Palitaw Lulubog, Lilitaw

Definition: Filipino kakanin with sugar, sesame seeds and coconut

Ingredients:

1. Malagkit or glutenous rice
2. Dessicated coconut
3. Sesame seeds
4. Sugar

Procedure:

1. Take a handful of galapong or ground glutenous rice. Knead as if dough in order to make compact palitaws.

Tams recollects: Traditionally, we would grind the malagkit rice ourselves using
a stone grinder. As the youngest part of the team, I'd be given the task to put
water into the grinder to lubricate it. My grandma, brothers and sisters would
take turns spinning the improvised stone machine. Once it's all done, the
galapong would be tightly wrapped in a canvass cloth usually coming from
flour containers, then drained of water. This process alone would require an
hour at least. Do you know how we drained the water out of the galapong?
We'd sandwich it between the stone grinder then ask the heaviest member of
the family to stand on top. When no more water is comin out of the galapong
is ready to be prepared.

2. Make small balls out of the galapong dough. I shaped them into quail egg size to make it bite size. You can make it as bigger or smaller as you like.

TIP: If the galapong sticks to your hands already, moisten your hand a bit by dipping the point of your finger in clean water.

3. Flatten the balls you made and press the middle with your thumb.

4. When all the galapong is done, you can start cooking. Heat about 10 cups of water. Allow it to boil for three minutes. Then, start putting in the palitaws. Initially they will sink to the bottom of your cooking pan but no need to worry for after a minute or so, they will start floating.

TIP: I used the pasta scoop to get the floating palitaws sans the water.

5. Cover the palitaws with dessicated cocunut then cover with the sesame seeds-sugar mix. If you can pre-toast the sesame seeds to make it crunchier, better.

Enjoy!