Sakin Gata

Rice Cakes Steamed in Banana Leaves

VegetarianOrigin CoastalPrep 40 minutes, plus soaking timeCook 20 minutes

These soft, lightly sweetened steamed rice cakes are wrapped and cooked inside fragrant banana leaves. Black sesame seeds provide a gentle, nutty contrast to the tender rice dough.

Sesame topping

9 gScattered over the dough portions before folding (step 5)

Black sesame seed · Kala Til

9 g1 tablespoon

nut/seed

Keep whole.

Everything else

Glutinous rice · Chawalrinsed and drained

1000 g

grain

Granulated sugar · Cheeni

21 g5 teaspoons

sweetener

Banana leaf · Kela patta

90 g3 pieces

other

Method

Cover 1000 g rice with water in a bowl and leave to soak overnight.
Drain the soaked grains thoroughly and spread them across a clean dish towel to dry completely. Once dry, transfer to a blender or food processor and grind into a fine powder.
Place the ground rice into a mixing bowl along with 21 g granulated sugar. Pour in 500–750 ml of water and stir until a soft dough comes together, then knead continuously for 5 minutes.
Prepare 3 banana leaves by passing them swiftly over a low stove flame until pliable (or briefly immerse them in boiling water, rinse with cold water, and wipe completely dry). Cut the softened leaves into 15 cm (6½ inch) squares.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of dough onto the centre of each leaf square. Distribute the Sesame topping evenly across the surface of the dough, fold the leaves into neat packets, and tie securely with kitchen string.
Arrange the packets in a steamer or on an elevated plate inside a covered pot of boiling water, and steam for 20 minutes until fully set.

Don't have something?

Glutinous rice

Short-grain rice
Use the same weight; rinse and soak 30 minutes, then cook with about 10% less water. Stickier than basmati but not as gluey as glutinous rice.
Rice
Use the same weight. Ordinary rice gives separate grains rather than the chewy cling of glutinous rice; adjust water and cooking time to the variety.
Basmati rice
Use the same weight. Fragrant and separate; not sticky at all, so only suitable where the gluey texture is not essential.

Granulated sugar

Jaggery
Use equal weight; grate or shave finely so it dissolves rapidly, giving a warm, caramel-like sweetness and slightly darker sauce.

Banana leaf

Green cabbage
Blanch large outer leaves for 30 seconds and use as a parcel; use the same size to wrap. No banana aroma.
Collard greens
Blanch whole leaves for 1 minute and use as a wrap; slightly tougher and more peppery.

Black sesame seed

White sesame seed
Use the same weight and toast lightly; the flavour is close but the colour will be paler.
Sesame seed
Use the same weight; toast gently and crush if a black sesame paste is needed.

Similar dishes

Boorelu Appalu

Jaggery Biscuits (Cookies)

Boorelu Appalu is crisper and richer with caramelized jaggery notes, compared to the softer, gently sweet, and nutty sesame profile of this dish.

Same: Both are sweet rice-based snacks.
Different: Boorelu Appalu includes wheat flour, jaggery, and ghee and is deep-fried in vegetable oil, whereas this dish uses granulated sugar and black sesame seeds and is steamed inside banana leaves.

Basic Rice Recipe

Basic Rice Recipe tastes mild and clean with separate fluffy grains, while this dish is soft, lightly sweet, and nutty from black sesame with banana-leaf fragrance.

Same: Both are rice-based dishes cooked with steam rather than drained in water.
Different: Basic Rice Recipe uses only basmati rice and salt and cooks loose grains by absorption, while this dish uses glutinous rice, sugar, banana leaves, and black sesame and steams wrapped rice cakes.

Plain Rice

Plain Rice tastes clean, mild, and lightly salty, while this dish is lightly sweet, nutty from sesame, banana-leaf fragrant, and soft and chewy.

Same: Plain Rice and this dish are both rice-based foods cooked with steam.
Different: Plain Rice uses basmati rice, water, and salt, while this dish uses glutinous rice, sugar, banana leaf, and black sesame and is wrapped before steaming.

Mangalorean Neer Dosai

Soft Savoury Rice Pancakes

Mangalorean Neer Dosai is savoury and mild with crisp lacy edges, while this dish is lightly sweet, soft, and nutty from black sesame.

Same: Mangalorean Neer Dosai shares a rice-based, simple preparation with this dish.
Different: Mangalorean Neer Dosai uses rice flour, water, salt, and vegetable oil and is cooked as thin pancakes, while this dish uses glutinous rice, sugar, banana leaf, and black sesame and is wrapped and steamed.