Recipe: Burmese Tea Cakes

How to crack open a coconut


Burmese Tea Cakes (Bamar Kate Mote) are a traditional snack from Myanmar. The small cakes are often enjoyed with tea and served, when people gather to chat and enjoy each other’s company over tea and snacks. They can be found in local markets, tea shops, and street food stalls throughout Myanmar.

The Burmese Tea Cakes were one of the first items on the menu that I tried at Tea Garden in Mae Sot, and it has become one of the things I always order if I’m at Tea Garden in the afternoon and craving something sweet during the hours between lunch and dinner.

They are prepared in a steamer and get a nice, slightly moist, texture that I really like. They are best served warm, straight from the steamer, and they are delicious along with a glass of coffee or tea.

Recipe by Chef Nge-Nge, Tea Garden Restaurant at Borderline Collective in Mae Sot.

Read more about Borderline Collective

Recipe: Burmese Tea Cakes

Recipe by Chef Nge-Nge
Course: BakingCuisine: Myanmar
Servings

4

cakes

Burmese Tea Cakes (Bamar Kate Mote) are a traditional snack from Myanmar. The small cakes are often enjoyed with tea and served, when people gather to chat and enjoy each other’s company over tea and snacks. They can be found in local markets, tea shops, and street food stalls throughout Myanmar.

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons wheat flour

  • 3 tablespoons roasted chickpea flour

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon oil

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup water

  • ½ teaspoon black sesame seeds

Directions

  • Mix wheat flour, chickpea flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
  • Add egg, oil, and water to the mixture.
  • Divide the batter evenly into four small teacups (see photo below to get an idea of the size). Make sure the cups can go into the steamer without getting damaged.
  • Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the batter for decoration.
  • Place the tea cups in a steamer and steam for about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the cakes from the tea cups and serve warm.

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