Ingredients
2 cups glutinous rice flour, plus more for dusting and rolling
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons pandan essence, optional
1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup freshly grated coconut (see Cook’s Note)
Preparation
Stir together flour, coconut milk, and salt in a medium bowl until a thick paste forms. Add pandan if desired, drop by drop, until dough is very pale green.
With floured hands, roll 2 tablespoons dough into a ball, and use your thumb to make a deep indentation in center. Place 1/2 teaspoon sugar in center, pinch to enclose sugar, and press to seal. Roll into a ball. Roll in flour to coat lightly, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dumplings.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 6 dumplings, and gently stir to prevent them from sticking together. Cook until filling has melted, 10 to 12 minutes (you will need to remove a dumpling and break it open to check). Using a slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to a clean kitchen towel, rolling them gently to dry slightly. Repeat.
Place coconut on a plate, and roll warm dumplings in coconut to coat. Let cool completely. Serve immediately, or wrap tightly in plastic. Dumplings are best the day they are made.
