Rice cake is one of the recipes that the Philippines has been very well-known for centuries. If you would talk about the Philippines, one of the town recipes' talks is its different types and rice cake variations, especially the Palitaw recipes.
Palitaw is a dish that has many variations and elevates the dish from time to time since the rice cake's dough has a bland and plain flavor. Many Filipino love this dish because of the sweet flavor when you add the syrup to it, but because you could turn this dish into something more delicious and upgraded.
Unlike any other rice cake, it is pretty much easier to make and would not take too much of your time and effort to create this dish. That is why no wonder why many Filipinos love this particular dish so much.
Are you interested to know more about why it is the talk of the town Palitaw dish? So, keep exploring it until the very end of this article to know more about it!
What is Best Palitaw sa Latik
Palitaw is a flat, sweet and small rice cake eaten as a snack or dessert after a meal. It comes from the Tagalog word "Litaw," which means in English is "to rise" or "to float." It is a well-known rice cake delicacy in the Philippines.
It is a dessert or snack made with rice flour or grinds glutinous rice, boiled in water, then coated with sesame seeds and grated coconut meat. The rice cakes' recipes texture could range from very delicate and moist to chewy and rubber depending upon the one who cooked the dish.
The dish used ground malagkit or glutinous rice and galapong, soaked and washed. Some cooks used rice flour to minimize the time of soaking and grinding the glutinous rice because it is simpler and more efficient.
It is mixing the glutinous rice or rice flour and water until the dough is perfectly forming the way it should. Afterward, divide the dough into small pieces, manually molding it into a ball-shape and flattening it.
After flattening the dough, cook it in the boiling water until the small oval-shaped dough floats. It indicates that the cook on the dough is perfect and ready to eat when it floats.
Once cooked the rice cake, you could dip it in toasted sesame seeds, grated young coconut meat, and sugar or the most popular sauce to dip, which is the latik.
Latik refers to caramelized coconut milk or cream used as sauce or garnishes in some desserts.
This dish is a phenomenal dessert and snack that Filipinos love to serve after meals and occasions such as birthdays, fiestas, weddings, baptisms, and many different gatherings.
Ways to Cook
Rice cake recipes are a dish that is a little bit difficult to prepare and cook, unlike the other recipes. But we provide you with some of the ways to cook this amazing dessert.
Stovetop
Cooking using a stove method is the perfect way when making this dish. It helps boil the featured dish, making you more salivating because the cook in the dish is in perfection.
You have to fire up the burner, place the casserole or pot you are using in boiling the water where you drop the small, oval-shaped rice cake. It is much easier and convenient than other ways of cooking.
Slow Cooker
Another way of cooking is the slow cooker method. This technique is no big difference from the stove where you boil the water where you put the rice cake.
In this method, you have to use a slow cooker, which takes more time than a stovetop because cooking is slower than the other method. But you could ensure that you would get the right cook in the rice cake dough depending on your preferences.
Other Delicious Variants and Recipes
This classic and traditional rice cake dessert could have other incredible variants, and the version depends upon the cook's preference of flavors and ingredients. So, here are the elevated versions of a classic dessert.
Palitaw With Langka
This first version is closely similar to the original recipes. The only ingredient added to it is the langka or jackfruit. You have to cut the jackfruit into thin slices then added to the dish as a garnish.
The jackfruit gives more sweetness and a little bit of sour taste to the rice cake dish. Not only that, it helps the rice cake elevate its flavor and texture. Another thing, jackfruit, also added aroma to the dish, which makes it more appealing and delicious at the same time.
With Buko
Like the first version, this version is very similar to the classic version. Instead of plain or jackfruit, the only ingredient added to it is adding a buko (coconut). You have to grate the coconut and put in the dish as a garnish like a jackfruit.
The coconut adds a sweet, delicate, and succulent taste to the dish. It gives more light and good texture. The color of it compliments well with the rice cake, making the dish more appetizing and appealing.
Ube Flavor
Another variation of the dish is the Ube flavor. This version could split into two ways: either add the ube color to the dough before cooking or make an ube Halaya and fill the rice cake.
It added more color to the plain white, making the dish more attractive because of the dough's violet color. On the other hand, the ube Halaya filling would be interesting because many people love to combine recipes and create another incredible dish like this variation.
With Linga
One of these dish versions, which is common and usual, is the Palitaw sa Linga. This version is the dry version of this dish. The sauce or syrup in the featured dish turns out as a combination of sugar and sesame seeds or linga. It replaces the syrup, which makes it drier than the featured dish.
The flattened rice cake rolled in grated coconut meat, especially in Macapuno or jelly-like coconut meat, then added sugar and sesame seeds. It has a different texture to the feature dish because of its sugar and sesame seed coat. It is rougher than the smooth Palitaw with a Latik dish.
This version is very popular because many Filipino love the taste and flavor from the sesame seed that complements the plain flavor of the flattened rice cake.
With coconut
Another version of this dish is coconut milk. Other cooks add coconut milk in the dish and the caramelized syrup to balance the sweetness and add a creamy texture.
It is a version that is creamier than other variations of the featured rice cake dish. Coconut milk helps create a wonderful texture, aroma, and flavor, making this version outstanding.
Pandan Palitaw
Like the ube version, this dish allows you to add pandan to the dish; in this variation, you have to boil the pandan leaves first and then add it to the dough. Instead of the boiled water added to create a dough, you could use the boiled pandan leaves as a substitute.
It would add and give you a green color dough, making the dish more attractive and interesting. It elevated the dish to another level, which makes it more presentable to serve on any occasion.
With Yema
The last and final variation of the dish is Palitaw with Yema filling. Since the rice cake has a bland flavor, adding yema to eat makes it more delicious.
This version could either be dip or roll in a sugar-sesame seed or put a sauce or caramelized syrup to the dish with yema filling. It is one of the great variations of the featured dish that is popular nowadays.
Trivia about these recipes
Did you know that Palitaw is a dish similar to Japanese mochi cakes and Korean rice cakes? Yes, you read it right!
It is a popular Philippine dessert of all time, perfect for special gatherings and occasions. It is a soft steamed or boiled rice cake dough that could be spicy or sweet, depending on the cook's preference.
Like the Palitaw sa latik dish of the Philippines, Korea also has rice cake, which is different in cooking it. They pouched and stuffed the rice cake with sweet bean paste, and it is usually and normally served as street foods.
Japan has a similar rice cake dish like our menu, where they called it mochi. Mochi is a traditional food served in the Japanese New year and eaten during that time. The preparation of this Japanese dish is very similar to this dish of the Philippines.
The main ingredient, which is glutinous rice, has several health benefits. It includes manganese content, which helps you to process proteins, cholesterol, and carbohydrates.
Each serving of the glutinous rice boosts the intake of manganese of your body to 0.5 milligrams. According to the Institute of Medicine, manganese's daily intake level recommended for men is 22 percent and 28 percent for women.
It also has selenium, which is a type of mineral beneficial for our body. The Institute of Medicine set guidelines that you must take at least 18 percent of 55 micrograms that your body needs daily. One cup of the glutinous rice contains 9.7 micrograms of selenium, which keeps your blood vessel walls to function properly.
Tips for cooking these recipes
Rice cakes recipes are easy to prepare if you know how you would pull it off to create an outstanding dish. That's why we support you with some steps to create a wonderful dish like our menu.
- If you would use glutinous rice, ensure that you wash and soak it overnight to soften the rice.
- After soaking it overnight, ground it down into a dough with water.
- If you don't want to do grinding, which requires you more time and effort to do, you could purchase a bag of powdered glutinous rice flour in the market.
- Use a small amount of water when creating the dough.
Troubleshooting when cooking these recipes
To save your dish from ruining, follow some of the recommended solutions for the dish.
- Suppose it happens that you already create a dough, and it is a bit hard, which causes you to have a dense, chewy and rubbery dough. You could add extra water until the dough would have a softer texture.
- If you overcook the syrup and become super sticky, you could add coconut milk again then stir it until it turns out a flowing syrup when you put it in the dish.
Best Serve With
This featured dish is perfect with different recipes that would highlight its taste, texture, and flavor.
- Coffee- is a popular drink of all time served with this dish and other rice cakes.
- Hot Cocoa or Tea- is a sweet drink perfect for our menu.
- Pancit Guisado- is a dish usually served with rice cake recipes like our menu.
- Pancit Sotanghon- is also a dish served during some occasions or cold weather and eaten along with our menu.
- Pancit Palabok- another dish served with our menu. Its savory flavor suits the sweet flavor of the featured dish.
- Pancit Malabon- is another dish particularly served with the featured dish, which complements the sweet taste of it.
- Dinuguan- is a sour-savory dish perfect for our menu. It complements well with the taste of the desert.
- Crispy Pata- is a popular pork dish that is a good source of cholesterol. Our menu is perfect for serving along with this dish because it reduces the dish's loathing and oily taste.
Conclusion
Rice cake is one of the trademarks of the Pinoys. It is their comfort food, and dessert or snack for all time, especially the featured dish, the best Palitaw sa Latik.
If you are amazed by the dish variation and version, we provide you with all the details you need to create this dish and its versions. It is simple, quick, and easy to make, and all the ingredients are easy to find in the market.
Are you wondering how it tastes? Or what is the real texture of the dough? Is it difficult to execute? If these questions are in your mind, why don't you try to make it?
Even if you are Filipino or not, you could pull off this dish. You could start listing out all the ingredients and decide what version you want to try to make, then go to the market.
It is a fun and exciting activity that you could do with your children at home. It is a sweet, tasty, and incredible dish that helps you to appreciate Pinoy rice recipes. Come on, and try this wonderful dish!
For more delicious recipe, visit Eat Like Pinoy!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb Glutinous powder
- 4 cups Coconut milk
- 1 lb White sugar
- 8 cups Water
Instructions
Making the Palitaw
- In a bowl, combine ½ cup of glutinous powder and water. Then mix them until a smooth dough is formed.
- Scoop out about 1½ Tbsp. and form in a small ball. Then flatten into oval shape alt least ¼ inch thick. Set aside.
- In a pot, pour 5 cups of water and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, put the palitaw one by one and simmer until the palitaw rise to the surface of the sauce.
Making the Latik
- In a pan, simmer the coconut milk, stirring continuously until almost dry and the coconut oil comes out from the curd.
- Continue stirring until the curds are separated from the oil and the curds turn to brown but not burned.
- Strain the browned curds and set aside.
Making the Sauce
- In a casserole, pour 1 cup of water and 2 cups of coconut milk. Stir until it boils.
- Then put-in sugar, latik, cooked palitaw, and the remaining cup of glutinous powder. Simmer until the sauce is slightly thick. Then remove from the heat.
- Serve while hot. Share and enjoy.
