Mizoram Koat Pitha Rice Cake Mizo Traditional Steamed

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups rice flour
• 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
• 1/4 cup jaggery — grated
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• A pinch of salt
• Warm water — approximately 1/3 cup to bind
• Banana leaves — cut into 15 x 15 cm squares for wrapping

Method

1. Mix rice flour, grated coconut, grated jaggery, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
2. Add warm water gradually, mixing with your hands, until a soft dough forms that holds together without being sticky.
3. Do not add too much water — the dough should be just moist enough to shape.
4. Soften banana leaf squares by briefly passing each piece over a gas flame for 3 to 4 seconds until flexible. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
5. Set up a steamer with boiling water.
6. Take 2 tbsp of the rice mixture. Shape into a small oval or cylinder about 1 cm thick.
7. Place on a banana leaf. Fold the leaf over to completely enclose the cake.
8. Fold in the sides and secure with a thin bamboo pin or toothpick.
9. Arrange parcels in the steamer. Steam on medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes until the rice cake is completely cooked through and firm when pressed.
10. Open the banana leaves at the table — the rice cakes will carry a subtle grassy fragrance from the leaf.