Bibingkoy

Filled rice balls boiled in a ginger coconut syrup, so the filling is the surprise.

Vegan.

Ingredients

the filling

• 200 g split mung beans, soaked 2 hours
• 100 g caster sugar
• 100 ml coconut milk

the balls

• 400 g glutinous rice flour
• 280 ml water

the syrup

• 800 ml coconut milk
• 150 g muscovado sugar
• 1 large thumb ginger, in thick slices
• 1 pinch salt

Method

1. THESE ARE FILLED, which is what separates them from the plain bilo-bilo in a ginataan. The filling has to be dry enough to hold its shape or it escapes in the pan.
2. Simmer the mung beans in water until collapsing, about 25 minutes. Drain well, then cook them back in a dry pan with the sugar and coconut milk until stiff enough to roll. Cool and shape into 16 small balls.
3. Mix the rice flour and water into a dough that holds together without cracking.
4. Take a walnut of dough, flatten it in your palm, sit a mung ball in the middle and CLOSE IT COMPLETELY -- turn it to check for seams. One gap and the filling boils out and greys the syrup.
5. Bring the syrup ingredients to a simmer and give the ginger 10 minutes to come through.
6. Drop the balls in. They sink, then rise. Give them 4 minutes AFTER they float -- that is the only reliable timer, since size varies.
7. Serve warm, with the syrup.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Philippines · All recipes