Pulut inti (sticky rice with sweet coconut topping)
Salty-sweet steamed sticky rice topped with caramelly palm sugar coconut, cut into neat diamonds.
- Time1 hr 15 plus soaking
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.35 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
Rinse the glutinous rice well and soak in cold water for 4 hours or overnight. Drain.
- 2
Mix the rice with the coconut milk, 150 ml water, salt and pandan leaf in a heatproof dish. Steam over a rolling simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway, until tender and sticky.
30 min - 3
Meanwhile, make the topping. Heat the palm sugar and 100 ml water in a pan until melted, then stir in the desiccated coconut. Cook, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes until the coconut is moist and clings in clumps. Cool.
7 min - 4
Lightly oil an 18 cm square tin lined with baking paper. Press the hot rice firmly into the tin with a wet spoon until flat and compact.
- 5
Spoon the coconut topping evenly on top and press gently.
- 6
Cool for 30 minutes so it firms up. Cut into diamonds with an oiled knife.
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.