Palitaw Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Palitaw is a soft and chewy Filipino rice cake made from glutinous rice flour and water. The flat dough pieces are boiled until they float, then rolled in grated coconut and coated with a sweet mixture of sugar and toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm as a merienda or afternoon snack.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dessert, merienda, Snack

Cuisine: Filipino

Keyword: chewy, gluten-free, Palitaw, rice cake, sweet

Servings: people

Calories: 637kcal

Author: Vanjo Merano

Cost: $

Equipment

1 Large pot For boiling the palitaw
1 Mixing bowl For combining the dough
1 Slotted spoon For removing palitaw from the boiling water

Ingredients

2 cups glutinous rice flour
1 cup water
1 cup grated coconut freshly grated or unsweetened desiccated coconut
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup roasted sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan until golden

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the glutinous rice flour and water in a bowl, then mix and knead until a smooth dough forms. The dough should pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
2 cups glutinous rice flour, 1 cup water
Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough and shape it into a ball.
Flatten the dough gently using the palm of your hands into a thin oval disc, about a quarter inch thick.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and carefully add the flattened dough pieces, working in batches to avoid overcrowding.
Once the dough floats to the surface, remove it from the pot using a slotted spoon and let the excess water drip off.
In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and roasted sesame seeds, then toss to combine.
1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup roasted sesame seeds
Roll each warm rice cake in grated coconut, pressing gently so the coconut sticks, then coat it with the sugar and sesame seed mixture.
1 cup grated coconut, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup roasted sesame seeds
Arrange on a serving plate and serve while still warm. Share and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Scaling up – This recipe doubles well. Use a larger pot if making a bigger batch so the pieces have room to float without touching.

Glutinous rice flour brands – Mochiko and Thai brands like Erawan work well. Different brands absorb water slightly differently, so adjust water by the teaspoon if the dough feels too dry or too sticky.

Coconut milk in the dough – For a richer flavor, replace half or all of the water with coconut milk. This is common in some Visayan variations.

Serving on banana leaves – For a traditional presentation, line your serving plate with banana leaves before arranging the palitaw. The leaves add a subtle fragrance.

Prep ahead for parties – You can shape all the dough pieces in advance and keep them on a parchment-lined tray covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 hours before boiling. Do not coat them until right before serving.

Nutrition