Rohingya winter snack – Baat Fira

One of the popular “winter snack” for Rohingya people is “baat fira.” Baat fira is steamed sticky rice cake; baat means rice and fira means snack.

During winter, Rohingya people make a variety of sweet and savoury traditional snacks and baat fira is one of them. It can also be a festive snack eaten at special occasions and is also served to guests visiting a Rohingya household.

Baat fira is made with banana, coconut flakes and wrapped in banana leaves. At first, the rice is well cooked mixed with sugar and pinch of salt. The mixture is being transferred to a tray and cool for 5-10 minutes.

Soften the banana leaves, either over a gas fire, in a hot frying pan. To make the “fira” lay a banana leaf where sticky rice, coconut flakes with mashed banana mixture being placed and flattened like a rectangle shape.

Then carefully the sides of the leaves are being folded over. The next step is to steam it – Rohingyas use clay steamer also known as “foin” which is filled with water, bring to boil and the steam that creates helps to cook the “baat fira.”