Palitaw (Boiled Rice Cake)

Back home, one of the rice cakes (kakanin) that I like to eat is palitaw. Palitaw literally means 'to float'. It is called as such because of the way it is cooked. Usually 'kakanins' are either steamed or baked. But palitaw is different because it is boiled. The dough is cooked in a boiling water until it rises to the surface or 'litaw' hence it is called palitaw. The 'cakes are then coated with coconut flakes, sugar and toasted sesame seeds to give texture and flavor.

Palitaw originally came from Pangasinan, a province on the northern part of the Philippines. Original recipe uses 'galapong'. It is the washed, soaked and ground sticky rice. Nowadays, to make the recipe simplier, glutinous rice flour is used.

I have always wanted to experiment on palitaw and never seem to have time to do it. Until today. I didn't know how easy it was to make it. It only takes less than 5 minutes to prepare. And cooking time is only 10 minutes or less.

Here is the recipe for palitaw.

Ingredients

2     cups         glutinous rice flour
2     cups         water
1     cup           toasted sesame seeds
1     cup           white sugar
1     pack         coconut flakes

Procedure

Mix the glutinous rice flour and water until you form a dough. Then shape them into dough balls. Flatten using your palm. Set aside.

Mix toasted sesame seeds with white sugar. Set aside.

In a pot, boil water. Once it is boiling, add the flattened dough in the pot until the cakes rises to the surface. Let it cool for a minute.

Coat the cake with coconut flakes on both sides. Then coat it also on both sides with sesame seeds and sugar mix.

Enjoy your palitaw!!!