Step-by-step steamed banana and coconut cakes

Photography by Scott Hawkins

These coconut cakes with surprise banana filling is the perfect way to end to an Asian inspired meal.

Makes 18

Ingredients
    240g sticky rice flour (see note)
    1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
    200ml hot water
    2 large (about 230g each) ripe bananas, cut widthways into 2cm pieces
    2 cups (130g) shredded fresh dry coconut

Method
Sift flour into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup (50g) sugar and stir to combine. Add water and stir to combine. Turn on to a floured work surface and knead until smooth. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls.

Half fill a wok with water and bring to the boil over high heat. Line the base of a large bamboo steamer with baking paper. Use your thumb and forefinger to flatten one dough ball into a disc slightly bigger than the width of a banana slice. Place over the banana and gently press down to cover the top and sides. Repeat with remaining dough and bananas.

Place half the cakes in the steamer, then place over wok. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove steamer from wok and sprinkle cakes with half the remaining sugar. Spread coconut over a plate. Use a spatula to transfer cakes, one at a time, to coconut and roll to coat. Repeat with remaining cakes, sugar and coconut.

Notes
Sticky rice flour or glutinous rice flour is flour milled from sticky rice. Available from the Asian section of most supermarkets. Packaged dry shredded and desiccated coconut can be used as a substitute for fresh dried coconut - simply soak in cold water for 10 minutes before using to rehydrate. These cakes should be eaten warm, but you can make them in advance and reheat in the steamer just before serving.

Notebook: - January 2007
Recipe by Lisa Featherby