Recipe

Kueh Klepon (Coconut Balls)

These little snowy-white, coconut covered balls have a surprise filling of melted gula jawa (brown palm sugar), which flows deliciously into the mouth when you bite into them. They can only be made white a special flour of finely ground ketan (sweet glutinous rice)

Ingredient:
1 cup (4 oz / 125 g) glutinous rice flour
¾ − 1 cup (6 – 8 fl oz / 185 – 250 ml) thin coconut milk
½ teaspoon salt
24 small cubes of palm sugar or several teaspoons of dark brown sugar
1 cup (3 oz / 90 g) shredded coconut

How to make:

• Mix the flour and coconut milk together, adding the salt. The dough should be firm enough to mold without sticking to the finger. Form into 24 small balls of equal size. Push the point of a finger into each one to form a hollow and press a piece of palm sugar (or a scant half teaspoon of brown sugar) into each. Pinch the dough up and around the filling to completely encase it, ensuring that the edges are firmly sealed together.

• Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Drop in about 8 of the balls at a time and simmer until the float to the surface, then cook for a further 1 ½ minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain. When all of the kueh klepon are cooked, toss then in shredded coconut until thickly and evenly coated. Serve cold.

MAKES 24