Glutinous rice cakes
Mainit, Bontoc
By Fran Macli-ing Claver
Here are detailed instructions from a mother to young children on how to make patupat, truly an example of slow food. Let Atty. Francisca Macli-ing Claver tell us how she learned to make patupat from her mother, the late Petra Macli-ing, who lived her life wisely and shared her wisdom with others.
I’m writing this at a time that my Mama hardly recalls anything or recognizes any of her children. I’m trying to recall as accurately how Mama directed patupat making during our childhood. My sisters and I helped Mama make patupat every December 24th. We started the activity right after breakfast of December 24 and the patupat would finish cooking exactly at the time in the evening before we went to church to attend the Christmas Eve mass. It was the centerpiece of the Christmas day food preparation and looking back, I am amazed that we practically used up the entire day of December 24 just for patupat preparation. How could the preparation of a simple food use up all our time? My realization is that, while we ended up having patupat for Christmas, the entire process was more for family bonding as everybody participated and had to lend a hand to accomplish the activity.
Ingredients:
2.5 kilos diket or glutinous rice
5 mature coconuts
1 kilo sugar
banana leaves
First prepare the banana leaves:
Harvest banana leaves taking care not to tear them. With the use of a knife or scissors, remove the midrib of the leaves. Cut the leaves in equal sizes of about 6” x 12” taking care to avoid tearing in the middle.
Light up a charcoal stove, and when the charcoals are hot, heat the banana leaves by running each piece over the charcoal. The leaves will become flexible and easy to fold.
With the use of a clean damp cloth, wipe the banana leaves to remove dust, bird droppings or other dirt.
The leaves are now ready to be used to wrap the diket.
Simultaneous to the above, Mama and my older sisters would do the following:
Crack the coconuts and shred the coconut meat with the use of a manual shredder (igadan). The coconut water was given to the pigs to drink.
Put warm water on the grated coconut and with clean hands, squeeze out the juice from the coconuts until the water has become milky white and oily. Separate the liquid from the coconut shreds with the use of a strainer. Set aside the liquid. The amount of water to be placed should be enough to partially cook the glutinous rice.
Rinse the rice twice, drain the water and place the diket in a big pot. Add the coconut milk and cook over fire. When the rice boils, add the sugar and stir to mix well. Lower the fire to avoid scorching.
By the time the liquid has dried up, the diket is half-cooked. Remove the pot from the fire. Scoop out the rice from the pot into a basket lined with wilted banana leaves to prevent the rice from sticking to the basket. While the rice is cooling off, it is time to eat lunch.
Afternoon activities:
On the table, place the basket of cooled diket, banana leaves, spoons and plates.
Place one piece of banana leaf on a plate. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of rice and place on the banana leaf. Shape into a rectangle and fold the sides of the banana leaf to cover the rice. Scoop out the same amount of rice and wrap. Two pieces of wrapped diket can be tied together with strips of banana leaf midribs to secure them and allow easier handling when placed in a vat to be recooked.
Line the bottom of a vat with some banana leaves to minimize burning the patupat.
After all of the diket has been wrapped, arrange the uncooked patupat in the vat.
Place water in the vat. The water should just be enough to steam the patupat for final cooking. Too much water will make the patupat soggy and too little will leave the patupat uncooked. Cover the vat with banana leaves.
Place the vat over fire and let the water boil to steam the patupat.
Put out the fire when cooked.