Thai🍰 Sweets & drinks

Sugar Dumplings (Kanom Ko)

Name: Sugar Dumplings (Kanom Ko)
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: ~2 cups glutinous rice flour; ~¾ cups pandan juice; ~3½ oz palm sugar; ~1 cup dried shredded coconut

⏱ 60 min

A rare and delightful dessert from Hat Yai in southern Thailand. Soft, chewy mochi-like glutinous rice flour dough filled with a piece of crunchy palm sugar and tossed in salted coconut. The sugar melts in your mouth as you chew, complemented by the aromatic pandan and savory coconut coating.

Adapted from a video by Pailin's Kitchen

Sugar Dumplings - My #1 Childhood Favorite

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

glutinous rice flour~2 cupsest.
pandan juicemade by blending fresh pandan leaves with water~¾ cupsest.
palm sugarchopped into approximately quarter-inch cubes, about 4g per dumpling~3½ ozest.
dried shredded coconutrehydrated with hot salted water, or use fresh coconut with salt added~1 cupest.

Steps

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1
Prepare pandan juice by blending fresh pandan leaves with water until no large pieces remain—avoid over-blending as it can turn bitter. Strain the mixture. The blended amount will be more than needed; freeze extras for future use.
2
Make the dough: place glutinous rice flour in a bowl and gradually add pandan juice while mixing with your hands. Add liquid little by little, ensuring each addition is fully incorporated before adding more. Glutinous rice flour absorbs water sparingly, so be cautious with liquid amounts.
3
Continue kneading until the dough no longer sticks to your hands and can hold its shape. For the best result, make the dough as soft as possible while still maintaining its shape. If too much water is added, simply add more flour to compensate; the glutten-free dough won't be harmed by over-mixing.
4
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered to prevent it from drying out while you prepare the other components.
5
Prepare the palm sugar filling: cut the palm sugar into large chunks first, collecting any flakes. Cut these chunks into quarter-inch cubes—you'll need about 50 pieces. Keep the palm sugar in solid pieces so it stays crunchy inside the dumpling.
6
Prepare the coconut coating: spread dried shredded coconut on a shallow plate or pie pan. Dissolve a pinch of salt in hot water and pour over the coconut, stirring until evenly moistened. The saltiness is essential to balance the sweetness of the palm sugar filling.
7
Wrap the dumplings: pinch off a piece of dough about 4 grams (roughly 3/4 teaspoon by volume), flatten slightly with your finger, and place a piece of palm sugar in the center. Fold the dough around the sugar, ensuring it's completely enclosed, then roll between your palms to form a ball. Repeat until all dough is used.
8
Bring water to a boil. Cook the dumplings in batches (about half at a time), adding them one at a time to prevent sticking and splashing.
9
Cook until the dumplings float to the surface, about 2 minutes. No timer needed—they will signal when done by floating. If the boil is too vigorous to see clearly, reduce the heat slightly.
10
Fish out the floating dumplings and immediately transfer them to the prepared salted coconut. Toss or shake gently in the coconut until evenly coated while still hot.
11
Transfer the coated dumplings to a serving plate to make room for the next batch. Repeat cooking and coating with remaining dough.
12
Serve the completed dumplings on a platter. Enjoy them warm or at room temperature, but allow them to cool slightly to avoid burning your mouth.

Sugar Dumplings (Kanom Ko)

Ingredients

Steps

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