Ginataang Bilo-Bilo

A popular Filipino dessert with chewy rice balls and a mix of tropical fruits and root vegetables simmered in coconut milk.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Filipino

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 324kcal

Author Nora Rey

Cost $10-$12

Equipment

4.5-quart heavy-bottomed pot
Saucepan (for cooking sago)

Ingredients

2 cups glutinous rice flour (see note)
2 (13.5-oz) cans coconut milk (see note)
2 pandan leaves rinsed and knotted (see note)
2 cups water more as needed
8 ounces cassava (about 2 cups small bite-sized pieces) (see note)
8 ounces purple sweet potatoes (about 2 cups small bite-sized pieces) (see note)
8 ounces ripe saba bananas (about 2 cups small bite-sized pieces) (see note)
4 ounces ripe jackfruit (about 1 cup sliced into thin strips) (see note)
⅓ cup raw, small sago (about 1 cup cooked sago) sub: small tapioca pearls
½ cup sugar more to taste
A pinch of salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add the sago pearls and cook for about 20 minutes, or until they turn translucent. Stir occasionally to keep them from sticking.
Drain the sago and set them aside. If they clump together, soak them in hot water and gently separate them.
In a mixing bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour with 1 cup of water. Mix well until a dough forms, similar to Play-Doh. If the dough feels too dry, add a little more water until it is shapeable and easy to work with.
Pinch off small pieces of the dough and roll them into small balls (about the size of marbles) between your palms. Place the balls on a plate, making sure they don’t touch each other.
In a large pot, combine the coconut milk, 2 cups of water, a pinch of salt, and the knotted pandan leaves. Set over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.
Add the cassava and cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on their size. They don’t need to be tender yet, as they’ll cook more later. Then, add the purple sweet potatoes and stir together.
Cover and simmer over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. As they simmer, the color from the sweet potatoes will naturally bleed into the mixture.
Add the saba bananas and jackfruit, then stir together. Cover and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes until they slightly soften.
Turn up the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once it's boiling, gently drop the balls in one at a time. Don’t stir right away to prevent the balls from breaking apart.
Once the balls float to the surface and turn slightly translucent (about 5 minutes), stir them together. Add more water if the mixture gets too thick as it cooks.
Add the cooked sago and sugar to the mixture, then stir well. Taste and adjust the sweetness as needed.
Once the tubers are tender and the mixture has reached your desired consistency, turn off the heat. Before serving, remember to remove the pandan leaves. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

Glutinous rice flour: This is also called sweet rice flour—not sweet and contains no gluten. It gets sticky and chewy when cooked, unlike regular rice flour.
Coconut milk: Fresh is always best, but full-fat coconut milk in cans and cartons is a good alternative. You can also use coconut cream for a thicker consistency.
Pandan leaves: Knotting them helps release their aroma. You can also use vanilla, pandan, or ube extract. Sometimes, I like using fresh ginger for a warm, spicy touch.
Root vegetables and more: I've used cassava, saba bananas, jack fruit, and purple sweet potatoes because I like the purple color they add. However, feel free to get creative! You can use other types of sweet potatoes or tubers like taro or purple yam. Corn also works well. If you like some ube flavor, use ube extract.

Nutrition