Bua loy (Thai rice dumplings in warm coconut milk)
Soft, chewy little rice flour dumplings floating in sweet, salty coconut milk, rolled by hand and ready in half an hour.
- Time35 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.63 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Put the glutinous rice flour in a bowl. Add the warm water (and the pandan extract if using) a little at a time and knead for 2 minutes into a smooth, soft dough that does not stick to your hands. Add a drop more water if it cracks.
- 2
Pinch off pieces and roll them between your palms into smooth balls about 2 cm across, to make about 24. Keep them under a damp tea towel so they do not dry out.
- 3
Bring a pan of water to the boil and drop in the balls. They sink first. Cook for about 3 minutes, until they all float, then 1 minute more. Lift out into a bowl of cold water.
4 min - 4
In a second pan warm the coconut milk, 200 ml water, palm sugar, salt and ginger over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Do not let it boil hard or the milk may split. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
5 min - 5
Lift the dumplings out of the cold water and add them to the pan. Warm for 2 minutes. Remove the ginger.
- 6
Ladle into bowls and scatter over the sesame seeds. Serve warm.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
