Num E (Sticky Rice Balls in Sugar Syrup and Coconut Cream)

1. Place coconut cream in a small pot over low heat. Cut 3 pandan leaves into large strips and add to the pot with brown sugar, salt, and ginger. Bring to a boil, then cook 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the pandan leaves, and let cool.
2. Chop the remaining 4 pandan leaves, blend with ¼ cup water until very green, then strain well. In a bowl, place 200 g sticky rice flour, add a little pandan liquid, and knead until smooth.
3. Peel and chop beetroot, blend with ¼ cup water until red, then strain well. In a bowl, place 200 g sticky rice flour, add a little beetroot liquid, and knead until smooth.
4. Bring 3 litres of water to a boil in a medium–large pot. Divide each dough into small pieces, roll into balls about ⅓ the size of a ping pong ball, then drop into boiling water. When they float, remove and place them into fresh, icy water to keep them separate.
5. Drain well, then place the mixed colored balls into the cooled coconut sugar syrup and stir. Serve in small bowls (add longan and shredded coconut as desired).
6. Add the coloring liquids gradually—each flour absorbs differently. You want a dough that’s smooth and pliable, not sticky.

Cooking notes

Scaling works best when you weigh ingredients rather than measure by volume — small differences in packing can compound at higher multipliers.

For volume-to-weight conversions of any ingredient — flour, sugar, butter, salts — use the ingredient converter. To translate the recipe's oven temperature between °C, °F and gas mark, see the temperature converter.

When you scale this recipe up or down, remember that cooking time does not scale linearly. A doubled cake takes longer, but not twice as long; a doubled soup takes roughly twice as long. The cooking-time guide gives sensible starting estimates by dish geometry.