Recipe: Fried Glutinous Rice Cakes (Fried Palitao)

Fried Glutinous Rice Cakes

This an incredibly simple dessert or snack that is basically palitao that has been lightly fried. It also tastes similar to tikoy.

Ingredients:
1 c + 1 tbsp Glutinous rice flour (Sweet rice flour)
Water
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Sesame Seeds
Salt
White Sugar
Brown Sugar

Procedure:
In a medium sized sauce pan, add water to about 3/4 full. Boil then lower to a strong simmer.
In a bowl combine flour, 1 1/2 tbsp white sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla extract, and enough water to form a dough ball that you can handle. Kneed gently with your hands for 30 seconds. Take a small amount of the dough and roll to a ball with a diameter of about 1 1/2 inches. Flatten slightly to form a disc then add to pot of simmering water. Repeat for the rest of the dough. Wait until discs float to the top then remove from pot and lay on a slightly greased plate. Sprinkle discs with sesame seeds (not too much) and some salt. Heat oil in a pan and fry discs until golden brown. Remove and transfer to a plate. Combine equal parts white and brown sugar and sprinkle the mixture on top of the discs. Done!

Note: The salt that is sprinkled on the glutnous rice discs right before frying is important. Without the salt, the flavor will be 'flat'.

Variations:
- Coconut: add coconut milk instead of water.
- Ube: add ube powder or prepared sweetened ube.
- Pandan: add pandan flavored water or add a pinch of pandan extract.
- Green tea: add green tea instead of water.
- Red bean: add some red bean paste.
- Chestnut: add some chestnut puree.
- Coffee: add semi-strong coffee instead of the water.
- Banana: add a pinch of banana extract.
- Chocolate: add some cocoa powder to dough, or sprinke on top with sugar.