Kilanji

Prepare the filling: mix grated fresh coconut with grated jaggery and cardamom powder in a bowl. Stir until the jaggery is evenly distributed. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine rice flour and a pinch of salt. Gradually add warm water and mix to form a soft, pliable dough — similar to the consistency of modak dough. Do not make it too wet.

Wash the banana leaves and wipe dry. Pass them briefly over a flame or dip in hot water to make them pliable and prevent cracking.

Lightly grease each banana leaf with coconut oil.

Take a portion of the rice flour dough (about the size of a golf ball) and flatten it on the banana leaf into a thin oval or round disc, about 5–6 mm thick.

Place 2–3 tablespoons of the coconut-jaggery filling in the center of the disc.

Fold the banana leaf over to enclose the filling, pressing the edges of the dough together to seal. The banana leaf wraps around the outside.

Fold the banana leaf into a neat parcel and secure with a toothpick or tie with a thin strip of banana leaf.

Steam the parcels in a steamer for 15–18 minutes until the rice flour is cooked through and the filling is hot.

Remove from the steamer and allow to cool slightly before unwrapping. Serve warm.