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Palitaw

by Lalaine Manalo last updated November 28, 2019 posted December 7, 2018 22 Comments

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Palitaw made with glutinous rice flour, grated coconut, sesame seeds, and sugar. Soft, chewy, and gluten-free, this Filipino delicacy is delicious as snack or dessert.

Palitaw on a wooden serving plate
Palitaw

For day 7 of our holiday recipe series and as follow up to the sweet and sour meatballs yesterday is a classic Filipino delicacy, Palitaw. If you’re looking for a quick and easy snack or dessert to complete your holiday feast, this rice cake is a must on your menu!

With perfectly soft and chewy rice patty coated with grated coconut, toasted sesame seeds, and sugar, it’s sure to be the hit of the party!

pressing glutinous rice flour dough with finger

What is Palitaw

Traditional Palitaw is made from glutinous rice grains which are soaked in water overnight and then processed into a soft dough via grinding. The dough is formed into thin patties, cooked in boiling water, and then coated with grated coconut, toasted sesame seeds, and sugar.

As their name which is from the Filipino root word “litaw” or “to surface” suggests, the patties will float or rise to the surface of the water when done.

Due to the availability of commercial sweet rice flour, makingΒ these mochi cakes can’t get any easier than mixing the flour with water! It is important, however, to note that a good palitawΒ is all about the texture.

Please check out my tips below on how to make them perfectly soft and chewy!

cutting palitaw with a fork

Tips on How to Make the Best Palitaw

  • To get the perfect chewy texture, you need the right ratio of glutinous rice flour and water. Not enough liquid and the cakes will be hard to chew. Too much and the patties will be hard to form.
  • Β I find 1 cup of water to 2 cups of flour yields the best texture for my taste. The mixture will look dry at first but keep on mixing with your hands until it gathers into a smooth dough. The consistency you’re looking for is like that of soft, pliable putty.
  • For more uniform size, use a small scoop to portion out the dough and use the palm of your hands to roll each portion into a ball and then flatten into an oval shape about 1/4 thick.
  • If the dough is sticking, wet hands in between shaping.
  • Once the patties rise to the surface, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water right away to keep from over-cooking. Drain well.
  • Let them cool just enough to touch and begin rolling in grated coconut as they coat better when still warm.
  • Roll the patties immediately in coconut but sprinkle the sugar-sesame mixture when you’re ready to serve as the sugar tends to dissolve over time. Or you can serve it on the side and allow the guests to sweeten the cakes as they like.
Palitaw coated with grated coconut, sesame seeds, and sugar on a wooden serving plate
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3.12 from 9 votes

Palitaw

Palitaw made with glutinous rice flour, grated coconut, sesame seeds, and sugar. Soft, chewy, and gluten-free, this Filipino delicacy is delicious as snack or dessert.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: palitaw
Servings: 12 Pieces
Calories: 171kcal
Author: Lalaine Manalo

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 cups glutinous rice flour
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup grated mature coconut
  • water for boiling
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a pan over medium heat, toast sesame seeds, stirring frequently, for about 30 to 40 seconds or until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 
  • In a bowl, combine toasted sesame seeds and sugar. Set aside.
  • In a bowl, combine rice flour and water and mix into a soft, pliable dough. 
  • Divide the dough into portions and using the palm of hands, shape into balls and then flatten into oval disks about 1/4-inch thick.
  • In a pot over medium heat, bring about 5-inch deep of water into a rolling boil.
  • Individually drop the rice patties into the boiling water, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the patties float to the surface, 
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove from the water and drain well. Arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined platter to keep from sticking together and let cool just enough to touch.
  • While still warm, roll the palitaw on grated coconut to fully coat. 
  • Sprinkle with sesame-sugar mixture before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.7mg
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Filed Under: Rice, Potatoes and Noodles, Sweets and Desserts Tagged With: coconut, glutinous rice flour

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Lalaine from Kawaling Pinoy

Hello! My name is Lalaine and welcome to Kawaling Pinoy where you’ll find Filipino and Asian-inspired recipes, cooking tips, and how-to videos. Read more...

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Comments

  1. ashita says

    July 16, 2019 at 1:50 am

    Its very Helpful for me

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      July 20, 2019 at 2:42 am

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  2. choi macalalad says

    July 6, 2019 at 1:06 am

    hi..i want to try your recipe πŸ™‚
    thank you for sharing your recipeπŸ™‚
    God bless poπŸ™

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      July 8, 2019 at 7:01 pm

      You’re welcome πŸ™‚ Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Yunna says

    July 4, 2019 at 4:34 am

    Thanks for sharing this recipe. We are requested to make this for a festival. Hope everything gets well when we make this.

    Btw, may i know the brand of your cook pot/pan? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      September 7, 2019 at 10:03 pm

      My friend bought the pot from Dubai but she’s not sure they’re available outside of the Middle East. You can search on Amazon for granite cookware πŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. MARY JANE DELA ROSA says

    April 24, 2019 at 4:32 am

    I want those recipes to create food or merienda. Thank you

    Reply
    • Lalaine Manalo says

      April 25, 2019 at 6:27 am

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Donna says

    March 31, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    Hi, can i use dessicated coconut instead?

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      April 2, 2019 at 6:42 am

      I’ve never tried using desiccated coconut and they might taste different. If you want to use them, maybe add a tablespoon or so water to the dry coconut to moisten them.

      Reply
  6. Hazel says

    November 20, 2018 at 12:39 pm

    Yun po bang frozen grated coconut, dpat pinipigaan para po maalis yung parang panis na lasa?

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 8, 2018 at 12:45 am

      Hindi kailangan pegain kasi mawawalan nang flavor. It shouldn’t have panis na lasa unless sira na yung coconut.

      Reply
  7. Ktine says

    April 8, 2018 at 6:07 am

    Ask lang bakit ang slimy ng texture ng palitaw ko, san ako nagkamali. Wala po kong iniba sa ingeduents and procedure.

    Reply
    • Ktine says

      April 8, 2018 at 6:07 am

      Ingredients*

      Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 8, 2018 at 12:46 am

      The texture I think is slimy dahil natagalan ang luto sa tubig. Once they float, you need to remove them immediately from the boiling water as they will continue to cook.

      Reply
  8. MayBe says

    December 30, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    Hello!
    Made this yesterday. It was so so easy especially if you use a frozen grated coconut (thawed of course πŸ™‚ ). In my case I grated my coconut.
    So delicious. Actually, I had to make again last night.
    Thank you again.

    Mei (MayBe)

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      December 30, 2017 at 1:56 pm

      I am glad you enjoyed it! Happy holidays, neighbor!

      Reply
  9. Sultana Parvin says

    December 2, 2015 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Lalaine,

    I like your recipe. I read about you, here I like to quoted” Cooking is subjective. The recipes here reflect my personal tastes and they are for you to tweak, as necessary, to suit yours.” I also mean it.
    I am passionate of cooking. So you can see my blog also.

    Reply
  10. jerlin paduada says

    August 17, 2014 at 6:19 pm

    wla po bng kutsinta recipe dito?

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      August 17, 2014 at 8:31 pm

      Hello, Jerlin

      Here is my recipe https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/kutsinta/ πŸ™‚

      Reply
  11. Laura says

    July 20, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    This looks delicious! Pinning now!

    Reply
    • Lalaine says

      October 25, 2013 at 7:24 am

      Thanks, Laura πŸ™‚

      Reply

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