Recipe
Num Plae Ai (recipe)
Glutinous rice dough wrapped around palm sugar balls, boiled until they float and coated in grated coconut.
This recipe for num plae ai (នំផ្លែអាយ), boiled rice dumplings with a palm sugar center, comes from 196 Flavors and was validated by Chef Pisith Theam.[1] Glutinous rice dough is wrapped around palm sugar, boiled and rolled in grated coconut.[1][2]
A Khmer fable gives the dumplings the nickname "husband killers," after a newlywed man who died from eating the hot, sticky cakes too quickly.[1] Roadside vendors in Phnom Penh sell them, and in the city's markets they are often served in a banana-leaf cone with a toothpick.[1][3] A little food coloring in the dough gives them different colors.[1]
Ingredients
- 3 cups glutinous rice flour
- 1 cup hot water, or more as needed
- 4 oz palm sugar, cut into small pieces
- 4 tbsp water
- 4 cups grated coconut, fresh or dry
- 5 tbsp coconut oil
Method
- Cook the palm sugar with the water until melted and thick, pour off any excess and cool briefly.
- Shape the warm sugar quickly into balls of about 1 centimeter (1/2 inch) and set them on parchment.
- Mix the flour with hot water, knead about three minutes and cover the dough.
- Flatten portions of dough, enclose a sugar ball in each, seal and roll smooth.
- Repeat until the dough is used up, setting each dumpling on parchment.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
- Simmer the dumplings, without crowding the pot, until they float.
- Chill them in cold water about one minute, then drain.
- Wearing thick gloves, coat the hot dumplings in coconut oil and grated coconut.