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Puto maya

Puto maya: Cebuano steamed ginger sticky rice with sikwate and ripe mango

At dawn in Cebu's Carbon Market and in towns across the Visayas, vendors sell puto maya: sticky rice steamed with coconut milk and ginger, often purple from heirloom rice, shaped into little mounds. It is eaten with a cup of sikwate, a thick drink of local tablea cacao, and slices of sweet ripe mango. The mistake is skipping the soak; unsoaked glutinous rice steams up hard in the middle. Soak it for at least 4 hours or overnight. Chef's tip: steam the rice first with half the coconut milk, then fold in the rest and steam again; the rice stays chewy and glossy instead of gluey.
Total time
60 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
4
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Ingredients

Serves4

For the puto maya

  • 10 ½ oz glutinous ricesoaked 4 hours or overnight
  • 1 ¼ cups coconut milk
  • 1 ⅛ in fresh gingerfinely grated
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 ripe mangosliced

For the sikwate

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Drain 10 ½ oz glutinous rice and mix with 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger, ½ tsp salt and half the 1 ¼ cups coconut milk. Spread in a heatproof dish lined with a banana leaf or baking paper.

  2. Step 2: Steam over boiling water for 25 minutes, until the grains are tender.

    25 min
  3. Step 3: Stir in the rest of the coconut milk and 2 tbsp sugar, then steam for 15 minutes more until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is glossy and sticky.

    15 min
  4. Step 4: For the sikwate, simmer 2 ⅞ oz tablea (pure cacao tablets) in 2 ½ cups water with 3 tbsp brown sugar over a low heat for 10 minutes, whisking (or twirling a wooden batirol) until smooth and frothy.

    10 min
  5. Step 5: Shape the rice into small mounds with a wet cup and serve with 2 ripe mango and the hot sikwate.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
470 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbs
82 g
Fat
14 g
Fibre
3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does puto maya take?
About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 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 glutinous rice?
Any long-grain rice, same amount.
What can I use instead of coconut milk?
Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).

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