Fragrant Gula Melaka Coconut Pulut Inti Recipe

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Fragrant Gula Melaka Coconut Pulut Inti is a nostalgic Nyonya-style kueh made with soft, creamy glutinous rice and a generous topping of sweet grated coconut cooked in aromatic Gula Melaka and pandan leaves. The pulut is steamed with coconut milk for a lightly savoury, rich flavour, then naturally tinted with beautiful blue pea flower water.

Wrapped in softened banana leaf, each portion is fragrant, colourful, and wonderfully satisfying. The rich caramel notes of palm sugar pair perfectly with the fresh coconut and chewy pulut.

This Gula Melaka coconut inti can also be used as a filling for traditional kuih such as Kueh Dadar and Ang Ku Kueh.

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/XewYtzO1Xr0

https://youtu.be/XewYtzO1Xr0
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Fragrant Gula Melaka Coconut Pulut Inti

Makes 20 to 25 packets
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Peranakan
Keyword Gula Melaka
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Author Shiokman Eddie

Ingredients

INTI (Fragrant Gula Melaka Coconut)

  • 120 g gula melaka palm sugar
  • 50 ml water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 300 g fresh grated coconut

PULUT (Glutinous Rice)

  • 400 g glutinous rice
  • 40-50 blue pea flowers bunga telang (soak in 100 ml water)
  • 250 ml santan 150 ml thick coconut milk with 100 ml water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Pandan leaves optional

Instructions

INTI (Fragrant Gula Melaka Coconut)

  • Cut 120 grams of Gula Melaka into small pieces so that it melts more easily. Gula Melaka has a deep, smoky caramel flavour that gives this coconut topping its wonderful fragrance.
  • Cut about six pandan leaves into shorter lengths, then twist or crush them gently to release their aroma.
  • Add 50 millilitres of water to a pan, followed by the chopped Gula Melaka and half a teaspoon of salt.
  • Add in the pandan leaves, then stir over low heat until the palm sugar has fully melted.
  • Once the sugar has melted, turn off the heat and remove the pandan leaves.
  • Add 300 grams of fresh grated coconut. Turn the heat back to low and mix well, making sure every strand of coconut is coated in the fragrant Gula Melaka syrup.
  • Cook until the coconut has absorbed the syrup and looks moist, glossy, and evenly brown. Then set it aside while we prepare the pulut.

PULUT (Glutinous Rice)

  • For the naturally blue pulut, wash about 40 to 50 blue pea flowers.
  • Boil them in 150 millilitres of water until the water turns a deep blue. Let it stand for about one hour, then squeeze the flowers well to get 100 millilitres of dark blue flower water.
  • Wash 400 grams of glutinous rice until the water is clearer, then soak it for at least two hours. This helps the rice cook evenly and become soft and chewy.
  • For the coconut milk mixture, combine 150 millilitres of thick coconut milk with 100 millilitres of water. Add one teaspoon of salt and mix well.
  • Drain the soaked rice thoroughly.
  • Lightly oil a pan, then transfer in the glutinous rice. If you like, arrange a few pandan leaves on top for extra fragrance.
  • Pour the coconut milk mixture evenly over the rice. Make sure the rice is well covered.
  • Steam the rice for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, carefully remove the pandan leaves. Fluff up the rice gently, then pour the blue pea flower water over the rice in patches. This creates beautiful natural blue and white tones.
  • Fluff the rice again so the colour spreads lightly through the grains, then steam for another 10 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked, glossy, and tender.
  • Remove pan from steamer. Set it aside

ASSEMBLY

  • Soften the banana leaves briefly over steaming water. This makes them flexible and easier to fold without tearing.
  • Cut the softened banana leaves into pieces about 30 by 20 centimetres.
  • Place a heaped tablespoon of the coconut pulut in the centre of the banana leaf.
  • Top it with a heaped teaspoon of the fragrant Gula Melaka coconut inti.
  • Fold the banana leaf around the pulut, leaving a little of the sweet coconut exposed on top.

Notes

  • The pulut is gently savoury and creamy, while the coconut inti is sweet, aromatic, and full of palm sugar flavour. It is a simple traditional treat, but every bite feels so special.
  • You can also use this Gula Melaka coconut inti for other kuih, such as Kueh Dadar and Ang Ku Kueh. I’ll leave the recipe links in the description below.
  1. Kueh Dadar recipe: https://youtu.be/ue1YhQBl-H4
  2. Ang Ku Kueh recipe: https://youtu.be/F9bV55N5zPw