Ondeh Ondeh Gula Melaka

What is Ondeh Ondeh?

Ondeh Ondeh is a popular Nonya or Peranakan dessert made of pandan (screwpine leaf) juice and glutinous rice flour (some uses sweet potatoes too), filled with Gula Melaka or coconut palm sugar, coated with grated coconut. In Singapore and Malaysia, it’s commonly called Ondeh Ondeh or Onde Onde, in Indonesia, they are called Klepon. When you bite into these little balls of goodness, the melted Gula Melaka gushes out like lava and the taste blends really well with the pandan flavored dough that covers it.

How to make Ondeh Ondeh?

Making this dessert is really simple. We first make the dough with glutinous rice flour (mixed with tapioca flour) and pandan juice. Fill the dough with finely chopped Gula Melaka and roll them into little balls. Then boil the dough balls until they float to the top. Lastly coat the balls with steamed grated coconut before serving.

Why is it called Gula Melaka?

Gula melaka, or coconut palm sugar, is commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisines. You can easily find this sugar in most wet and dry markets and Asian grocers, and it usually comes in a log shape. Gula Melaka is named after the historic state of Malacca (Melaka in Malay language) located in the southern region of Malaysia. Gula literally meant sugar in Malay language. It’s a natural sugar made from coconut palm sap, which is the sugary circulating fluid of the coconut plant, not to be confused with palm sugar which is made from a different type of palm tree.

How long can you keep Ondeh Ondeh?

Freshly grated coconut turns bad easily and we do not typically keep any coconut based food more than a day. The recipe I have here makes about 20-25 balls and my family loves it so much they usually finish in one sitting. I would recommend making it fresh for your loved ones to enjoy.

Check out other Asian snack recipes

If you are into local Asian snacks or kuehs, do check out these recipes, many of these are gluten-free, eggs-free and made with Monk fruit or Stevia sweetener, making them a healthier snack version from the original recipe:

• Pumpkin Ang Ku Kueh with Purple Sweet Potato Filling 紫薯馅金瓜红龟粿
• Ang Ku Kueh (Red Tortoise Cake 红龟粿)
• Ang Ku Kueh with Mung Bean Paste Filling (Red Tortoise Cake 绿豆蓉红龟粿)
• Pandan Coconut Ang Ku Kueh (Red Tortoise Cake 香兰椰丝红龟粿)
• Pumpkin Ang Ku Kueh with Chestnut Paste Filling 甘栗馅金瓜红龟粿
• Dadar Gulung (Kueh Dadar 香兰椰丝卷)
• Sweet Potato Kueh 甜番薯椰丝糕
• Kueh Ubi Kayu 蒸木薯糕 (Steamed Tapioca / Cassava Cake)
• Soon Kueh 笋粿 (Bamboo Shoots Dumplings)
• Sesame Ball (Air Fryer Chinese Jian Dui 气炸锅煎堆)
• Kaya Puff Pastry (Kaya Kok / 咖椰角)

Watch how to make Ondeh Ondeh on YouTube

Ondeh Ondeh Gula Melaka

Ondeh Ondeh is a popular Nonya or Peranakan dessert made of pandan (screwpine leaf) juice and glutinous rice flour (some uses sweet potatoes too), filled with Gula Melaka or coconut palm sugar, coated with grated coconut. In Singapore and Malaysia, it's commonly called Ondeh Ondeh or Onde Onde, in Indonesia, they are called Klepon. Making Ondeh Ondeh with Gula Melaka is really simple. Bite into these little balls of melted Gula Melaka that gushes out like lava and you won't want to stop at one.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine asian, nonya, perakanan, southeast asian

Servings 4 persons

Calories 136 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 300 g glutinous rice flour
• ▢ 80 g tapioca flour
• ▢ 150 ml water
• ▢ 10-15 pandan leaves washed
• ▢ 80 g grated coconut
• ▢ ¼ tsp sea salt
• ▢ 50 g gula melaka finely chopped
• ▢ 1 tsp cooking oil

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Gather grated coconut, salt, 2 tied pandan leaves (washed), steam for 10 minutes over medium high heat. Then remove pandan leaves and set aside.
  80 g grated coconut, 1/4 tsp sea salt
  
• ▢
  Chop gula melaka as fine as possible.
  50 g gula melaka
  
• ▢
  Cut the remaining pandan leaves into small pieces, add water and blend till smooth. Extract juice by sieving the blended pandan juice.
  150 ml water
  
• ▢
  Sieve the glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour.
  300 g glutinous rice flour, 80 g tapioca flour
  
• ▢
  Add pandan juice slowly part by part into the mixed flour. Mix with a spatula initially. Once the dough is formed, use hands to knead the dough until the texture is slightly firm. Add water according to the dough consistency as different flours might absorb liquid differently. Dough might be quite crumbly, like dry plasticine.
  300 g glutinous rice flour, 80 g tapioca flour, 10-15 pandan leaves, 150 ml water
  
• ▢
  Add cooking oil and knead until dough is consistent, non-sticky and smooth.
  
• ▢
  Divide dough into Squash ball sizes.
  
• ▢
  Make a dent in each dough ball and add about 3/4 tsp gula melaka in it. Seal the dough ball.
• ▢
  Boil water, then add the dough balls into boiling water. Stir to make sure the balls do not stick to the bottom.
  
• ▢
  When the dough balls start to float, boil for another minute (to let the gula melaka melt completely), then remove from the boiling water.
• ▢
  Coat with steamed grated coconut and serve.
  80 g grated coconut
  

Video

Notes

I do not recommend keeping the Ondeh Ondeh for more than a day. We usually eat it fresh on the day itself. 

If the gula melaka does not melt in the Ondeh Ondeh, it might be because it’s not chopped finely enough. Make sure it’s chopped very finely and boil it for an extra minute once the dough balls start to float in the boiling water.

Nutrition

Calories: 136kcal

Keyword coconut, dessert, gula melaka, ondeh ondeh, sweet

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