Biko (Filipino Rice Dessert)

Preparation

Soak rice overnight in a large bowl, covering with a couple of inches of water.

When you are ready the following day, start by draining rice. Once water is drained, rinse rice well with more water, then drain again.

To a large pot on the stove, turn it on medium heat. Add coconut milk, making sure to reserve 3/4 cup. Add the water and give a good stir. Once this comes to a simmer, add drained rice. Stir with a wooden spoon, almost stirring as you would with a risotto, and keep an eye on it as to not burn it. Stirring is important.

After 8 minutes, the rice should be soaking up much of the liquid. Stirring is important, remember? Keep stirring. Reduce heat to low and add 1 1/2 cups of dark brown sugar and the salt. Continue to stir for about another 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. While the rice cooks, butter a casserole dish. Mine is about 9×13.

Now it’s time to make the sauce. To a sauce pan, add remaining 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup coconut milk, and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, stirring as well. You want the sauce to thicken a bit, only about 3 minutes or so. Remove from heat.

Pour rice into casserole dish and gently transfer into the dish. Pour coconut caramel sauce all over the top and ensure it covers the top.

Place into the oven and cook for about 50 minutes. The top should be nice and bubbly.

Carefully remove from oven and let cool for about 30 minutes. Trust it will still be really hot so be careful when biting into it. Slice into squares and serve warm (preferred) or at room temperature. Make sure to store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. This should last a few days but trust me, it won’t last that long.

The result is almost like a formed warm sweet porridge. It’s a bit difficult to explain. It’s a bit sticky, it’s sweet, and it is so darn addictive that I walked away feeling guilty that I ate that much, especially a dessert that had a texture I thought I would not get into. I’m glad I was proven wrong.