Kelupis

About This Recipe

Kelupis is one of Brunei's most iconic traditional kuih (snacks), deeply rooted in the country's Malay heritage and closely associated with Hari Raya celebrations, royal occasions, and weddings. Glutinous rice is soaked overnight, mixed with coconut milk and salt, then wrapped tightly in young nipah palm leaves into a cylindrical parcel and steamed until the rice is fully cooked, compact, and infused with the grassy, slightly smoky fragrance of the leaves. The result is a firm, chewy rice cylinder that is unwrapped and eaten with rich beef or chicken serunding (spiced coconut floss) or simply plain. Making kelupis is a communal tradition — family members gather to fold and wrap hundreds at a time.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 3 cupsglutinous rice, soaked overnight
• 1.5 cupscoconut milk
• 1 tspsalt
• 20–24young nipah or banana leaf strips (30 cm x 10 cm), softened over flame
• 200 gdesiccated coconut
• 200 gminced beef or chicken
• 2 tbspmeat curry powder
• 1 tspturmeric
• 1 tbspsugar
• Saltto taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the rice

   Drain soaked glutinous rice and mix with coconut milk and salt. Stir well to coat all the grains.

2. 2

   Wrap the parcels

   Lay a leaf strip flat. Place 3–4 tbsp of the rice mixture along the centre. Fold and roll the leaf tightly around the rice to form a firm cylinder about 10 cm long, tucking the ends in securely. Secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks.

3. 3

   Steam

   Arrange parcels in a steamer and steam over boiling water for 45–60 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and the parcels feel firm. Replenish water as needed.

4. 4

   Make the serunding

   Dry-fry desiccated coconut until golden. In a pan, cook minced meat with curry powder, turmeric, sugar, and salt until dry. Mix with toasted coconut and cook on low heat, stirring, until the mixture is dry and fragrant.

5. 5

   Serve

   Unwrap kelupis onto a plate. Serve with a mound of serunding alongside for dipping or spooning over the top.

Variations

• •

  Kelupis with pandan: add a few drops of pandan extract to the rice mixture for colour and flavour.

• •

  Sweet kelupis: mix brown sugar into the rice and serve with kaya.

• •

  Serve alongside beef rendang as a complete Bruneian meal.

Storage

Kelupis keeps at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated for 3 days still in their leaf wrappers. Steam briefly to reheat.

Frequently Asked Questions