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My grandmother’s, steamed rice balls with palm sugar

My grandmother’s, steamed rice balls with palm sugar

Desserts

Coconut rice flour dumplings, sweetened with date sugar, hand-shaped and steamed, a sweet treat from Bangladesh.

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Recipe from MS Sakib, Gobindo Sarkar (Wikibooks), adapted by Recette de cuisine ·

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Mera pithas are a traditional sweet from Bangladesh, originating in the Sylhet and Mymensingh regions. These steamed rice balls come in both sweet and savory varieties.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time30 min
  • Cook time35 min
  • Resting10 min
  • Total1 hr 15 min
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CostBudget
  • Cooking methodsteam
  • Estimated cost$3.56 $0.59 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 7, 2026.
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free

Ingredients

6 people
  • $3.03
  • $0.23
  • $0.30

Prices in Belgium.

Directions

  1. In a saucepan, bring the water, date sugar (or just salt for the savory version), and coconut to a boil.
  2. When the water is boiling, add the rice flour and mix well. ≈ 4 min
  3. Once the flour has been cooked and the water has been absorbed, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  4. Once the mixture is warm enough to handle, knead it thoroughly to obtain a smooth dough. ≈ 10 min
  5. Take small portions of dough and roll them in your palm to form round, spiral, or oval balls. ≈ 10 min
  6. Bring water to a boil in a steamer. Arrange the meatballs on the perforated rack, cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are firm and glossy.

The bill

My grandmother’s, steamed rice balls with palm sugar

  • 300 g of rice flour$3.03
  • 200 g of date sugar (gur)$0.23
  • 40 g of shredded coconut$0.30

Total$3.56

that's $0.59 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

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Before you start

Ingredients

  • 300 g of rice flour
  • 200 g of date sugar (gur)
  • 40 g of shredded coconut
  • 350 ml of water
  • A pinch of salt

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