How To Make Suman or Patupat

Do you experience that at times when you buy something, you come up with another plan of what to cook? Not to mention, you cannot drive to your nearest market because your missing ingredients are not available there, especially in an International (Asian) food section stuff.

This simple recipe version tastes like the original that we used to cook when we visited our folks in Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Please take note; we bought the ingredients in Asia market here in Australia unplanned what to cook. Bought the muscovado or molasses cane sugar from an Asian shop to be specific as you will never find that from the supermarkets. I finally came up with Patupat or Ilocanong Tupig thinking where to use the banana leaves. Obviously, the preparation is not as exactly done in the Philippines with our limited resources here. It turns out to taste great!


PATUPAT RECIPE, SUMAN or TUPIG RECIPE in Ilocano version

Ingredients:

1 kg. Glutinous Rice

1/2 cup of long-grain or glutinous red rice (optional)

1 or 2 packs of banana leaves (It depends on how many leaves are in a pack)

2 cans of Coconut Milk

1 tbsp of Sea salt (it depends on your taste)

1 cup raw sugar cane (Muscovado or Barbados or molasses cane sugar -- very nutritious to mention it, almost the opposite non-benefits of the adulterated table processed white and brown sugar!)

2 or 3 tbsp of toasted sesame (optional) toothpick (optional to pin the banana wrap if they're too small size)

Steamer
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Preparation:

1. Half cook the glutinous rice with the coconut milk.

2. Mix all the rest of the ingredients after the half-cooked rice under a small fire. Remove from the fire and ready to wrap with the heated banana leaves.

3. Heat your banana leaves under the fire, just enough to create that aroma and greener look. I use the cooking gas burner. (Fire is restricted in Victoria during the fire season.)

4. Divide your banana leaf according to the size you want. Make it a rectangular shape, similar to an A4 size paper.

5. Your banana leaf can be like an A4 paper size and fold it like an ice cream cone without leaving any hole at the pointy part if possible although it's not necessarily perfect without a hole.

6. Scoop your half-cooked sticky rice like scooping an ice cream into a cone-shaped banana leaf. While you hold your cone-like-shaped banana leaf, leave a little space to fold the tip of your banana leaf before you secure it with a toothpick to pin it if it's too short flap.

7. Steam for an hour or until it’s cooked. Done!

Uncooked yet...

It tasted yummy with the banana leaves especially if you haven't had it for a decade... =) --> --> -->

All cooked via steam and ready to eat!

Ready to eat for those who don't want to eat straight from the banana leaf wrap.

Do you have other suggestions for other ingredients that you can share? Happy cooking mga kabayan! Did you make one yet?