Bilo Bilo - A Filipino Treat

Even though it is not the most elegant of desserts, Bilo Bilo really does make great comfort food. It is my favourite Filipino dish and I thought it was high time that I learnt my Mum's recipe.

Bilo Bilo roughly translates as 'round round' to describe the glutinous rice balls (sort of like dumplings) which are served in a sauce made out of coconut milk, tapioca and jackfruit.

I have tried to write down my Mum's recipe to share with you. You should be able find all the ingredients in Asian food shops.

Ingredients

400ml Coconut milk

1 tin Jackfruit in syrup

1/2 cup Tapioca pearls

250g Glutinous Rice Flour

Optional:
A handful of sweetcorn or sweet potato

Method

Put the glutinous rice flour in a bowl. Mix in a teaspoon of cold water at a time until you can form a ball of dough. Make sure the dough is not too wet.

2. Roll small pieces of the dough with your hands to make little rice balls and then put to one side.

3. Heat the coconut milk with 600ml of lukewarm water in a saucepan. Then add the tapioca and stir continuously otherwise the tapioca will stick to the bottom.

4. Add the syrup from the tin of Jackfruit to the saucepan (You can add as much syrup as you like depending on how sweet you like your desserts!) When the mixture is simmering, cut the Jackfruit into slices and add it to the saucepan. You can also add a handful of sweetcorn and sweet potato if you wish.

5. If the mixture gets too thick, just add some more lukewarm water. When the tapioca becomes transparent, add the rice balls in one by one.

6. Once the rice balls float up to the surface, your Bilo Bilo is ready.

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