Desserts
Klepon with Palm Sugar and Pandan
Glutinous rice balls that hide a pool of melted palm sugar and burst the moment you bite them.
Photo by Cumibunting on Unsplash
Klepon belongs to jajanan pasar, the morning market snacks sold from glass cases in Java and across the archipelago. They arrive on a banana leaf, three or four to a portion, and the whole point is the moment the shell gives way and hot palm sugar floods your mouth.
Ingredients
Eat them with your mouth closed. Everyone learns this the hard way once.
Sealing is the whole recipe
A leak means the sugar escapes into the water and you are left with a plain rice ball. Pinch the seam properly, roll the ball between your palms until you cannot see the join, and check for hairline cracks before it goes into the pot.
Dough that cracks while you shape it is too dry. Add pandan water a teaspoon at a time until it stops fighting you.
On the colour
Real klepon get their green from pandan leaf, not food colouring, so the shade is muted and slightly grey rather than bright. Blend the leaves with water, strain, and use the liquid warm. The colour fades a little during boiling, which is normal.
Klepon are best within a few hours of making. The glutinous rice hardens overnight, and reheating never quite brings them back.
How to make it
- 1
Toss the grated coconut with salt and steam it with the pandan leaves for 10 minutes. This keeps it from souring and softens the texture.
- 2
Mix the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and salt. Pour in the warm pandan water a little at a time, kneading until the dough feels like soft clay and holds a shape without cracking.
- 3
Rest the dough for 15 minutes under a damp cloth.
- 4
Pinch off pieces the size of a walnut. Flatten each one, place a scant teaspoon of chopped palm sugar in the centre, and seal the dough completely before rolling it smooth.
- 5
Bring a wide pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop the balls in a handful at a time so they do not stick.
- 6
Cook until the klepon float, then give them one more minute so the sugar melts through.
- 7
Lift them out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, and roll each one in the steamed coconut while still warm.
Serving notes
Serve with a torn heel of good bread, a green salad sharp with lemon, and a glass of something cold. Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of pasta water.
