Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine 2½ cups (315 g) sticky/glutinous rice flour and 2½ cups (250 g) shredded sweetened coconut. Add 1¼ cups (300 ml) coconut milk and stir with a spoon until the mixture comes together into a pliable dough with no dry flour remaining.
• Scoop about a tablespoon (≈15 g) of dough and roll it between your palms to form a smooth ball. Repeat until all the dough is portioned and shaped. (A cookie dough scooper helps keep sizes consistent.)
• Pour about 2 cups (480 ml) cooking oil (or enough oil to deep-fry the balls in your pan) into a saucepan and heat over medium until the oil reaches about 350°F (175°C). If you do not have a thermometer, dip a wooden skewer into the oil — when steady bubbles form around the skewer the oil is ready. Do not overcrowd the pan.
• Fry the dough balls in batches, turning as needed, for 4 to 5 minutes per batch or until they are lightly browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the balls and transfer them to a strainer or plate lined with paper towels (or a wire rack set over a baking sheet) to drain. Repeat until all balls are fried.
• While the balls drain, make the sauce: in a clean saucepan combine 1 (13.5-oz/400-ml) can coconut cream, ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons (120 g) brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to a syrupy consistency that will coat the back of a spoon.
• Serve the fried rice balls by either dipping them into the warm coconut–brown sugar sauce to coat, or thread about four balls onto a wooden skewer and pour or spoon the sauce over the skewered balls. If the sauce thickens too much as it cools, rewarm gently before serving.