Recipe: Klepon - Sweet rice balls stuffed with palm sugar

Klepon are Indonesian style rice balls, stuffed with palm sugar. Not only is klepon very delicious alongside your cup of tea or as a nice dessert after your lush rice table, but it also looks pretty good.

Ingredients for klepon

• 1½ cups glutinous rice powder
• ¾ cup lukewarm water (optionally coconut milk)
• 2-3 drops green food coloring or pandan paste
• 8 tsp. grated coconut sugar/Java dark brown sugar/gula Jawa/palm sugar
• 1 cup fresh-grated coconut, mixed with ½ tsp. salt

Directions to make klepon

1. Mix the glutinous rice powder with the lukewarm water and green food coloring into a firm but flexible dough.
2. Pull off one full teaspoon of the dough and shape it into a ball with approximately 2½ cm (1 inch) in diameter.
3. Push a finger into the center of the ball to make a hole, and put in approximately ½ tsp. of the grated sugar. Seal, and roll it back into the ball shape with the palms of your hands.
4. Prepare all the balls and set them aside.
5. Prepare a pot half filled with water and bring it to a boil.
6. Drop the balls into the boiling water. Remove the balls with a spoon once they float to the water surface and then roll the balls in the grated coconut.
7. Serve at room temperature.

Serve your home made klepon.

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