Paaknam

Name: Paaknam
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Meitei
Ingredients: 250 g rice flour; 100 g Jaggery; 200 ml Water; 50 g Grated coconut; 0.25 tsp Salt; 6 pieces Banana leaves; 1 tbsp Sesame seeds; 500 ml water for steaming

Soft steamed rice cakes wrapped in banana leaf, a traditional Meitei breakfast made from ground rice and jaggery.

🇮🇳India· Manipur

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 70 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 190 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

250 g rice flour — finely ground
100 g Jaggery — grated
200 ml Water — warm
50 g Grated coconut — fresh
¼ tsp Salt — a pinch
6 pieces Banana leaves — cleaned and cut into squares
1 tbsp Sesame seeds — optional garnish
500 ml water for steaming — in steamer base

Equipment

•Steamer
•Banana leaves

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 190 kcal
fat: 3 g
carbs: 38 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 2 g
calories: 190 kcal

Instructions

1
Melt the jaggery (unrefined sugar) in warm water over low heat. Pour it through a sieve to strain.
2
Mix the rice flour, jaggery water, and a pinch of salt together. Stir until you get a thick batter.
3
Add the grated coconut. Stir it gently into the batter until well mixed.
4
Pass the banana leaf squares quickly over an open flame. This softens them so they bend easily.
5
Spoon some batter onto each leaf square. Fold the edges tightly to make neat parcels.
6
Place the folded parcels into a steamer basket.
7
Steam for 25–30 minutes. The cakes should feel firm and fully cooked.
8
Allow the parcels to cool slightly. Unwrap them gently before serving.