Bua Loy Thai Glutinous Rice Balls

Clean your vegetables by peeling the skin, rinsing, patting them dry, and then cutting them into 1-inch pieces. Steam in hot water for 13-15 minutes or until soft.

Mash the steamed starch into a mashed potato consistency in a mixing bowl. Then, add your favorite food coloring or natural food powder. See the list of natural food colors above.

Add the sticky rice flour to the mashed vegetables. Slowly add water and your fingers to knead the dough together until a soft dough forms. Each starch will require a little bit more or less of the flour and water. Adjust as needed until you have a soft dough-like play dough consistency. If using different vegetables instead of rice flour, cover the other dough with plastic wrap until ready to roll to keep it from drying.

Roll the dough into small balls in your palms, then use your fingertips to help form a perfect round, tiny ball! Place them on a flat surface with a light coat of flour to prevent the dough balls from sticking together. A large cutting board works well for this step, too.

In a large pot of water, bring water to a boil. Slowly add the rice balls to the boiling water and cook for a couple of minutes until they float to the surface. It only takes 1-2 minutes to cook the rice balls, so have a slotted spoon and ice bath ready.

Remove the cooked balls from the hot water with a slotted spoon and place them in a large bowl of cold water to prevent sticking. Keep working until the balls are all cooked.

p id="instruction-step-8">7. In a separate small saucepan, on medium heat, heat coconut milk with sugar and pandan leaves until the sugar dissolves. Let it simmer on the low heat while cooking the rice balls. Remove the pandan leaves before serving.

p id="instruction-step-9">8. Add the colorful balls into the pot with the coconut milk, and let it soak in the flavors while you prepare a bowl or two for serving.  <

id="instruction-step-10">9. Now, the final step. Serve the cooked rice balls in coconut milk sauce.