Khanom Dtom

This is another one of those Thai desserts that take a lot of effort, but taste really good at the end, well worth the effort. Similar to the Bua Loy dessert we made earlier. Delicious!!

The extra part that I did not include in this recipe, is the creation of the grated fresh coconut, which, though it takes a fair amount of effort, is also worth it to get the fresh coconut meat. We found a relatively easy method for cracking those brown water coconuts you see in the supermarket, the ones that seem to defy the release of its sweet meat inside. You won't need a driller or hammer either for opening the coconut! Kids, get an adult to do this! Essentially, hold the coconut in your off hand, and whack it hard across the middle with the blunt end of a meat cleaver; after two or three times you will hear a crack and a release of air; if the crack is open enough, you can pour the coconut water out into a bowl (you did shake the coconut to see if there was water inside?). Whack it a few more times to open it completely, then you can whack it on the floor to make small pieces. Use a flexible knife (one you use for grapefruit works) to separate the coconut meat from the husk, or carefully pry the meat off with a sharp knife. You can take the brown part that sticks to the white coconut meat off with a peeler (or leave it on, you can eat it, it just makes the coconut meat look not all-white). Then process the meat in a food processor until finely ground (you can add a little of the coconut water back). You should get enough out of one coconut to make this recipe, with extra left over.

Khanom Dtom
150 g glutinous rice flour
3 Tbsp tapioca flour
100 g taro
50 g purple sweet potato
1/2 cup concentrated fresh squeezed pandan juice
1-1/2 Tbsp red sala syrup
2 Tbsp filtered water
Coconut filling:
180 g grated fresh coconut
100 g palm coconut sugar
1 Tbsp brown cane sugar
Coating:
1-1/2 cups grated fresh coconut
1/4 tsp fine salt

Steam taro and purple sweet potato until cooked. Blend separately cooked taro and cooked sweet potato in food processor. Set aside.

To make pandan juice, cut pandan leaves into small pieces, then process in food processor with 1/2 cup water until leaves are fine, then strain.

Mix water and red syrup together to make red sala water; set aside.

Steam 1-1/2 cups of grated coconut and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt; mix well. Set aside in a large bowl.

Mix glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour; set aside.

Heat non stick pan with low heat. Add grated coconut and both sugars. Cook until sugar melts and coconut and sugar becomes sticky. Set aside until it cools down. Once cool, form small 1/2-inch balls; set aside.

Mix half of cooked taro with 50 grams of flour mixture. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of pandan juice and knead it until smooth; set aside. Mix another half of cooked taro with 50 grams of flour mixture. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of red sala water in to the second portion of the dough and knead it until smooth; set aside. Repeat for the cooked sweet potato with just the pandan juice and flour mixture.

Make 1 inch balls of dough for each of the mixtures. Flatten the ball and put the coconut ball filling in the middle. Wrap them well; smooth to become a ball; set aside.

Boil water in a big pot. Once water is boiling put the finished balls into the pot. Wait until each ball floats, remove from water with a strainer and put them in the steamed coconut. Cover each ball with coconut. Remove to a plate.