Bua Loi Flowers – Soft Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Natural Dyes Thai Songkran Dessert

Steps

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1. 1
   Prepare and steam the ingredients: peel and wash pumpkin, purple potato, sweet potato, and taro (150g each), then steam for at least 15 minutes until fully cooked.
   ▶ ≈0:24
2. 2
   Make concentrated pandan juice: blend 20 pandan leaves with about 300 ml water, then strain through cloth to obtain concentrated green pandan juice.
   ▶ ≈0:42
3. 3
   Make sweet potato dough: mash the steamed sweet potato while hot until fine, add 50g glutinous rice flour and 1 tbsp tapioca flour, then knead by hand. Gradually add coconut milk and continue kneading until soft and sticky, then cover with damp cloth to prevent drying.
   ▶ ≈1:22
4. 4
   Make purple potato dough: mash steamed purple potato finely, add 50g glutinous rice flour and 1 tbsp tapioca flour, knead until combined. Gradually add coconut milk and continue kneading until soft and sticky, then cover to prevent drying.
   ▶ ≈2:10
5. 5
   Make taro dough: mash steamed taro finely, add 50g glutinous rice flour and 1 tbsp tapioca flour, knead by hand. Gradually add coconut milk and continue kneading until soft and sticky, then cover with damp cloth.
   ▶ ≈2:46
6. 6
   Make pumpkin dough: add 50g glutinous rice flour and 1 tbsp tapioca flour to steamed pumpkin and knead together (no need to mash first as pumpkin is soft). Since pumpkin has high moisture, little or no coconut milk is needed. Knead until soft and sticky, then cover with damp cloth.
   ▶ ≈3:14
7. 7
   Make green (pandan) dough: add 50g glutinous rice flour and 1 tbsp tapioca flour, gradually knead with concentrated pandan juice instead of coconut milk, until soft and sticky. Cover with damp cloth to prevent drying.
   ▶ ≈3:50
8. 8
   Shape the flowers: roll each color of dough into balls and assemble them into flower shapes, using about 6 petals per flower with a stamen in the center. Feel free to create flower designs or cartoon characters. Avoid squeezing the top to keep the flower intact. Cover finished flowers with a damp cloth to prevent drying.
   ▶ ≈4:29
9. 9
   Prepare the broth: pour 1000 ml coconut milk into a pot, add 100g coconut sugar, 2 tsp salt, and 5 crumpled pandan leaves. Heat over medium, and once the sugar dissolves and coconut milk comes to a boil, add the bua loi flowers.
   ▶ ≈5:28
10. 10
    Cook the bua loi: gently place the flowers into the boiling coconut milk broth. When they begin to float, continue cooking until fully cooked through, stirring gently to avoid the flowers breaking apart. Once cooked, turn off the heat and serve. Add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter.
    ▶ ≈5:58