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You’re Just 4 Ingredients Away from Sticky Rice Cake Paradise

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Credit: Jason Rampe

In the Philippines, there’s a group of glutinous rice desserts known as “kakanin” — and if they’re around, I am surely eating them. I particularly love suman, glutinous rice steamed in a banana leaf; carioca, rice flour balls that are fried and covered in caramel; and bibingkang malagkit or biko, a sweetened, super-sticky rice cake with a layer of coconut caramel on top. I have fond memories of my Lola making biko on special occasions and holidays.

As much as I enjoy eating these treats, for the longest time I was intimidated by cooking with glutinous rice flour . I’d been given copies of a recipe for biko from my sister-in-law (who is Filipina), and it was like it was written in code — many of the ingredients didn’t have any actual measurements. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook that I finally had the confidence to try my hand at kakanin. I quickly realized glutinous rice is actually really easy to work with, and now I’m mad I didn’t do it sooner. I could have been eating kakanin all along!

Credit: Amelia Rampe

Today, I want to share with you my recipe for biko, which has become my favorite special-occasion dessert that’s also easy enough for weeknights. You only need four ingredients: glutinous rice, coconut milk, brown sugar, and salt. I also included a few optional ones — fresh banana leaves and pandan — that are classically found in biko recipes. In the Philippines, the entire rice cake is sometimes wrapped in the banana leaf as it bakes, but for this recipe I simply line the dish so you still get all the delicious aromas. Neither of these ingredients are required, but if you’re able to source them, you won’t regret it.

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You’ll begin by simmering rice in coconut milk and some salt until it’s mostly cooked through. Since you only want the rice to be par-cooked, I prefer the stovetop to the rice cooker because it gives you more control. If you’re using pandan leaves, you’ll add them to the pot, too. If they’re dried, wrap them in cheesecloth for easy removal. Fresh pandan can simply be tied into a knot and dropped into the pot and removed before you add the caramel.

While the rice is simmering, combine brown sugar (I prefer a mix of light and dark, but just one is fine), full-fat coconut milk, and salt, and cook until it thickly coats the back of a spoon. I’ve experienced varied caramel outcomes based on the brand of coconut milk used, so use the richest one you can find, like this one . (Regardless, you’ll have a delicious sticky rice cake.) Remove some of the caramel for topping, then add the par-cooked rice and stir until there are no white rice streaks left. If you’re using a banana leaf, use it to line the bottom of the baking dish, then pour the sticky rice mixture over top. Top with the reserved caramel sauce and bake until the top is bubbling in the center.

While the biko is baking, I recommend making an easy topping used in the Philippines called latik : you simply render coconut cream until the curds turn deep golden-brown and toasty. Sprinkle it on top of the cooled biko, slice it up, and devour.

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Credit: Jason Rampe

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Biko (Bibingkang Malagkit)

Yield Serves 4 to 6

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes

• alcohol-free
• egg-free
• dairy-free
• fish-free
• peanut-free
• vegetarian
• shellfish-free
• vegan
• pescatarian
• gluten-free
• tree-nut-free
• pork-free
• soy-free
• wheat-free
• red-meat-free

Per serving, based on 6 servings. (% daily value)

• Calories 668
• Fat 30.6 g (47.0%)
• Saturated 26.7 g (133.6%)
• Carbs 95.8 g (31.9%)
• Fiber 0.7 g (2.6%)
• Sugars 37.9 g
• Protein 7.1 g (14.2%)
• Sodium 264.0 mg (11.0%)

Ingredients

• Coconut oil, for coating the pan

• 1

  fresh banana leaf (optional)

• 2 cups

  glutinous or sweet rice

• 2 tablespoons

  coarsely chopped dried pandan leaves (optional)

• 2 (about 13-ounce) cans

  coconut milk, divided

• 1 cup

  water

• 3/4 teaspoon

  kosher salt, divided

• 1/2 cup

  packed dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup

  packed light brown sugar

Instructions

1. Coat an 8x8-inch square baking dish with coconut oil. Trim 1 fresh banana leaf, if using, to cover the bottom of the baking dish and line the baking dish with the leaf. Rinse 2 cups glutinous rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear.

2. Transfer the rice to a small pot or Dutch oven. If using pandan leaves, wrap 2 tablespoons in a cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to form a sachet. Add the sachet, 1 cup of the coconut milk, 1 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

3. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer undisturbed until all the liquid has been absorbed and rice is slightly undercooked, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375ºF. Make the coconut caramel.

4. Place the remaining 2 cups coconut milk, 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt in a large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon and you can see the bottom of the pan while stirring, about 35 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Remove 2/3 cup of the coconut caramel and reserve for the top.

5. Stir the cooked rice into the pot with the remaining caramel and stir until there are no white streaks and the rice is completely coated. Transfer into the baking dish and smooth the top. Pour the reserved 2/3 caramel sauce over the rice and smooth the top.

6. Bake until the top is bubbly in the center and the caramel on top has thickened slightly, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes before serving. Slice the biko into squares and serve. Discard the banana leaf, if using.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Rewarm in the microwave.

Source : food