Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Filipino Ginataang Bilo-Bilo
菲律賓椰奶糯米丸甜湯
Recipe overview
Small glutinous rice balls, sweet potato, banana, jackfruit and tapioca pearls are gently cooked in coconut milk for a Filipino family dessert soup with tender centres and a smooth, unsplit broth.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 160 g Glutinous rice flour
- 115 ml for the dough, adjusted slightly as needed Warm water
- 60 g Small tapioca pearls
- 1,150 ml: 800 ml for tapioca and 350 ml for the soup Water
- 200 g, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes Orange-fleshed sweet potato
- 2, about 250 g peeled, cut into thick slices Just-ripe saba bananas
- 120 g, drained and cut into strips Canned jackfruit
- 400 ml Coconut milk
- 2, washed and knotted Pandan leaves
Dessert soup seasoning
- 70 g, or reduce to 60 g for very sweet jackfruit Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
02
Tools
- Heavy-bottomed pot
- Small saucepan for tapioca pearls
- Fine sieve
- Large mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Knife and chopping board
- Measuring jug and spoons
- Four dessert bowls
03
Steps
Step 1
Part-cook the tapioca
Bring 800 ml water to a boil in the small saucepan. Sprinkle in the tapioca pearls and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking, then cover off the heat for 5 minutes until only tiny white dots remain.
Step 2
Make the rice dough
Place the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl. Add 115 ml warm water in three additions, mixing each time, and knead to a soft, crack-free dough that is not sticky; add extra water only one teaspoon at a time.
Step 3
Shape small rice balls
Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each into a ball about 2 cm wide. Keep them separated on a plate under a barely damp cloth so their surfaces do not dry or stick together.
Step 4
Start the sweet potato
Put 350 ml water, the sweet potato cubes and knotted pandan leaves in the heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 8 minutes until the outer edges soften while the centres still hold their shape.
Step 5
Rinse the cooked tapioca
Tip the rested tapioca into a fine sieve, rinse with cool drinking water until the pearls separate, and drain thoroughly. They should be mostly translucent; tiny white centres can finish cooking in the soup.
Step 6
Prepare banana and jackfruit
Peel and slice the bananas about 2 cm thick. Drain the jackfruit and cut it into short strips, checking carefully and discarding any hard seed or tough fibrous pieces.
Step 7
Add the rice balls separately
Keep the sweet potato broth at a gentle simmer. Add all 24 rice balls one by one around the pot, then immediately sweep once across the bottom so they do not stick or clump.
Step 8
Check the centres are cooked
After the rice balls float, simmer them for 3 more minutes. Cut open the largest ball: its centre must be evenly soft with no dry flour or opaque hard core; if needed, cook and recheck in 1-minute intervals.
Step 9
Add coconut milk and seasoning
Reduce to low heat. Add coconut milk, sugar and salt and stir gently until dissolved. Keep only small bubbles at the edge and never allow a rolling boil, which can split the coconut milk.
Step 10
Fold in the fruit and tapioca
Add the drained tapioca, banana slices and jackfruit strips. Fold slowly from the bottom with a wooden spoon so the sweet potato and banana remain intact.
Step 11
Gently thicken the soup
Cook on low for 5 to 6 minutes, sweeping the base occasionally, until the banana is just tender and the soup lightly coats a spoon. Add hot water one tablespoon at a time if it becomes too thick.
Step 12
Remove pandan and portion
Remove the pandan leaves and divide evenly among four bowls. Cool slightly before serving; whole sticky rice balls are unsafe for anyone with chewing or swallowing difficulty, and leftovers must be chilled within two hours.
Common mistakes
- Do not pour all the dough water in at once.
- Do not make oversized rice balls with undercooked centres.
- Do not boil vigorously after adding coconut milk.
- Do not serve whole sticky rice balls to anyone with chewing or swallowing difficulty.
Tips
Glutinous rice flour absorbs water differently by brand, so add any final water by the teaspoon. Add a little water when reheating leftovers to restore a flowing consistency.
