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Moron (Leyte chocolate and coconut sticky rice twists)
Chocolate sticky rice rolls
Swirled logs of chocolate and plain sticky rice steamed in banana leaves
Moron is the pride of Leyte and Samar, made for town fiestas and sold all year in Tacloban markets as a merienda. Two doughs of glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and sugar, one plain and one darkened with tablea, the pure roasted cacao of the Visayas, are rolled into ropes, twisted together and steamed in banana leaves. Each log is chewy and dense, with ribbons of bittersweet chocolate through creamy coconut rice. Unwrap and eat warm or cool, ideally with a mug of thick hot chocolate. Moron is naturally egg-free: the glutinous rice flour is half-cooked in coconut milk first, which swells the starch so it binds into a soft, rollable dough, and steaming sets it. Chef's tip: the common mistake is wrapping the logs loosely; roll the leaf tightly and twist the ends like a sweet wrapper, or water gets in and the logs turn soggy.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- 12 ½ oz glutinous rice flour
- 1 ¾ oz rice flour
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 6 ½ oz sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
For the chocolate dough
- 2 ⅛ oz tablea (pure cacao) or dark chocolatedairy-free, chopped
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp hot water
For wrapping
- 10 banana leaf rectanglesabout 20 x 25 cm, softened over a flame
- 1 tbsp coconut oilfor the leaves
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Whisk 12 ½ oz glutinous rice flour, 1 ¾ oz rice flour, 6 ½ oz sugar, ¼ tsp salt and 2 cups coconut milk in a non-stick pan until smooth.
Step 2: Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 10–12 minutes, until it turns into a thick, sticky dough that comes away from the pan in one mass.
12 minStep 3: Melt 2 ⅛ oz tablea (pure cacao) or dark chocolate with 1 tbsp cocoa powder and 2 tbsp hot water in a small bowl over hot water, stirring until smooth.
3 minStep 4: Divide the dough in half. Knead the chocolate into one half, with oiled hands, until evenly brown.
Step 5: Divide each dough into 10 pieces. Roll one plain and one chocolate piece into ropes about 15 cm long and twist them loosely together.
Step 6: Brush the 10 banana leaf rectangles with 1 tbsp coconut oil. Roll each twist tightly in a leaf and twist the ends shut.
Step 7: Steam over boiling water for 40 minutes, until the dough is firm, slightly translucent and no longer sticky when you press through the leaf.
40 minStep 8: Cool for 10 minutes before unwrapping. They keep 2 days at room temperature; re-steam briefly to soften.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moron (Leyte chocolate and coconut sticky rice twists) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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