Num Plae Ai

[Draggingtree]

Num Plae Ai

12.3 oz glutinous rice flour (about 3 cups)

4 oz palm sugar

1¼ cups hot water

Grated coconut (can be substituted with dried coconut)

Cut the sugar into tiny pieces, about the size of your fingertip. Set them aside. Place the flour in a mixing bowl and add hot water and mix until it resembles a smooth workable dough that is not too wet and can hold its shape. If it crumbles, it’s too dry so just add a bit more water. If it is too soft, add pinches of flour. Knead the dough for several minutes. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

To assemble the cakes: take a small piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Place each ball of dough on the palm of your hand and lightly flatten the ball. Place a piece of sugar in the center and bring the edges of the dough up over the sugar and seal the ball by pinching the sides together. Roll it into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Drop the little balls of dough into the water and cook them until they float to the top. Remove the cakes with a slotted spoon and submerge them into a bowl of cold water for a minute. Drain the cakes. We serve these little cakes in banana leaf cups and top them with grated coconut. Toothpicks are used to pick them up. If using dried coconut, just coat each ball with the coconut. It’s best to serve these cakes right away. Enjoy!

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