Steamed rice flour cakes filled with coconut and jaggery wrapped in banana leaves — the traditional sweet preparation of the Garo people made for Wangala harvest festival.
Ingredients
For the rice cake:
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup warm water — to make the dough
A pinch of salt
For the coconut-jaggery filling:
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
3 tbsp jaggery — grated
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
Banana leaves — softened over flame for wrapping
Method
Make the filling first: combine grated coconut and grated jaggery in a pan.
Heat on low-medium stirring for 5 to 6 minutes until jaggery melts and the mixture comes together. Add cardamom powder. Cool completely.
Make the rice dough: mix rice flour with a pinch of salt.
Add warm water gradually, mixing with hands, until a soft dough forms. It should not be sticky.
Wilted banana leaves: briefly pass each banana leaf piece (15 x 15 cm) over a gas flame for 3 to 4 seconds to make it soft and flexible.
Set up a steamer with boiling water.
Take 2 tbsp rice dough. Flatten in your palm into a circle about 8 cm wide.
Place 1 tbsp coconut-jaggery filling in the centre. Fold the dough over and seal the edges firmly.
Place the filled rice cake on a softened banana leaf.
Fold the leaf over to completely enclose it. Fold in the sides and secure with a thin bamboo pin.
Steam for 15 to 18 minutes until the rice cake is completely cooked through.
Open the banana leaf at the table to reveal the fragrant cake inside.