Sweet Potato Onde Onde 甜薯椰糖球

A soft and slightly chewy sweet potato and glutinuos dough wrapped with melted palm sugar that may burst on your first bite ^^

Yield : about 24 pcs of 3cm balls

Ingredients:

100g mashed sweet potato 

90~95g glutinous rice flour

10g tapioca powder 

60~90g hot water

50g palm sugar, cut into fine bits 

80g fresh or frozen grated coconut

1 pandan leaf, cut into 2cm length

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp water

Mix the grated coconut, pandan leaf, salt and water together. Steam them for about 5~10 minutes.

Directions:

1. Take about 120g of peeled raw sweet potato chunks, and steam them in high heat for about 12 to 15 minutes, or till soft.

2. When the sweet potato is cooked, use a spoon or fork to mash it into paste.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the hot sweet potato paste, glutinous rice powder, tapioca powder and hot water into a soft pliable dough. The exact amount of water to be added, depends on the water content of the sweet potato. To avoid over adding, pour the water in several portions.

Orange sweet potato needs less water than purple sweet potato.

4. Knead the dough by pressing the dough using the ball of your palm. Continue to knead for about 10 to 15 minutes till the dough becomes smooth.

If the dough becomes dry during kneading, add spoonful of water to it.

5. Start boiling a pot of water to blanch the sweet potato rice balls later.

6. Take a teaspoonful of dough, about 12 ~ 13g, and roll it into a ball. Place the dough balls on a plate.

7. Select a dough ball and shape it into a bowl and place 1/4 tsp of palm sugar in it. Wrap up the dough, and give it a light squeeze by closing up your palm. This is to ensure there will be no point of weakness where the melted palm sugar could leak out.

Then shape it into a ball by rolling between two palms.

If the dough is too dry, it will crack. Try to wet it with a bit of water to make it smoother and pliable, if require.

8. When the water starts to boil, throw the dough balls in and stir the water. This is to avoid the dough balls from sticking to the pot and burnt.

Stir once every 1 to 2 minutes.

Cook in medium heat. Too strong heat may cause the balls to rupture.

9. When the dough balls are cooked, they will float. Scoop out the balls and place them on a rack to dry.

10. When the balls have dried up slightly, roll them over a plate of steamed grated coconut.

11. Serve the ondeh-ondeh fresh after cooling down. It's best to refrigerate the onde-Onde once they have cool down :)

Refrigerated onde-onde taste better - more chewy :)

Tips on keeping your fresh grated coconut

Keep your fresh grated coconut in small freezer bags. Squeeze out as much air as  possible. Label the bag with the date of purchase. Keep the bags flat in the freezer.