Klepon- Indonesian Traditional Sweet Rice Cake
Klepon is a delicious twist on the traditional Indonesian dessert, featuring pandan-flavored glutinous rice, sweet coconut sugar filling, and a soft coconut coating. Perfect for any sweet tooth!
Klepon or Indonesian sweet sticky rice (also known as onde-onde in Malaysia and Singapore) is a sweet rice cake treat you’ll want to whip up again and again. These green ball chewy Pandan-flavoured balls are bursting with melty coconut sugar and it’s hard to stop at one! This recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegan and is an easy one that comes together in about 20 minutes. Klepon is a tasty Indonesian street food that you’ve got to try!
Have you ever tried Klepon? Imagine these pandan coconut mochi-like balls are bursting with palm sugar liquid when you take a bite. In Indonesia, the favorite desserts are often those found in the market, called ‘jajanan pasar’, or market snacks.
History of Klepon
Klepon (pronounced klē-pon; also written as kelepon) is a sweet Indonesian street food, made up of chewy glutinous rice flour balls containing sugar syrup, flavored with pandan. These Indonesian rice balls are usually covered in shredded coconut.
It’s a popular street food snack, often found at morning and afternoon markets around Indonesia. They’re also known as onde onde in Malaysia and Singapore.
For the texture, klepon is quite similar to Japanese mochi, however, the sugar syrup filling is liquid, while mochi tends to have creamed or solid fillings.
Klepon must be bite-size. I warn you that you should not bite just half of it since the filling will basically drip all over. When you take a bite, your tongue will taste so many flavors. It starts from the savory of steamed coconut meat, the chewiness of the glutinous rice balls, and the bursting sweetness of melted palm sugar.
The sweet and salty combination of palm sugar and coconut is the best because it makes klepon taste not overly sweet. You can find this treat roll in grated coconut, offering a unique contrast of textures—chewy on the inside and soft on the outside.
Klepon originated in the culinary traditions of Java, Indonesia, where people enjoyed it for its unique chewy texture and sweet surprise filling. As time passed, it became a beloved snack not only in Javanese culture but throughout Indonesia and neighboring Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore.
And nowadays, here comes the time to learn how to make delicious klepon cake, a chewy Indonesian treat filled with sweet coconut sugar and coated in soft, steamed coconut. A step-by-step recipe with pandan flavor for the perfect klepon experience!
Ingredients of Klepon
- Sticky/Glutinous Rice; Main ingredients for making Klepon. The taste will be chewy when you bite and pop melting sugar in the center. It’s so unique and addictive. sticky rice flour – it’s naturally gluten-free. Do not substitute with regular rice flour or other flour. Sweet rice flour is a must!
- Water; It helps bind the ingredients together and gives the cake its structure.
- Pandan flavoring; Pandan is a leaf that has an exquisite flavour that is very popular in South-East Asian desserts. It’s a bit like a coconutty vanilla and when extracted from the leaf is a bright vibrant green! pandan leaves infuse my Pandan Klepon with their fragrant aroma and vibrant green hue.
- Granulated sugar; This is optional, but you can add this white granulated sugar to sweeten the klepon batter and balances the flavor of the pandan
- Coconut grated, desiccated, or shredded; it’s traditional to roll klepon in freshly grates coconut that is moist and delicious (steam the coconut to make it last longer) If you can shred or grate fresh coconut, this will taste best. Traditionally use to coat the outside of the rice balls.
- Salt; To enhance all flavor taste. to balance the sweetness and enhance the overall flavor of the cake, giving it a well-rounded taste
- Coconut sugar; This is usually a brown sugar that comes in a solid shape that can be chopped, grated, and melted. For an alternative, you can use regular palm sugar, coconut sugar, or brown sugar.
How to Make Klepon
First, steam the grated coconut for about 5-10 minutes. Once done, sprinkle it with salt, mix well, and set it aside for later use.
Next, in a mixing bowl, pour in the glutinous rice flour and sugar. Slowly, add the warm water and begin kneading the mixture until smooth and pliable. Then, add the pandan flavoring and continue to knead until both of the color and flavor combine each other.
Now, portion the dough into small balls, about the size of a tablespoon each. Work quickly during this step to prevent the dough from drying out.
After that, it’s time to fill the klepon. Take each ball and press a small indentation in the center to form a bowl shape. Carefully, add about 1/4 teaspoon of coconut sugar into the middle.
Then, pinch and seal the top of each ball tightly, ensuring the filling is enclosed. Gently roll the dough back into a smooth ball.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, carefully drop the Klepon balls one at a time into the water. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot. Cook the Klepon until they float to the surface, which indicates they are done.
Lastly, Remove the klepon from the boiling water and immediately roll them in the steamed, salted grated coconut, ensuring they are fully coated.
Finally, Enjoy Your klepon. Enjoy them warm for the best taste!
Recipe Notes;
- If the dough feels too watery or sticky when adding water, you can add more glutinous rice flour.
- If you prefer a slightly salty flavor in the klepon, you can also add salt to taste.
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Klepon ( Indonesian Sweet Rice Cakes )
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup Sticky/Glutinous Rice
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp pandan flavouring
- 2 tsp Granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut grated, desiccated, or shredded
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
Instructions
- Steam the grated coconut for about 5-10 minutes. Then sprinkle it with salt, mix it well, and set it aside.
- Pour the glutinous rice flour and sugar into a bowl. Add warm water and knead until smooth. Then add the pandan flavoring and knead again until well combined.
- Then portion the klepon into balls about the size of a tablespoon, working quickly so the dough doesn't dry out.
- Now it’s time to fill the klepon. Make a small indentation in the center of each ball to form a bowl shape, then add about 1/4 teaspoon of the coconut sugar filling.
- Pinch and seal the top tightly to ensure the filling doesn’t escape, then roll the dough into a smooth ball again.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot. When it comes to a boil, carefully add the klepon one at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the pot. Cook until the klepon float to the surface, then pick them up.
- Then, immediately roll the klepon in the steamed, grated coconut so that it is thoroughly coated.
- And the klepon are ready to be served.
Notes
- If the dough feels too watery or sticky when adding water, you can add more glutinous rice flour.
- If you prefer a slightly salty flavor in the klepon, you can also add salt to taste.
