My Version of Biko, Sweetened Sticky Rice

    
My Family's version of BIKO (Sweetened Sticky Rice)

     I've been always planning to make Biko for years now... but can't seem to find time... it's not that I'm procrastinating, it's just that I don't know when is the perfect moment to do so. Plus I need to get a freshly squeezed coconut milk (without all the dirty works of doing it myself) and I think I can only find it in  the  Market where I grew up. ( And when I mean freshly squeezed, it is... In that Market they actually have a machine for freshly grated coconut that would squeeze right away to a coconut milk ) For me, it would really entail quite a work. Though store-bought Coconut milk is readily available, I still prefer making BIKO using fresh coconut milk. Anyways, 10 years after...on my 32nd birthday... coincidence find its way somehow, tapping me to cook  my speacialty. And really I should say... I've been missing doing this.

     This was supposed to be my mom's gift on my birthday since I always asked each and every special occasion that pass... but then again, I can't just let her cook since she just had her dialysis... Just as I thought and just like in the old days, everything went smoothly ... this is MY Kitchen, my original kitchen that is, in the first place, anyway. 

           

•  Prepare either a 14x10 Baking Pan or an Equivalent Size Bilao. 

•  In a stove top, run about 2 whole Banana leaves onto the heat until it softens ( just be careful not to overdo it) 

•  Arrange Banana leaves on either Baking Pan or Bilao. ( but I really did not mind  using Bilao with Banana Leaves, anything will just do )

•  Set this aside.

         

• Cook 1 Kilo of Glutinous Rice (same cooking procedure as the regular rice plus pandan leaves to make the rice more fragrant) 

• Pour coconut milk (purely Kakang Gata) + a cup of water to a large wok, bring to a boil with continous stirring until it becomes a LATIK... Sieve Latik leaving the oil in the pan. Lower down heat.  

Latik

• Put the cooked Glutinous rice gradually adding the brown sugar into the coconut oil, stirring rigorously ensuring that all rice are well coated with oil and brown sugar.  Add 2 tbsp of Vanilla extract.

• Continue Mixing until all ingredients are well incorporated. Mold Biko onto the prepared baking pan or bilao. 

Just Mixing... Whew! Very tiring...

• Topping it off with the prepared Latik.

•  Serve

 

***Best eaten after letting it cool after hours. For some they like eating it after being on the fridge for quite sometime.

There is another way though to prepare Biko,this was the very first method I did back in 1st Year HS. And this for me was really arduous and entails more time of preparation.

The other way to do it is by dissolving Brown Sugar to the Coconut Milk (Gata), adding 2 tbsp of Vanilla extract. Simmer until it thickens. Procedure is like making a COCONUT JAM but the consistency is a a bit thinner that the jam of course. Add the cooked glutinous rice, make sure to mix it well. On this method, I have to make LATIK separately. But it would definitely just boil than into one... the taste is very similar.