Purple Sweet Potato Balls

This recipe for Purple Sweet Potato Balls is a delightful treat! The vibrant color comes from the purple sweet potatoes, and they are often filled with a surprise pocket of melted palm sugar. The image you provided shows them coated in white grated coconut, which is the traditional way to serve these.

Depending on how you cook them, you get two different textures:

1. Deep-Fried: A crispy exterior with a soft, chewy, and stretchy inside (like mochi).

2. Boiled: A soft, chewy, and slippery texture, similar to glutinous rice balls (Tang Yuan).

Based on your ingredient list (which includes water and a coating of coconut), this is likely the Boiled version, which is then tossed in salted coconut.

Here is the step-by-step guide to making Purple Sweet Potato Balls (Onde-Onde / Klepon style) .

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Why This Works

• Natural Color: The purple sweet potato provides a stunning natural color without any artificial dyes.

• Liquid Gold Center: When you bite into these, the palm sugar melts into a sweet syrup that contrasts beautifully with the chewy, savory-sweet potato dough and the nutty coconut coating.

• Glutinous Rice Magic: Glutinous rice flour (also called sweet rice flour) gives the balls their signature chewy, bouncy texture.

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Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 500g Purple Sweet Potato (about 2 medium-large)

• 1/2 cup (65g) All-purpose flour

• 3 cups (375g) Glutinous Rice Flour

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• ~1 1/2 cups (375ml) Water (or more as needed)

For the Filling:

• ~1/2 cup Palm Sugar (Gula Jawa), finely chopped or grated (You need a small cube/pinch for each ball)

For the Coating:

• 1 1/2 cups Freshly Grated Coconut (or frozen, thawed)

• Pinch of Salt

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Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Purple Sweet Potato

1. Peel and Slice: Peel the purple sweet potatoes and cut them into thin rounds or small chunks. Thinner slices cook faster and mash more easily.

2. Steam: Steam the sweet potato pieces for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are completely soft and a fork pierces them easily.

3. Mash: Transfer the hot sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Mash them thoroughly until smooth with no lumps. Let them cool slightly until you can handle them.

Step 2: Make the Dough

1. To the mashed sweet potato, add the all-purpose flour, glutinous rice flour, and salt.

2. Mix with a spoon or your hands until the flours are incorporated. It will look crumbly.

3. Gradually add the water, a little at a time, and knead.

4. Continue kneading until you form a smooth, soft, and pliable dough. It should be similar to play-dough or soft ear lobe texture—it shouldn’t crack when you roll it into a ball. If it’s too dry, add a teaspoon more water. If it’s too sticky, add a sprinkle more glutinous rice flour.

5. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out while you prepare the filling and coconut.

Step 3: Prepare the Coating

1. If using fresh or frozen grated coconut, place it in a heatproof bowl.

2. Add a generous pinch of salt and mix.

3. Steam the coconut for about 5 minutes. This softens it, warms it up, and helps the salt incorporate. (Alternatively, you can toss it in a dry pan over low heat for a minute, but be careful not to brown it). Set aside.

Step 4: Assemble the Balls

1. Prepare the Filling: Finely chop or grate the palm sugar. It needs to be in small pieces so it melts quickly inside.

2. Shape the Balls:

   • Pinch off a piece of dough (about the size of a golf ball or slightly smaller).

   • Roll it into a smooth ball.

   • Use your thumb to poke a deep hole into the center, shaping it like a small bowl or cup.

   • Place a small amount (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon) of the chopped palm sugar inside the cavity.

   • Carefully pinch the dough closed over the filling, sealing it completely. Roll it gently between your palms again to smooth out any cracks. Ensure the seal is tight—if there are cracks, the sugar will leak out during cooking.

Step 5: Cook the Balls

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

2. Gently drop the balls into the boiling water, one by one. Don’t overcrowd the pot; cook in batches if necessary.

3. Give them a gentle stir to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom.

4. The balls are cooked when they float to the surface. Once they float, let them cook for another 1-2 minutes.

5. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water.

Step 6: Coat and Serve

1. Immediately roll the hot, cooked balls in the prepared salted grated coconut.

2. Make sure they are fully coated.

3. Serve warm! The inside will be filled with hot, liquid palm sugar, so caution when biting into them!

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Tips for Success

• Palm Sugar Texture: Palm sugar can be hard. If it’s too difficult to chop, you can gently warm the block in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften it, or grate it using a cheese grater.

• Seal Tightly: This is the most important step. If the seal isn’t perfect, the sugar will leak out into the boiling water, leaving you with hollow balls and no sweet center.

• Don’t Overcrowd the Pot: Adding too many balls at once will lower the water temperature and can cause them to stick together or cook unevenly.

• The Coconut Matters: Fresh grated coconut has a superior texture and flavor compared to dried desiccated coconut. If you can find it in the freezer section, that works great. Do not substitute with sweetened dried coconut flakes.