Tripura Garia Puja Rice Cake Coconut Jaggery Festival Sweet

Method

1. 1

   Mix rice flour, grated coconut, grated jaggery, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl.

2. 2

   Add warm water gradually, mixing with your hands, to form a soft dough that just holds together.

3. 3

   It should not be sticky or wet — just moist enough to be shaped without crumbling.

4. 4

   Wipe banana leaf squares clean with a damp cloth.

5. 5

   Briefly pass each piece over a gas flame for 3 to 4 seconds to soften and make it flexible without tearing.

6. 6

   Set up a steamer with boiling water.

7. 7

   Take 2 tbsp of the rice-coconut mixture. Press into a small flat oval or round about 1 cm thick.

8. 8

   Place on a softened banana leaf. Fold the leaf over to enclose the cake completely.

9. 9

   Fold in the sides to make a neat parcel and secure with a toothpick or thin bamboo skewer.

10. 10

    Arrange the parcels in the steamer in a single layer.

11. 11

    Steam on medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes until the rice cake is completely cooked through — it should feel firm when pressed through the leaf.

12. 12

    Open one parcel to check: the rice cake should be smooth, cooked throughout and slightly sticky.

13. 13

    Open the banana leaves at the table — the rice cakes inside will have absorbed a subtle grassy fragrance from the leaf. Serve warm.