Bua Loy Thai Dessert Recipes
Credit to the Original Owner
Bua Loy is a traditional and delightful Thai dessert that features vibrant, colorful, and chewy rice flour balls served in warm, sweet, and fragrant coconut milk. This simple yet deeply comforting treat is beloved across Thailand for its rich, harmonious flavors and its smooth, satisfying texture that brings a sense of warmth and nostalgia with every bite.
Bua Loy Thai Dessert
Ingredients for Bua Loy Thai Glutinous Rice Balls
Sticky rice flour. Use Thai sticky rice flour only for this recipe. All other flours will not have enough starchiness to hold the dough in tiny balls.
Sugar. White, palm, or brown sugar can be used.
Pandan leaf. Optional for the flavors and aroma.
Water. Helps to soften the dough.
Coconut milk. The base for the creamy sauce. It's one of the main ingredients that make this dessert so tasty. Use full-fat coconut milk.
Salt. Just a dash to compliment the coconut milk and balances out the sweetness.
Food coloring (optional). I especially love Pandan and Ube flavor extract. These can be found in the Asian markets.
Instructions - Food Coloring
Ube extract for the purple color.
Pandan extract for the deep green coloring.
Pomegranate powder for the red or pink color.
Mango powder for the yellow color.
Pandan powder and pandan extract for the green color.
Butterfly pea flower for the blue color.
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Starchy Vegetables for Making Bou Loi
1.
Japanese purple potatoes - these give a lovely purple color to your dish. They are starchy, so use less flour and more water when making the dough.
2. Sweet potato or Jam - for a natural orange hue. They have a similar texture to purple sweet potatoes.
3. White or orange sweet potatoes - they can be used in a variety of colors. I prefer the white Japanese potato as it can easily be colored.
4. Taro - great for a neutral white color. It's tough to work with, but experiment with it and see what works best for you!
5. Kabocha squash - for a vibrant yellow color. Use only the bright, meaty part of this Asian pumpkin. See image below
How to Make Bua Loy
1. Clean your vegetables by peeling the skin, rinsing, patting them dry, and then cutting them into 1-inch pieces. Steam in hot water for 13-15 minutes or until soft.
2,. Mash the steamed starch into a mashed potato consistency in a mixing bowl. Then, add your favorite food coloring or natural food powder. See the list of natural food colors above.
3. Add the sticky rice flour to the mashed vegetables. Slowly add water and your fingers to knead the dough together until a soft dough forms.
4. Each starch will require a little bit more or less of the flour and water. Adjust as needed until you have a soft dough like a play dough consistency. If using different vegetables instead of rice flour, cover the other dough with plastic wrap until ready to roll to keep it from drying.
5. Roll the dough into small balls in your palms, then use your fingertips to help form a perfect round, tiny ball!
Place them on a flat surface with a light coat of flour to prevent the dough balls from sticking together. A large cutting board works well for this step, too.
5. In a large pot of water, bring water to a boil. Slowly add the rice balls to the boiling water and cook for a couple of minutes until they float to the surface. It only takes 1-2 minutes to cook the rice balls, so have a slotted spoon and ice bath ready.
6. Remove the cooked balls from the hot water with a slotted spoon and place them in a large bowl of cold water to prevent sticking. Keep working until the balls are all cooked.
7. In a separate small saucepan, on medium heat, heat coconut milk with sugar and pandan leaves until the sugar dissolves. Let it simmer on the low heat while cooking the rice balls.
Remove the pandan leaves before serving.
8. Add the colorful balls into the pot with the coconut milk, and let it soak in the flavors while you prepare a bowl or two for serving.
9. Now, the final step. Serve the cooked rice balls in coconut milk sauce.
