Bua Loy — Rice Flour Balls in Coconut Milk / บัวลอย

Ingredients

• For the dough
• 200 g glutinous rice flour, not regular rice flour
• 100 ml water, added gradually during kneading; adjust as needed for a smooth, slightly sticky dough
• For the dough (optional colours)
• 2 tbsp pandan extract, for green dough; replace an equal measure of the water
• 2 tbsp butterfly pea flower liquid, for blue dough; replace an equal measure of the water
• 2 tbsp beet extract, for pink dough; replace an equal measure of the water
• For the coconut milk broth
• 500 ml coconut milk
• 60 g sugar
• 2 pandan leaves, tied in a knot
• ¼ tsp salt
• For boiling
• 1.5 l water

Method

1. 1
   Place the glutinous rice flour in a bowl and add the water or coloured extract gradually, mixing as you pour, so the flour hydrates evenly rather than forming lumps that are impossible to work out later. Knead the dough until it is completely smooth with no dry patches and is slightly sticky. The dough is ready when a small portion can be rolled between the palms into a ball with a clean, uncracked surface.
2. 2
   Pinch off small portions of dough and roll between the palms into balls of uniform small size — this is where the dish lives or dies: balls that are too large will be gummy at the centre before the surface is fully cooked, because the heat cannot reach through in the time it takes the outside to set. Balls that crack during rolling indicate under-kneaded dough and will split open in the water. Each ball must be smooth, round, and consistent.
3. 3
   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, then add the rice balls in batches without crowding the pot, so they circulate freely and cook at an even rate rather than clumping and sticking together. Cook until the balls float to the surface, which tells you the starch has fully swelled and the centres are cooked through. Remove promptly with a slotted spoon.
4. 4
   While the balls cook, combine the coconut milk, sugar, pandan leaves, and salt in a saucepan over low heat, keeping the heat gentle so the coconut milk stays silky and does not split into an oily, grainy broth. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is fragrant with pandan. The broth is ready when it is smooth, warm, and carries a clear pandan scent.
5. 5
   Transfer the cooked, floating balls directly from the boiling water into the warm coconut milk broth, removing them promptly so that prolonged boiling does not soften them past the point where they hold their shape and pleasant chew. Serve immediately in bowls, ladling the warm coconut milk generously over the balls.