Dragon Fruit Rice Cake Balls

Prep & cook 30 min·Makes ~20 balls·Intermediate

This is a traditional Indonesian snack — klepon — adapted with dragon fruit juice in place of water. The dragon fruit gives the dough a vivid pink colour that holds through the cooking, and the brown sugar filling melts inside as the balls boil. When you bite in, the sugar runs out. It's a good thing.

My wife makes these. She blends the dragon fruit and strains the juice herself to keep it clean and bright. Use a red-flesh variety for the best colour result.

Ingredients

The dough

• 2 cups glutinous rice flour
• 2 tbsp rice flour or corn flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• Juice of 2 medium red dragon fruit — blend and strain. You want the juice only, not the pulp (set the pulp aside for another use or for the filling).

The filling

• 3 tbsp brown sugar

The coating

• 1 cup desiccated coconut — add a pinch of salt and a splash of water, then steam or microwave briefly until just moist and fragrant. Spread onto a tray to cool.

Method

1. Mix the glutinous rice flour, rice flour, and salt together in a bowl.
2. Pour in the dragon fruit juice gradually, mixing as you go. Knead until the dough comes together — it should be smooth and pliable, not sticky. Add a little more juice if it's too dry, a little more flour if too wet.
3. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add a teaspoon of oil to the water — this stops the balls sticking together.
4. Pinch off a small amount of dough (about the size of a large marble). Roll into a ball, then press your thumb into the centre to form a small cup shape.
5. Place a small pinch of brown sugar into the centre — don't overfill or the ball may burst when boiling.
6. Pinch the dough closed over the sugar and roll back into a smooth ball. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Drop the balls into the boiling water in batches. They're ready when they float to the surface — this takes about 3–4 minutes.
8. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately roll in the prepared coconut while still hot and sticky.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tip: Work quickly when shaping — if the dough dries out it becomes harder to seal. Keep a small bowl of water nearby and dampen your hands lightly if needed. The balls hold their colour well after cooking.

Which variety to use

For the deepest colour, use a red-flesh variety with high pigmentation. The juice from two medium dragon fruit gives enough liquid to bring the dough together.

• Physical Graffiti — deep red flesh, large fruit
• Heart of Osiris — very deep red, high Brix

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Questions about this recipe or the varieties used? Get in touch through the contact page.