This yummy deep-fried snack is classic street food, the cheapest and also the simplest of all street food. It is made from rice glutinous flour and grated coconut and then glazed with castor sugar or palm sugar. I think it is a very smart trick to use up grated coconut after the milk is pressed and used up in other dishes.

Rice glutinous flour is used in many South East Asian dessert. Since it is wheat free, it is a great snack for gluten-free diet. The amount of flour and coconut has to be the same in weight, with a little bit of water added. If no freshly grated coconut is available, pre-packaged dessicated coconut can be used but more water is needed. Not as much water is needed with fresh coconut because it is naturally still have some liquid in it. If too much water is added to the dough, the cake is more likely to break when fried. It would still taste the same, I personally don’t mind exploded cakes.

They have to be eaten within hours of cooking. The glazed will be soggy soon. Store them in the fridge without any glazing, if needed to be consumed later.

Glazed Rice Glutinous Cake

Makes 40 pieces

Ingredients:

500 g freshly grated coconut, or pre-packaged dessicated coconut (if dessicated coconut is used, add 20 g more water)
500 g rice glutinous flour
150 g water
2-3 cups cooking oil, for deep-frying

For glacing
400 g sugar
200 g water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients above in a bowl until becomes pliable dough. Roll three spoonfulls of dough into ball shape. Press it between palms to flatten it. It should be the shape of oval patty. In my case, I tried something new, shaping them into round mini patty.

Deep-fry in hot oil till golden brown.

Boil water and sugar in a wok till bubbly and stringy. Keep stirring quickly using a spatula to avoid burning.

Add the fried rice cake and coat them with the sugar syrup. Lower the heat and continue mixing and stirring till sugar crystalizes. Do this in batches.

Remove from heat and serve warm.

Step by step shots

Working on the doughd

Deep-frying cakes

Glazing cakes