When I started working on TiPanda Cooks, one of my main drives was to preserve the traditional recipes from my parents’ and grandparents’ culture. And they don’t get much more precious than Poutou. Read on to learn about this Mauritian rice cake and find out how you can easily make your own.
10 ingredients | 8 steps | 38 minutes
Why You Need This Recipe
- You don’t need a Poutou steamer to make this recipe as it uses the microwave to steam the Poutou
- This recipe uses rice flour instead of ground rice, which cuts down on preparation if you’re strapped for time.
- You can enjoy this sweet treat hot out of the microwave oven
About Poutou
Poutou is a traditional Mauritian Gato Dou made with rice (ground or flour), coconut and milk. It is traditionally sold by a Marsan Poutou (street seller on a motorbike) who can be heard yelling “Poutou soooo!” meaning “hot Poutou” from a distance.
This delicious rice cake is usually made with a specialised steamer but the recipe I’m sharing with you is simplified for the modern home chef. Hence, you can make them in your microwave.
What You Will Need
Microwave-safe silicone cake mould
One of the best things about this recipe is that you don’t need a traditional Poutou steamer. Instead, you can use a round silicone cake mould. Just make sure that it is microwave-safe beforehand.
Star Ingredient
Rice Flour (Lafarinn Diri)
Rice flour is made from long-grain or medium-grain rice. These rice grains are ground into a fine powder to produce rice flour. Although the rice itself can appear either transparent or opaque, rice flour is in general a white powder.
The lack of gluten in rice flour makes it similar to all-purpose or wheat flour in that it is soft and elastic. When used in larger amounts, it can result in a drier cake due to its tendency to harden more quickly compared with glutinous rice flour.
If you’re going to buy rice flour from your local grocery store, be extra careful not to get glutinous rice flour by mistake. Rice flour typically comes in a red packaging whereas the glutinous variety comes in green.
Scroll to the bottom to find the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe.
Prepping Tips
If you want to make sure that your Poutou won’t stick to the mould, you can grease it with some coconut oil. However, this step is optional since ours never sticks.
Depending on the temperature where you are, your coconut oil may already be in liquid form and ready to use. If it’s solid, you will need to melt it before greasing your pan. I find heating it in 15 second intervals in the microwave easiest. You can take it out to stir it and the heat from the bowl may be enough to melt any leftover solid pieces.
Complete Recipe Steps
Here’s a summary of the steps you need to follow to make Poutou.
1
Melt (if needed) 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in the microwave and use to grease a 23 cm x 5 cm (9 in x 2 in) round microwave-safe silicone cake mould. Put the mould to the side for later. This step is optional because most silicone moulds will not stick to the cake.
2
Add the vegetable oil to the milk and stir it through.
Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card
3
Sift all the dry ingredients together (rice flour, self-raising flour, desiccated coconut, caster sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.
4
5
6
7
8
How to Serve Poutou
This recipe makes one big cake that you can cut into slices when serving. However, if you’re feeling nostalgic, you can certainly cut out small circular pieces with a round cookie cutter for Poutou that looks like it was bought straight from the seller.
Poutou is best served hot, with a light dusting of desiccated or powdered coconut. Enjoy it with a cup of hot tea.
Recipe FAQs
Should I use one particular type of milk over another?
You can use the milk of your preference. Having said that, I personally prefer to use coconut milk as it adds to the intensity of the flavour.
How can you get small round pieces of Poutou?
The Poutou that you buy is made in a Poutou steamer which is an anodised aluminium pot in a tall cylindrical shape.
Most of the Poutou recipes I’ve seen use butter, why do you use vegetable oil?
That’s right, the traditional recipe for Poutou actually uses butter instead of vegetable oil. My mum is lactose intolerant so I’ve modified the recipe for her to be able to enjoy it. Please feel free to use butter if you prefer the flavour profile of butter in desserts. Otherwise, follow my recipe for a lactose-free version.
Printable Recipe Card
Poutou
Equipment
- 23cm silicone cake mould microwave-safe
Ingredients
- 1 tsp coconut oil melted (optional)
- 2 cups coconut milk warmed (can also use soy milk)
- 3 tbsp rice bran oil
- 1½ cups rice flour sifted
- ¾ cup self-raising flour sifted
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- extra desiccated coconut for dusting
Complete Recipe Steps
- Melt (if needed) 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in the microwave and use to grease a 23 cm x 5 cm (9 in x 2 in) round microwave-safe silicone cake mould. Put the mould to the side for later. This step is optional because most silicone moulds will not stick to the cake.1 tsp coconut oil
- Add the vegetable oil to the milk and stir it through.2 cups coconut milk, 3 tbsp rice bran oil
- Sift all the dry ingredients together (rice flour, self-raising flour, desiccated coconut, caster sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.1½ cups rice flour, ¾ cup self-raising flour, 1 cup desiccated coconut, ½ cup caster sugar, 1 tsp baking powder
- Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients one third at a time and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
- Once you have added all the milk, you should have a batter with a runny consistency. Add the vanilla extract and mix once more.1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pour the batter into the cake mould.
- Cook the Poutou in the microwave for 10-12 minutes in total. Check on the Poutou every 2 minutes to see how it is cooking. Depending on your microwave size and power, your cooking time may vary. If the Poutou has risen and you can poke a skewer through and remove it cleanly, the Poutou is ready.
- Cut the Poutou into 8 equal pieces, lightly dust with the extra desiccated coconut and serve hot.extra desiccated coconut
Notes
- Depending on the temperature where you are, your coconut oil may already be in liquid form and ready to use. If it’s solid, you will need to melt it before greasing your pan. I find heating it in 15 second intervals in the microwave easiest. You can take it out to stir it and the heat from the bowl may be enough to melt any leftover solid pieces.
- You can use any milk you have at home but I find using coconut milk helps to intensify the coconut flavour.
- The traditional recipe for Poutou actually uses 3 tablespoons of butter instead of vegetable oil. I substitute butter with vegetable oil when I make Poutou because my mum is lactose intolerant but please feel free to use butter if you prefer.
Poutou is definitely my favorite. Not too sweet but so special taste and flavour. Thank you.
Thank you for leaving a comment on our recipe post. I agree 100% about the sweetness in Poutou. It is perfectly balanced!