Ondeh Ondeh

Name: Ondeh Ondeh
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Singaporean
Ingredients: 200g glutinous rice flour; 150ml pandan juice (from 10 pandan leaves blended with water and strained); Pinch of salt; 120g gula melaka (palm sugar), grated or chopped into small pieces; 150g fresh grated coconut, steamed briefly with a pinch of salt

Ondeh Ondeh (ON-day ON-day)

Pandan Glutinous Rice Balls

⏱ Prep Time 40 min

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 225 kcal

Emerald-green glutinous rice balls filled with liquid gula melaka (palm sugar) that bursts in your mouth, coated in freshly grated coconut — tiny jewels of Southeast Asian confection.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 3.0g

Carbs 42.0g

Fat 5.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian vegan dairy-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

pot mixing bowl steamer (optional)

Presentation Guide

Vessel: small plate or banana leaf

Garnishes: extra grated coconut

Accompaniments: tea or kopi

Ingredients

200g glutinous rice flour
150ml pandan juice (from 10 pandan leaves blended with water and strained)
Pinch of salt
120g gula melaka (palm sugar), grated or chopped into small pieces
150g fresh grated coconut, steamed briefly with a pinch of salt

Instructions

1
Blend pandan leaves with a little water, strain to get vivid green pandan juice.
2
Mix glutinous rice flour with pandan juice and salt into a smooth, pliable dough. It should not be sticky.
3
Pinch off small portions (about 15g each), flatten, place a teaspoon of gula melaka in the centre, and seal into a smooth ball.
4
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop the balls in and cook until they float to the surface (about 3 minutes).
5
Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately roll in the salted grated coconut until fully coated.
6
Serve at room temperature. Eat in one bite to experience the burst of melted palm sugar.

💡

Did You Know?

The best ondeh ondeh have a liquid palm sugar centre that explodes in your mouth — if the sugar doesn't burst, the Singaporean verdict is "not ondeh ondeh."

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

pot
mixing bowl
steamer (optional)

Garnishing

extra grated coconut

Accompaniments

tea or kopi

The Story Behind Ondeh Ondeh

Ondeh ondeh is a kueh (traditional cake) of Malay-Indonesian origin that has become one of Singapore's most beloved traditional sweets. The Nyonya (Peranakan) community in particular elevated ondeh ondeh-making to an art form. The combination of pandan, gula melaka, and coconut represents the holy trinity of Southeast Asian dessert flavours. In 2021, ondeh ondeh sparked a Singapore-Malaysia cultural debate when a Malaysian minister claimed it as exclusively Malaysian.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed tea time, dessert, snack 📜 Origins: Malay-Indonesian origin, centuries old

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