Coconut pearls

 

 

If you have never tried Coconut pearls, it’s time to make them and eat them! They are small balls made of glutinous rice  flour , very similar to “maqius”, but cooked in steam. The  result  is simple and delicious. I also find it  sincerely  fun to prepare them and they are a perfect complement to a “dim sum” meal. I give here a first version with egg cream (my favorite!) but one day I will also put the ones with peanuts! 

 

The unusual ingredients for the egg custard are custard powder and wheat starch, both of which can be found on the internet or in Asian grocery stores. The wheat starch is sold in packages that call it “wheat starch” and translate it as “wheat flour”, but it is wheat starch. 

 

 

Add the flour, wheat starch, whole milk powder and custard powder. 

 

 

Mix well and add the melted butter. 

 

Pour in the water and mix thoroughly. 

 

The result is a very liquid paste. The traditional Chinese method is to steam this dough for about  30  minutes, mixing the dough every 10 minutes. I didn’t have any bowl that could fit in my bamboo baskets or in a steamer. So I poured the dough into a bowl. In this case, cook in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time (or even 20 seconds with a powerful oven), stirring each time. The cooking will be finished in a few minutes. It depends on the oven, but between 3 and 6 minutes for microwave cooking. You just have to check the cooking each time. 

 

When the dough is almost done, stop cooking and pour into another bowl to stop the cooking. 

 

Work the dough by hand like a bread dough. We can now shape a ball. Wrap it in cling film and keep it in a cool place. 

 

Then prepare the dough, put the glutinous rice flour and sugar in a bowl (this can be done in a blender) and pour in the boiling water.

 

 

Stick a finger in the dough ball and put the egg cream ball in the cavity. The dough is very easy to work with. Close the ball and roll it between your hands. 

 

Do the same with all the coconut balls. 

 

Dip the balls in a bowl of cold water for a few seconds. 

 

Then roll in the grated coconut. 

 

Take a handful of coconut and roll the balls between your hands with the coconut to incorporate it well on the surface of the dough ball.

 

The Coconut pearls are ready! 

 

Place them in a bamboo basket and steam for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of the Coconut pearls!). You can monitor the cooking process. Coconut pearls are soft when cooked.

 

Taste when it is hot! They can be kept in a cool place under a cling film and then reheated for a minute in the microwave or put them back in the steamer basket.