Singaporean Desserts with Gula Melaka: Ondeh Ondeh and Kueh Kosui
August 16, 2021 – H.E. Eric Teo Boon Hee, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to the Republic of Korea, and his wife Madam Kim Minjae, kindly invited Asia Society Korea to share two kinds of authentic Singaporean desserts: Ondeh Ondeh and Kueh Kosui.
The main ingredient of these two desserts is Gula Melaka, also known as coconut palm sugar. It is one of the most commonly used ingredients in Peranakan culture, which is a mix of Chinese and Malay-Indonesian heritage in Southeast Asia. Gula Melaka has a unique sweetness subtly different from conventional sugars or honeys.
Asia Society Korea is continuing its #EatTasteLearn series to promote a sustainable food culture where everyone can eat healthy without exploiting the environment. Let’s reduce our ecological footprint by eating healthy.
MAIN INGREDIENT OF ONDEH ONDEH
[Group A]
- 630g Sweet potatoes
- 300g Glutinous rice flour
- 5g (1 & ½ tsp) Pandan paste (or fresh pandan leaf juice)
- 100ml Water
[Group B]
- 50g Red jaggery sugar (red sugar)
- 200g Gula Melaka (Coconut palm sugar), cut/chopped into small pieces
[Group C]
- 150g Desiccated coconut (freshly shredded coconut)
- ½ tsp Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Boil the sweet potatoes until soft, then peel and mash them.
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients in Group A (Mashed sweet potatoes, glutinous rice flour, pandan paste, and water) to form a dough. Knead until the pandan paste is evenly mixed into the dough and until the texture is smooth.
- Use Group B to make the Ondeh Ondeh filling. Mix jaggery sugar with the chopped Gula Melaka.
- Use Group C to make the coating for the Ondeh Ondeh. Mix salt with desiccated coconut in medium-sized bowl.
- Divide and roll the dough into small balls. Use your thumb to flatten the middle of each ball and add Ondeh Ondeh filling into the hole.
- Seal the filling with the dough and roll it into a small ball again. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Place a medium pot of water to a boil.
- Gently drop the filled dough balls into the pot of boiling water.
- Remove the dough balls with a sieve when they float to the surface. Shake off the excess water, and roll them in the desiccated coconut mix.
- Allow to cool a little before serving.
MAIN INGREDIENT OF KUEH KOSUI
[Group A (Gula Melaka syrup)]
- 500ml Water
- 400 gm Gula Melaka (Coconut palm sugar)
- ½ tsp Salt
- 6 Dried pandan leaves (or 6 Fresh pandan leaves, knotted)
[Group B]
- 200g Tapioca flour
- 70g Plain flour
- 2 tbsp Alkaline water
- 500 ml Water
[Group C]
- 150g Desiccated Coconut (freshly shredded coconut)
- ½ tsp Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make Gula Melaka syrup, combine the ingredients in Group A in a pot over heat and stir until the Gula Melaka dissolves to form a syrup. Remove pot from the heat and remove the pandan leaves.
- To make the Kueh, mix Group B’s dry ingredients (Tapioca flour and plain flour) in a mixing bowl. Add hot Gula Melaka syrup into the flour mix while stirring continuously to form a batter.
- Once the batter is well mixed, add in water and the Alkaline water.
- Add oil to an 8-inch square pan
- Pour the batter into the oiled pan and steam for 30 minutes.
- Remove the steamed kueh from the steamer and let it cool down.
- Meanwhile, mix Group C ingredients (desiccated coconut and salt) in a bowl.
- Once the kueh has cooled, cut it into bitesize or square pieces and sprinkle the desiccated coconut mix on top of the kueh before serving.
PARTICIPANTS
