Rainbow Tapioca Snack with Palm Sugar and Coconut

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Cenil is a beloved Javanese street snack made from chewy tapioca pieces tinted in bright colors, rolled in salted grated coconut, and drizzled with warm palm sugar syrup. The contrast of bouncy, sweet, and faintly salty flavors makes this a cheerful treat for warm afternoons or casual family gatherings.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 410 kcalCalories
• 10 gFat
• 7 gSaturated Fat
• 78 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 32 gSugar
• 2 gProtein
• 180 mgSodium
• 150 mgPotassium
• 30 mgCalcium
• 0.8 mgIron
• 1 mgVitamin C
• 0 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the tapioca dough

• 200 g tapioca starch, plus extra for dusting
• 50 g rice flour
• 200 ml just-boiled water
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp pandan paste (optional)
• Red, yellow, and blue gel food coloring

For the salted coconut coating

• 150 g fresh grated coconut (or frozen, thawed)
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 pandan leaf, knotted
• 2 tbsp water

For the palm sugar syrup

• 150 g Indonesian palm sugar (gula merah), shaved or chopped
• 60 ml water
• 1 pandan leaf, knotted
• 1 tsp lime juice (optional, to balance sweetness)

Directions

1. Whisk the tapioca starch, rice flour, and salt in a heatproof bowl. Pour in the just-boiled water and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms; let cool until handleable, about 5 minutes.
2. Knead the warm dough on a surface lightly dusted with tapioca starch for 3-4 minutes until smooth and pliable. It should feel slightly stretchy and not sticky; add more starch if it clings to your hands.
3. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Tint one red, one yellow, one green (mix blue plus yellow plus pandan paste), and leave one plain, kneading each portion briefly until the color is evenly distributed.
4. Roll each colored portion into ropes about 1 cm thick and cut into 1.5 cm pieces. Roll each piece between lightly floured palms into small ovals, then dust with a thin coating of tapioca starch.
5. Bring a wide pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop the cenil pieces in batches and cook 4-5 minutes; they are done when they float and look slightly translucent. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain well.
6. Meanwhile, combine the grated coconut, salt, pandan leaf, and 2 tbsp water. Steam over simmering water for 5 minutes until fragrant and just heated through, then fluff with a fork.
7. Make the syrup: combine palm sugar, water, and pandan leaf in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 5-7 minutes until the sugar melts into a glossy, medium-thick syrup. Stir in the lime juice, then remove the pandan leaf.
8. Toss the warm, drained cenil with the steamed coconut until each piece is lightly coated. Pile onto a serving plate and pour the warm palm sugar syrup generously over the top, or serve the syrup on the side for dipping.
9. Serve immediately while the cenil is still warm and the syrup is pourable, as a snack or light sweet with tea or coffee.

Cook’s Notes

• Use pure tapioca starch (not cassava flour blends like masa harina) for the signature bouncy, glassy chew; rice flour is only added for a touch of structure so the pieces hold their shape.
• If the dough feels crumbly, drizzle in 1-2 tbsp of additional hot water; if sticky, dust with more tapioca starch – hydration varies by brand.
• Wear food-safe gloves while kneading in the colors to avoid staining your hands, and let the dough cool until warm (not hot) so the food coloring stays vibrant.
• Cenil firms up as it cools. Refresh any leftovers by reheating briefly in a steamer basket – avoid the microwave, which turns the coconut coating rubbery.
• Palm sugar can be substituted with dark muscovado; the syrup will be slightly less floral but still rich and molasses-like.

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