightful addition to your afternoon tea.
Follow these instructions, and you’ll have a batch of delicious ondeh-ondeh that are sure to impress your family and friends!
