Palitaw Recipe (Boiled Rice Cakes)

Pillowy-soft, chewy rice cakes coated with grated coconut and topped with a sugar mixture.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Asian, Filipino

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 7

Total Time 10

Servings cakes

Calories 324kcal

Cost $4-$5

Coarsely grind the peanuts until you achieve the desired texture.
Toast sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Allow the toasted seeds to cool before using.
Mix sugar, ground peanuts, and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour, water, and a pinch of salt. Mix until a dough forms. It should leave an indentation when pressed with your fingers. Adjust the consistency by adding a tablespoon of flour if too sticky or a little water if too dry.
Scoop the dough using a 1-ounce cookie scoop equivalent to 2 tablespoons and place it on your lightly floured hand or on a baking sheet.
Press the dough between the palm of your hands until it's about ½-inch thick, or use the back of a spoon to flatten it. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Drop the glutinous rice dough into the boiling water and cook until it floats, which usually takes just a minute or two. Remove from the water and drain the excess water.
Coat with grated coconut on both sides.
Top with a heaping tablespoon of the sugar mixture.

Glutinous rice flour (Sweet rice flour): This type of flour is made from glutinous or sticky rice, also called "malagkit" in Filipino. Despite its name, it is gluten-free and not sweet at all.
Grated Coconut: For the coating, freshly grated mature coconut is best. If fresh isn't available, frozen grated coconut is a suitable alternative. You can also use desiccated coconut or dried coconut flakes that aren't too big, but be sure to coat the Palitaw while warm so it rehydrates.
Coconut sugar: This unrefined sugar, which has a lower glycemic index, can be used as a substitute for granulated or white sugar.