Red & White : Sweet Rice Balls Stuffed with Strawberry Compote

Looks like Klepon?



Actually I didn't mean to make klepon. Klepon is Indonesian sweet pandan rice balls stuffed with palm sugar and covered with desiccated coconut. I just wanted to use up my almost expired rice flour and the leftover strawberry compote.

After googling around, I found 2 recipes that looks interesting. The first recipe is pretty similar with klepon. You can find the recipe here. The second one is mochi recipe, soft and chewy Japanese rice cake, but looking at the ingredients and composition of the recipe I don't think it will turned out to be mochi-like (here for the recipe).

I couldn't make up my mind, which recipe I would prefer. So with a little re-worked from me, I create my own rice balls. I modified and combined the ingredients and methods from that 2 recipes. And the result.......
They turned out to look like klepon but the taste is between klepon and mochi. Sweet, sour (from the compote) and chewy.

Dhi, Fitri and Dwi, here's my entry for Red & White Foodie Photo Contest to celebrate Indonesian Independence Day.

Sweet Rice Balls Stuffed with Strawberry Compote



Ingredients :
1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup tapioca flour

Directions :
1) Combine glutinous rice flour, sugar and water, mix well.
2) Pour into sauce pan, bring to a boil for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3) Set aside to cool.
4) Add tapioca flour, smear both of your hands with cooking oil, shape into balls filled with strawberry compote.
5) Fill a large bowl half full with water & bring to a boil. Cook the rice balls for 4 to 5 minutes or until they start to float.
6) While still hot, coat the balls with the coconut. Serve warm.

Strawberry Compote

Ingredients :
2 cup strawberry, halved
1/2 cup sugar
5 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)


Directions :
1. In a saucepan combine the strawberry, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves (3-5 minutes).
2. Simmer for 7-10 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Add balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat.

On the next day, I made this french vanilla cake from Betty Crocker topped with the leftover strawberry compote. Still in the mood for red and white ;)