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Bubur candil
Sweet potato balls in syrup
Javanese sweet potato balls in palm sugar syrup for Ramadan takjil
Bubur candil is a classic takjil, the little sweet that Javanese families break the fast with after dates and water during Ramadan. Chewy balls of orange sweet potato and glutinous rice flour bob in a dark, glossy palm sugar syrup scented with pandan, and a spoon of salty coconut cream goes on top. It is warming, soft and fudgy, and stalls sell it in plastic cups in the hour before maghrib. Chef's tip: drop the balls into syrup that is just bubbling, not boiling hard, or they break up before they set.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the balls
- 9 oz orange sweet potatosteamed and mashed
- 5 ½ oz glutinous rice flour
- 1 pinch salt
For the syrup
- 7 oz palm sugarchopped
- 3 cups water
- 2 pandan leavesknotted
- 1 tbsp cornflourmixed with 2 tbsp water
For the coconut sauce
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Knead 9 oz orange sweet potato, 5 ½ oz glutinous rice flour and 1 pinch salt to a smooth dough that doesn't stick; roll into marble-sized balls.
5 minStep 2: Simmer 7 oz palm sugar, 3 cups water and 2 pandan leaves for 10 minutes until the sugar melts, then strain to remove grit.
10 minStep 3: Bring the syrup back to a gentle bubble, drop in the balls and cook for 6–8 minutes until they float and look glossy. Stir in 1 tbsp cornflour and simmer 2 minutes until the syrup thickens slightly. A common mistake is stirring too hard before the balls float, which squashes them.
10 minStep 4: For the sauce, warm 1 cup coconut milk with ½ tsp salt and 1 pandan leaf over a low heat, stirring, until just steaming; don't let it boil or it splits.
5 minStep 5: Ladle the warm candil into bowls and spoon the salty coconut sauce over.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bubur candil take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of orange sweet potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of palm sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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