These gluten-free, vegan, soft and chewy dumplings are served in palm sugar syrup and coconut sauce. Something so simple but so satisfying at every level!
Cut the sweet potatoes into large cubes and place in steamer and steam for about 15-20 minutes over high heat until fork-tender. Drain off some water after steaming if any. Mashed the sweet potatoes while still warm with a fork or you can put it in a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth
Sprinkle in the salt and tapioca starch and knead the dough with your hand until you can get a smooth dough. If it feels a bit dry, you can add a bit of warm water, likewise, if it's too wet, add a bit more tapioca flour. Roll the dough into an oval shape about 2 inches in size
You can freeze these shaped doughs for future use. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper, not touching each other. Place them in the freezer for about 1 hour then transfer to the freezer bag and they won't stick to each other anymore. Push all air out and seal the bag. They can be kept this way for up t 3 months in the freezer
Prepare sugar syrup:
While the sweet potatoes are steaming, prepare a medium to large pot and pour in 1200 ml of water. Bring to a boil and then add in the sugar, pinch of salt and pandan leaves. Lower the heat to let it gently simmer for 15 minutes and keep it warm on very low heat while you are preparing the rest
Prepare coconut sauce:
In another small saucepan, add in the coconut cream, water, and salt and let it heat on low heat for about 15 minutes. Do not boil the coconut cream. Turn off the heat and set aside
Cook the biji salak and thicken the syrup:
When ready to serve, place the sweet potato dumplings in the syrup. Bring it to a gentle boil and cook until the sweet potato dumplings float to the top. Give the tapioca flour + water mixture a stir and pour it in and continue to stir. The syrup will thicken and get shiny and start to bubble. Remove from the heat
How to serve:
This dessert can be served warm or room temperature. Ladle some sweet potato dumplings along with the thickened syrup into a serving bowl and drizzle with a generous amount of coconut cream sauce and enjoy!
Notes
The amount of water depends on the sweet potatoes. You may not need much to be able to make a dough or you may need a bit more water.