Biji Salak (Gluten-Free)

Instructions

1. 1Place the 500 g of peeled and steamed sweet potatoes in a medium bowl and mash them until they are completely smooth. Ensure there are no lumps.
2. 2Add the 1/2 cup of tapioca starch and the 1/4 tsp of salt to the mashed sweet potatoes. Mix everything together with your hands until a pliable dough forms. If the dough feels too sticky, add a tiny bit more tapioca starch, but be careful not to add too much.
3. 3Take small pieces of the dough and roll them between your palms to form small, bite-sized balls. Aim for them to be roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
4. 4In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the 1 cup of palm sugar, 4 cups of water, and the 2 knotted pandan leaves. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally until the 1 cup of palm sugar is fully dissolved.
5. 5Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the syrup simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until it thickens slightly. You should notice it becoming a little syrupy. Remove and discard the 2 knotted pandan leaves.
6. 6Carefully add the sweet potato balls to the simmering syrup. Do not overcrowd the pot; cook in batches if necessary. Simmer the balls for 10-15 minutes, or until they float to the surface of the syrup. This indicates they are cooked through.
7. 7Once the sweet potato balls are floating and cooked, remove the pot from the heat. You can serve the biji salak warm, ladled into bowls. If desired, drizzle with the 1 cup of coconut milk before serving.

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