Ketupat is a type of dumpling from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore,

and the Philippines, It is made from rice that has been wrapped in a woven
palm leaf pouch and boiled. As the rice cooks, the grains expand to fill the
pouch and the rice becomes compressed. This method of cooking gives the
ketupat its characteristic form and texture of a rice dumpling. Ketupat is
usually eaten with rendang (a type of dry beef curry) or served as an
accompaniment to satay or gado-gado. Ketupat is also traditionally served
by Malays at open houses on festive occasions such as Idul Fitri (Hari Raya
Aidilfitri). During Idul Fitri in Indonesia, ketupat is often served with
chicken curry, accompanied with spicy soy powder. There are many
varieties of ketupat, with two of the more common ones being ketupat nasi
and ketupat pulut. Ketupat nasi is made from white rice and is wrapped in a
square shape with coconut palm leaves while ketupat pulut is made from
glutinous rice is usually wrapped in a triangular shape using the leaves of the
fan palm (Licuala). Ketupat pulut is also called "ketupat daun palas" in
Malaysia.

Local stories passed down through the generations have attributed the
creation of this style of rice preparation to the seafarers' need to keep cooked
rice from spoiling during long sea voyages. The coco leaves used in
wrapping the rice are always shaped into a triangular form and stored
hanging in bunches in the open air. The shape of the package facilitates
moisture to drip away from the cooked rice while the coco leaves allow the
rice to be aerated and at the same time prevent flies and insects from
touching it.