Have you ever tried Palitaw (Sweet Rice Cakes)? It is a popular street food in the Philippines.
If you've never had it before, or if you're curious about it, then you'll want to read on. In this blog post, I'll answer some of the most common questions about Palitaw.
Palitaw is called Palitaw because it is cooked in boiling water until the dough floats or "litaw" to the surface.
As the only ingredients are glutinous rice flour and water, the dough has no taste. Palitaw gets its flavor from the coconut coating and the toppings made with sugar and sesame seeds or peanuts.
Palitaw is one of those easy-to-make recipes requiring few ingredients. The dough consists of only glutinous rice flour and water.
Grated coconut is used as a coating and is topped with sugar and sesame seeds (or peanuts).
Glutinous rice flour is finely milled rice with a powdery texture made from cooked and dehydrated short- or long-grain sweet rice. It is also known as sweet rice, sticky rice, or malagkit in Filipino.
Despite its name, glutinous flour contains no gluten and is not sweet at all. It has a neutral taste with a sticky, chewy consistency. It is used in desserts or as a thickener in sauces.
Yes. Mochiko is a Japanese sweet rice or glutinous rice flour made from a short-grain variety. Some glutinous rice flours are made from long-grain varieties.
They are quite similar and can be used interchangeably in most recipes. Some people find mochiko more dense and chewier than other kinds of glutinous rice flour.
Unfortunately, there isn't a substitute I can recommend for sweet rice flour in Palitaw. Its pillowy-soft, chewy consistency is hard to replicate. Rice flour does not produce the same soft, chewy texture.
Tapioca and potato starch are both challenging to make into a dough, and when cooked, they become too sticky and chewy to enjoy as rice cakes.
No. Rice flour won't give you that sticky, chewy consistency like glutinous rice flour.
Grated coconut is fresh or dried coconut that has been grated or finely shredded. It has a subtle sweet taste. You can get frozen grated coconut in Asian supermarkets in the US.
Most grocery stores also sell them dried as desiccated coconut, which is finer than coconut flakes or shreds.
Yes. If you cannot get fresh or frozen grated coconut, dehydrated coconut will work in its place. Desiccated coconut is coconut meat that has been finely grated and dried to remove as much moisture as possible.
When you make Palitaw, the water from the freshly cooked dough will rehydrate the dried coconut.
They are different. Desiccated coconut is finely grated and resembles fresh snowfall. Shredded coconut is made up of small, thin strips.
A much larger variety is flaked coconut made of long and wide flakes. By grinding coconut flakes or shreds in a food processor, you can make grated coconut appropriate for Palitaw.
Technically, coconut is considered a fruit rather than a nut. In case of nut allergy, consult your doctor on what foods to avoid.
While coconut is not a nut, some people who are allergic to tree nuts are also allergic to coconut.
The dough for Palitaw is straightforward to make. Combine the glutinous rice flour with water until you get a smooth and pliable consistency like Play-Doh.
You can add more flour a tablespoon at a time if the dough is too sticky. When the dough seems too dry, add a little water at a time until you get the right consistency.
The best way to cook Palitaw is to boil them. Drop them in boiling water, and when they float to the top, they're done! It takes only 1 or 2 minutes for them to cook.
Make the dough a day or two in advance. Form them into thin, flat cakes and keep them separated so they won't stick together. Cover and refrigerate.
If you wish to cook in advance, coat them with grated coconut, but leave the topping until you are ready to serve them. Refrigerate or freeze.
Fresh Palitaw is always best. If you must store it, wrap it well and refrigerate it. Freshly grated coconut goes bad after about 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Palitaw will last a bit longer if you use dried coconut. You can also extend its shelf life by freezing it. Thaw and reheat in the microwave to restore its soft, chewy texture.
Yes, you can freeze Palitaw without the sugar mixture. Wrap them properly and freeze them for a few weeks.
Thaw in the refrigerator and microwave for about a minute to get them warm and chewy.
Yes. There are three ways to do it. Palitaw can be warmed up in a microwave for about a minute until soft and chewy.
You can also wrap them in foil and heat in the toaster oven or in a steamer on the stovetop.
So there you have it — the frequently asked questions about Palitaw. I hope this has inspired you to give it a try! It’s really easy to make, and I promise you will love the results. Thanks for reading!
