PALITAW

In Filipino, litaw [lee-tou] means to rise. To emerge.

To appear. To be seen again. Palitaw [pah-lee-tou] is a sweet rice

dumpling that does precisely that — it rises to the surface

 once it is cooked.  Palitaw is made from galapong [gah-lah-pong],

 which is the dough made from sticky rice that is soaked

 in water overnight and then milled in a traditional,

heavy stone grinder called gilingan.  

It is the same sticky rice dough used to make bibingka and

bilo-bilo for ginataan. The home cook’s version

of galapong is made simply by combining glutinous

 rice flour and water and then kneading it until

 it becomes a smooth dough.

Palitaw is another popular kakanin or Filipino rice treat

that one can find in public markets and churchyards back home.

These chewy dumplings are sometimes wrapped in plastic

in flimsy foam trays or neatly arranged in wide,

shallow bamboo baskets lined with banana leaves

next to other native rice cakes like suman, biko, puto and kutsinta.

Palitaw Recipe

2 cups glutinous rice flour
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups grated coconut
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Knead the rice flour and water in a mixing bowl to make a

smooth dough that holds together and separates cleanly f

rom the bowl. With floured hands, pinch off about

1-1/2 tablespoons of the dough, roll into a ball and flatten

into a patty, about 2 to 3 inches in diameter and about

1/4 inch thick. Set aside on a dry plate.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Place grated coconut in a bowl.

Mix sugar and toasted sesame seeds in a separate bowl.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a pot.

Drop the dumplings into the pot and boil until

they rise and float to the top, about 1 to 3 minutes.

Scoop them out with a wire mesh skimmer and drain.

Roll the dumplings in coconut and then sprinkle

generously with sugar and toasted sesame seeds.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cooking Notes:

1. When using frozen grated coconut, thaw it completely

and drain the excess water either by pressing with

your hands or using a fine mesh strainer.

Spread coconut over a baking pan and lightly toast

 it at 350 degrees F for about five minutes.

2. How to toast sesame seeds. Place sesame seeds

 on a small pan or skillet that is dry and oil-free.

Shake the pan so seeds evenly spread to a thin layer.

Toast the seeds over medium heat, shaking the pan

 or stirring the seeds with a wooden spoon often.

Toast until seeds are fragrant and they turn light caramel

in color, about a few minutes. Immediately place

the toasted seeds to a plate and let them cool.

Do not leave them in the hot skillet where they will burn.

3. Drop one to three dumplings at a time so that

they do not stick with each other and crowd the pot.