Lepet (
Javanese), Leupeut (
Sundanese), or Lepat (
Indonesian) is a type of
sticky rice
Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...
dumpling mixed with
peanut
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small and ...
s cooked with
coconut milk and packed inside a ''
janur'' (young coconut leaf) or
palm leaf. It is a delicacy commonly found in
Javanese and
Sundanese cuisine (of
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
), and often consumed as a snack. It is similar to
lontong
Lontong is an Indonesian dish made of compressed rice cake in the form of a cylinder wrapped inside a banana leaf, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Rice is rolled inside a banana leaf and boiled, then cut into small cakes as ...
, but with a stickier texture and richer flavor due to the use of coconut milk and peanuts.
Lepet is made by
steaming the ''ketan'' (sticky rice) until half cooked in
coconut milk then mixed with
pandan leaf
''Pandanus amaryllifolius'' is a tropical plant in the ''Pandanus'' (screwpine) genus, which is commonly known as pandan (; ). It has fragrant leaves which are used widely for flavouring in the cuisines of Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Occurre ...
and
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
until all of the coconut milk is absorbed into the sticky rice. Then the half-cooked coconut milk sticky rice is mixed further with grated
coconut flesh and peanuts then wrapped inside ''janur'' (young yellowish coconut leaf) in a cylindrical-shape and secured with strings made from coconut leaf fibers (or any kind of strings). The rice packages inside the coconut leaf are then steamed further until completely cooked. The most common filling is
peanut
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small and ...
s, however other kinds of beans such as
kidney beans,
cowpea
The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few inputs, ...
s,
jack bean
''Canavalia ensiformis'' (jack bean) is a legume which is used for animal fodder and human nutrition, especially in Brazil where it is called ''feijão-de-porco'' ("pig bean"). It is also the source of concanavalin A.
Description
''C. ensi ...
s, or
corn might also be used.
Other than sticky rice, lepet can be made from corn as well, which is similar to
tamale.
In the
Sundanese area of
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
, it is known as ''leupeut'' and usually made in a smaller size with peanut filling and usually consumed with
tahu sumedang (fried
tofu
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super f ...
). It is a popular snack in the
Kuningan
Kuningan ( su, ᮊᮥᮔᮤᮍᮔ᮪) is a town and district located in eastern West Java, Indonesia, between Cirebon and Tasikmalaya, about 200 km east of Jakarta. It is the administrative center of Kuningan Regency. The district is located ...
and
Sumedang Regency.
In Sumatra, Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula there is a similarly named food known as lepat, although the recipe and method are slightly different as lepat uses
palm sugar and grated coconut flesh fillings which are wrapped inside a
banana leaf
The banana leaf is the leaf of the banana plant, which may produce up to 40 leaves in a growing cycle. The leaves have a wide range of applications because they are large, flexible, waterproof and decorative. They are used for cooking, wrappin ...
instead of a young coconut leaf.
See also
*
Burasa
''Burasa'' () (also ''burasa, ''burasak'' or ''buras'') is an Indonesian rice dumpling, cooked with coconut milk packed inside a banana leaf pouch. It is similar to '' lontong'', but with a richer flavour acquired from the coconut milk. It is a ...
*
Ketupat
''Kupat'' (in Javanese and Sundanese), ''ketupat'' (in Indonesian and Malay), or ''tipat'' (in Balinese) is a Javanese rice cake packed inside a diamond-shaped container of woven palm leaf pouch, Originating in Indonesia, it is also fou ...
*
Lemang
Lemang ( Minangkabau: ''lamang'') is a Minangkabau traditional food made from glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt, cooked in a hollowed bamboo tube coated with banana leaves in order to prevent the rice from sticking to the bamboo. Origina ...
*
Lemper
''Lemper'' is an Indonesian savoury snack made of glutinous rice filled with seasoned shredded chicken, fish ''abon'' (meat floss) or serundeng. The specific ''lemper'' filled with seasoned shredded chicken is called ''lemper ayam'' (lit: chic ...
*
Lontong
Lontong is an Indonesian dish made of compressed rice cake in the form of a cylinder wrapped inside a banana leaf, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Rice is rolled inside a banana leaf and boiled, then cut into small cakes as ...
*
Suman
*
List of dumplings
This is a list of notable dumplings. Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources) wrapped around a filling, or of dough with no filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour or pota ...
*
List of steamed foods
This is a list of steamed foods and dishes that are typically or commonly prepared by the cooking method of steaming.
Steamed foods
* Ada – a food item from Kerala, usually made of rice flour with sweet filling inside.
* Bánh – in Hanoi ...
References
External links
Sundanese ''Leupeut'' recipe (in Indonesian)
{{Indonesian cuisine
Indonesian rice dishes
Steamed foods