Bubur Biji Ketapang or Bubur Biji Salak

Bubur Biji Ketapang (in Sumatra) or Bubur Biji Salak (in Java) are Indonesian Sweet Potato Dumpling.  Both are the same sweet snack and made from sweet potato. 

Bubur means porridge while biji means seed. Ketapang is a Terminalia catappa  plant with many different common names such as Bengal almond, Singapore almond, Ebelebo, Malabar almond, Indian almond, Tropical almond, Sea almond, Beach Almond, Talisay tree, and Umbrella tree. Salak (Salacca zalacca) is a palm tree (family Arecaceae) species native to Indonesia and known as snakefruit.

For those who know bubur candil, don’t get confused! Bubur Candil is similar to Bubur Biji Ketapang or Bubur Biji Salak but without sweet potato added.

The sweetness can be adjusted to your tastebuds. The original recipe from yasaboga suggested to add another 2 tablespoons of raw canesugar beside 7 ounces coconut or palm sugar.

Baking, instead of steaming the sweet potatoes resulted in less water inside the sweet potatoes and less tapioca or sago starch to be added. The taste of sweet potatoes were also sweeter.

Ingredients:

1.7 lbs sweet potatoes
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4.2 oz sago or tapioca flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder
6 cups water
7 oz. coconut or palm sugar (Palm sugar has a darker result)
3 pandan leaves
1 tablespoon sago/tapioca flour, dissolved in a small amount of water

Coconut Milk Sauce
1.5 cups thick coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pandan leaf

Methods:


Sweet Potato Balls
1. Wash sweet potatoes, wrap each potato in aluminum foil. Bake, folded side of foil up, at 400° F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a fork easily presses into the center. If you like to go faster you can microwave them and it will take you about 15 minutes.

2. Let sweet potatoes cool down and the skin will come off easily. Once the skin is off, transfer into a bowl and mash until smooth.

3. Remove 1/4 of mashed sweet potatoes to another smaller bowl and combine with 1 tablespoon sago/tapioca flour mixture. Set aside.

4. Mix the 3/4 part with sago/tapioca flour, vanilla powder and salt. Knead until well-blended and form into small oval balls.

5. In a pot, combine water, palm sugar and pandan leaves. Bring to a boil. Place in the oval-balls and continue to boil until all balls float. Add the sweet potatoes sago/tapioca mixture. Stir. Remove from the heat and pour thick coconut milk sauce on top.

Coconut Milk Sauce:
In a saucepan, combine thick coconut milk with salt and pandan leaves. Simmer and stir at low heat until boiling. Remove from heat and ready for sauce.