As I have said in my last post, I did some kakanin ( Filipino sweet rice cakes/ delicacies) and this post is a continuation of that..
I’m pretty sure you (the one reading this) know about biko already and is just here looking for a recipe; but in case you haven’t heard of it yet (go make friends with a Filipino) read on and you will get the idea, it’s a pretty simple yet delicious treat.
Biko or sweet rice cake is just that, glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and sweetened with browned sugar, good in itself but BETTER with latik topping 🙂
There are different ways to make biko, others boil the coconut milk and sugar first then they add the cooked sweet/glutinous rice, some cook the rice together with the sweetened coconut milk but the recipe below is my preferred way.
My mother-in-law’s version of biko has ginger in it ( it’s surprisingly delicious too) and some people I know add jackfruit strings to it and here, MaMely (a foodie friend from Food buzz) added mango custard to it and turned it into a biko sushi :). But moi, likes the traditional way mama used to make it :0
Here’s how to make biko in photos (Recipe follows):
add the brown sugar when the rice is almost dry..
..stir until well mixed and has a uniform color..
latik (fried coconut milk curds), made by boiling pure coconut milk/cream
.transfer biko into a banana leaf-lined pan or any buttered dish and top with latik….lots of it!
BIKO (Sweet Rice Cake)
1 1/2 cups glutinous /sweet rice (malagkit)
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 cups fresh coconut milk or dilute 1 1/2 cups canned coconut milk with the same amount of water to make 3 cups
banana leaf, optional, you may use butter instead
Latik Topping:
1-2 cups fresh pure coconut milk or canned unsweetened coconut cream (the more, the yummier, I say)
Make the latik first by boiling the kakang gata (pure coconut milk from first extraction) or canned unsweetened coconut cream/ milk on a non-stick pan over high heat (keep an eye on it) until the oil comes out and only the milk solids are left. Lower the heat and gently stir and cook until browned. Set aside.
If using, wilt banana leaf over the stove, line an 8×8 pan with it or lightly butter an 8 inch square pan. Set aside.
Put glutinous rice in a pot; wash and drain. Add coconut milk, cover and bring to boil on medium heat. Lower heat and cook until almost all the coconut milk is absorbed then add the brown sugar, stir gently and thoroughly until rice has turned an even tan color. Cover the pot again and set the heat to lowest setting to let the sweet rice cook until dry.
Transfer the cooked rice into the banana leaf-lined/buttered pan. Using a wooden spoon dipped in coconut oil or buttered, smooth the biko until the surface is even. Score slices on top and top each slice with latik. That’s it. Done.
Serve with your favorite hot coffee or tea.
Enjoy!
Olive
Biko (Sweet Rice Cake)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 CUPS GLUTINOUS /SWEET RICE MALAGKIT
- 1 1/2 CUPS Packed Brown Sugar
- 3 CUPS FRESH COCONUT MILK OR DILUTE 1 1/2 CUPS CANNED COCONUT MILK WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF WATER TO MAKE 3 CUPS
- BANANA LEAF OPTIONAL, YOU MAY USE BUTTER INSTEAD
- LATIK TOPPING:
- 1-2 CUPS FRESH PURE COCONUT MILK OR CANNED UNSWEETENED COCONUT CREAM THE MORE, THE YUMMIER, I SAY
- MAKE THE LATIK FIRST BY BOILING THE KAKANG GATA PURE COCONUT MILK FROM FIRST EXTRACTION OR CANNED UNSWEETENED COCONUT CREAM/ MILK ON A NON-STICK PAN OVER HIGH HEAT (KEEP AN EYE ON IT) UNTIL THE OIL COMES OUT AND ONLY THE MILK SOLIDS ARE LEFT. LOWER THE HEAT AND GENTLY STIR AND COOK UNTIL BROWNED. SET ASIDE.
Instructions
- IF USING, WILT BANANA LEAF OVER THE STOVE, LINE AN 8×8 PAN WITH IT OR LIGHTLY BUTTER AN 8 INCH SQUARE PAN. SET ASIDE.
- PUT GLUTINOUS RICE IN A POT; WASH AND DRAIN. ADD COCONUT MILK, COVER AND BRING TO BOIL ON MEDIUM HEAT. LOWER HEAT AND COOK UNTIL ALMOST ALL THE COCONUT MILK IS ABSORBED THEN ADD THE BROWN SUGAR, STIR GENTLY AND THOROUGHLY UNTIL RICE HAS TURNED AN EVEN TAN COLOR. COVER THE POT AGAIN AND SET THE HEAT TO LOWEST SETTING TO LET THE SWEET RICE COOK UNTIL DRY.
- TRANSFER THE COOKED RICE INTO THE BANANA LEAF-LINED/BUTTERED PAN. USING A WOODEN SPOON DIPPED IN COCONUT OIL OR BUTTERED, SMOOTH THE BIKO UNTIL THE SURFACE IS EVEN. SCORE SLICES ON TOP AND TOP EACH SLICE WITH LATIK. THAT’S IT. DONE.
- SERVE WITH YOUR FAVORITE HOT COFFEE OR TEA.