I can’t tell you why I like Biko so much. The Filipino dish only consists of 4 ingredients and is basically a sweet dessert version of rice, but somehow it really good and hard not to go back for more.
It is made with sticky rice and coconut milk similar to how you make risotto. You stir the rice as is cooks and absorbs the liquid until the rice is tender. You then bake it in the oven and once baked the rice has a unique texture and you wouldn’t really know it is made of rice.
The hardest part of this recipe was finding the rice. I hoped to find it at my normal grocery store but had to go an Asian market. With Biko recipes, you need to make sure you get what is called sticky rice or sweet rice. It was a no brainer when I walked into the market and asked for it.
Another tip to make the recipe cook faster is to soak the rice overnight, that will save you time and energy by reducing the amount of time you need to stir the rice on the stove.
Ingredients
- 3 (14-ounce)cans coconut milk
- 4 cups sweet rice aka sticky rice
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup coconut cream
- Water as needed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Pour coconut milk and about one cup of water into a pot and bring it to a simmer.
- Add rice and stir constantly to prevent burning, similar to cooking risotto. When the rice starts to dry up and it is not finished cooking, add more water.
- Once it has the appearance of a wet risotto and is fully cooked, add 1/2 of the brown sugar, mix and take off the heat.
- Pour Biko into a lightly buttered 9x13in pan.
- Combine remaining brown sugar and coconut cream and pour on top of the cooked sticky rice.
- Bake for 1- 1 1/2 hours at 350°F.
He is an expert travel advisor and enthusiast. He has traveled extensively in the USA, Central America, South America, and Europe. He has visited every Sandals Resort and is one of a select few Diamond Elite members of the Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club.
Dan graduated from Johnson & Wales University with an associate degree in Culinary Arts. Later he graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a focus on people and culture.
My mother made the best biko. I’ve not tried making it. Your recipe is easy to follow. I hope to get a chance to make it, and family members will be kind when they compare it with my mom’s. Thanks for sharing this recipe.