I am an unapologetic denier of the rice flour balls in ginataang bilo-bilo. Yes, I know effort goes into rolling them out ever so tenderly to create perfect orbs that are bite-sized enough and that cooks at the same time the whole thing is ready.
But hear me out: what I like most in a mug/bowl/glass of bilo-bilo is the sago and the creamy sauce/soup with crushed up parts of fruit (especially kamote) in there from a little overcooking. Yes, I skip the bilo-bilo. Sue me!
While we can agree on the universal comfort this merienda brings, people still maintain their preferences for one component over the other (I know this because we did a poll on this on Instagram. Oh yes, we love to stir the pot—if only to pick our bilo-bilo bias/es).
For Cereb Gregorio, co-owner of Quezon City’s hidden lunch oasis Gubat, it is not about settling. Why choose among existing ingredients when you can add more? Earlier this year, Gubat debuted a literally “greener” take on ginataan, this time tinged with pandan. Soon, another version will be introduced, a sneak peek of which Cereb sharedon our Comfort Kitchen series.
No, there will be no purple ube version—please give the yam a rest! Instead, Cereb adds sweet corn kernel presumably for a pop of color but also to add a different flavor to the mix.
Ginataang bilo-bilo
Ingredients
Glutinous rice flour
Langka, shredded
Sweet corn, shucked
Saba, sliced
Coconut milk
Tapioca, cooked
Light brown sugar
Water
Procedure
- Start by making the bilo-bilo (rice balls). Mix glutinous rice flour with water until it’s doughy. Flour the surface you’ll put the balls on. Roll the dough into small balls with your hands
- In a pot, pour the coconut milk then add sugar. Stir and let simmer gently
- Add the corn, saba, langka and sago (tapioca pearls). Gently mix and wait until it comes to a slow boil
- Drop the rice flour balls into the pot, combine with the rest of the ingredients then cover. Let cook on low heat for a few more minutes until the bilo-bilo is cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy!
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