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Pumaloi
Steamed rice cakes
Khasi steamed rice cakes, soft and crumbly, for breakfast in Shillong
Pumaloi is the everyday breakfast of the Khasi Hills: coarse powdered rice, lightly moistened, packed into a tall steamer (traditionally a bamboo or metal 'khiew') and steamed into a soft, crumbly cake. In Shillong it is sold warm at morning stalls with a cup of sweet tea, and at home it is served with tungrymbai, a vegetable stew or a chilli chutney. It is plain on purpose, like Kerala's puttu but drier and lighter. Chef's tip: the flour should feel like damp sand, holding a shape when squeezed but crumbling easily; any wetter and the cake goes gluey.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz short-grain or sticky ricesoaked 2 hours
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp waterapproximately
- 4 tbsp fresh grated coconut (optional)
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 10 ½ oz short-grain or sticky rice and spread on a cloth for 20 minutes until just damp. Grind in short bursts to a coarse, sandy powder. Don't overgrind into fine flour.
25 minStep 2: Rub in ½ tsp salt and sprinkle in 3 tbsp water a teaspoon at a time, working it with your fingertips, until a fistful holds its shape when squeezed and breaks apart when poked. Common mistake: adding too much water; the cake turns into a sticky dumpling.
Step 3: Loosely fill a steamer basket lined with muslin, or small heatproof cups, layering with 4 tbsp fresh grated coconut if using. Don't press it down.
Step 4: Steam over a medium-high heat for 15–20 minutes until the cake is set, translucent at the edges and smells of cooked rice.
20 minStep 5: Turn out and serve warm with tungrymbai, a vegetable curry, or tea and jaggery.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pumaloi take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 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 short-grain or sticky rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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