Biko, pronounced as bee-koh, is a sweet sticky rice cake, native to the Phillipines. The glutinous rice is cooked with coconut milk and brown sugar, then topped with caramelized coconut milk.
Traditionally, biko is served on a round woven bamboo tray, lined with coconut-oiled banana leaves. It is a popular dessert for every special occasion like birthdays, reunions and fiestas. There are several ways to cook this sticky rice treat. One is by cooking the glutinous rice first before adding the coconut milk syrup. Or the other method, wherein the rice is cooked in the coconut milk and brown sugar. This way, the flavor is much better incorporated in the rice, as it absorbs the flavors as it cooks.
The color of your sticky rice cake will depend mainly on the amount of brown sugar used. So, if you are trying to get that rich brown color then use a dark brown sugar. Brown sugar also varies in sweetness. So, you can adjust the amount used according to your preference.
This particular recipe was shared to by one of our lovely customer, Bames Kaur Pabla who tried this recipe with our Khasi sticky rice product.
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Here Is a Simple Sweet Sticky Rice Cake Recipe (Biko):
Ingredients:
- 2 cups glutinous rice (Khasi sticky rice)
- 1½ cups water
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 4 cups coconut milk (thick consistency)
- ½ cup coconut flakes (optional)
- ½ cup cashews (optional)
Preparation:
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- Take 2 cups of sticky rice and 1½ cups of water and cook them in a deep saucepan. (The recommended water is less than normal as the rice is meant to be only partially cooked.)
- While the rice is cooking, combine the coconut milk with brown sugar in another clean saucepan, and cook over low heat until the mixture becomes thick. Stir constantly to prevent the mixture from sticking and burning.
- Once the rice is cooked, add the cooked rice in the coconut milk and sugar mixture. Mix it thoroughly. Continue cooking until all the liquid evaporates. Turn off the heat and place the cooked sweet sticky rice onto a serving plate.
- You may put toasted coconut flakes on top as toppings (optional).
- Serve it warm.
Do you know of any dessert recipe using an ingredient from the Northeast of India? Share it with us in the comment section below.
