Palitaw
Homemade Filipino palitaw: glutinous rice flour dumplings boiled until they float, coated in niyog, sugar, and sesame.
Serves 8 · 35m total
The Story
Palitaw is named for the moment the dumpling floats—litaw, to surface. You drop flattened discs of malagkit dough into boiling water, wait until they bob up, then roll them in grated coconut, sugar, and toasted sesame while they are still sticky.
It is one of the cheapest kakanin to make at home: flour, water, niyog. Street vendors sell them on banana leaves; lolas make a pot for merienda after the afternoon heat.
The dough should be soft, not dry. If it cracks when you flatten it, wet your hands. If it dissolves in the pot, you added too much water.
Best paired with
Kutsinta, puto, and hot coffee or salabat.
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦Keep a bowl of water nearby so you can wet your palms between pieces.
- ✦Do not crowd the pot or they stick and tear.
- ✦Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan until they smell nutty—raw seeds taste like dust.
- ✦Coat while the dumplings are hot so the coconut clings.
Substitutions
- fresh grated coconut → unsweetened desiccated coconut, slightly dampened
- sesame seeds → skip sesame and use extra sugar
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Mix glutinous rice flour with water until a soft, smooth dough forms. It should not crack when pressed. Cover and rest 10 minutes.
- 2
Pinch into 16 balls. Flatten each into a 5 cm disc, about 1 cm thick.
- 3
Bring a wide pot of water to a boil. Drop in discs in batches. Cook until they float, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon.
- 4
While still hot, roll each dumpling in grated coconut, then in sugar mixed with toasted sesame seeds.
- 5
Serve warm or at room temperature on a plate or banana leaf.
Kitchen Timer · 20 min prep first
15:00
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