Tripura Bananas Leaf Wrapped Rice Cake Tripuri

Method

1. 1

   Soak the glutinous rice: Wash and soak 2 cups glutinous rice for 4 hours.

2. 2

   Soften banana leaves: Soften banana leaf pieces by briefly passing over a low flame or dipping in hot water until pliable. Wipe dry.

3. 3

   Season the rice: Drain soaked rice. Add salt and sugar if using. Toss.

4. 4

   Place rice on leaf: Put 1/2 cup of the soaked seasoned rice in the centre of a banana leaf piece.

5. 5

   Wrap into a cylinder: Roll the leaf into a tight cylinder around the rice. Fold the ends under securely. The rice inside should not be able to fall out.

6. 6

   Tie securely: Tie the wrapped packet firmly with a string or a thin strip of banana leaf to hold the shape during steaming.

7. 7

   Make all packets: Repeat until all the rice is wrapped.

8. 8

   Steam for 25 to 30 minutes: Fill a steamer with water. Bring to a boil. Place the banana leaf packets on the steamer tray. Cover and steam on medium-high for 25 to 30 minutes.

9. 9

   Test doneness: Open one packet — the glutinous rice should be fully cooked, sticky, translucent and fragrant from the banana leaf.

10. 10

    Serve in the leaf: Serve the packets intact. Each person opens their own at the table. The banana leaf fragrance is the characteristic of this preparation.

11. 11

    Note: Banana leaf rice cakes are made across Tripura for Kharchi Puja (a major religious festival of Tripura held in July where 14 deities are worshipped), for harvest celebrations and for community sharing. The banana leaf imparts its characteristic clean, grassy fragrance to the sticky rice — an effect that no other wrapping material can produce. The preparation reflects the Tripuri people's deep connection to the bamboo and banana plant (plantain) forested landscape of Tripura.