Palitaw (Flat Rice Cake)

Copyright 2011 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

This is another childhood favorite and one that I always ask for whenever I am at home. This is made with glutinous rice flour and water and the cooked rice cake is dredged with freshly shredded coconut meat. The treat is finished with muscovado sugar and you are set for a good time. Muscovado sugar is mostly found in the city I was born in and is basically brown sugar in its raw form. They are sold with clumps of sugar and to me, those are the best part. The good thing about this sugar is how the sweet taste is a bit on the mild side which makes it perfect for savory treats such as these. 

There are a few things that needs to be considered when making these treats here in the US. One, finding freshly shredded coconut meat is going to be a challenge so a good substitute is the dried shredded coconut for baking. The down side is that they are mostly sweetened so you need to cut down on the sugar topping. Any brown sugar is also okay but the dark version is your best bet. Toasted sesame seeds are also sometimes used as a topping. The recipe below makes about 12-15 cakes. 

Palitaw (Flat Rice Cake)

1 cup glutinous rice flour
1/2 - 1 cup cold water
shredded coconut
dark brown sugar
toasted sesame seeds (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine the rice flour with 1/2 cup water. Work the 
    water in until you form a dough that holds its shape and is not crumbly. 
    You will have to add more water to achieve this. Make sure the dough 
    is pliable but not soggy. 

2. Take 1 tablespoons rounds of dough and flatten with your palms or a 
    small rolling pin into 1/4 inch thick discs. Drop and cook into a pot of 
    simmering water. Do the same for the rest of the dough. The cakes are 
    cooked when they float to the top. 

3. Spoon out the cooked cakes with a slotted spoon and while still hot, 
    dredge with the shredded coconut. Top with about 1 teaspoon of brown 
    sugar and a sprinkling of toasted sesame, if using. Serve right away.