Biko Recipe (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake)

Biko also known as sticky rice coconut cake is a Filipino rice cake dessert made with sticky rice, coconut milk, brown sugar, salt and topped with crispy coconut curds called as Latik. Learn how to make Biko with stepwise pictures and video.

Biko recipe

There are some recipes which will make us to try immediately as soon as we come across it. This is one such recipe. I came across this dish recently and it was too tempting for me to try immediately.

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It is a Filipino dessert dish made with sticky rice and coconut milk which is sweetened with brown sugar. Super simple to make but tastes so addictive. I made a small batch and it turned out super yummy which made me order more sticky rice.

What is Biko?

Biko is a Filipino sticky rice coconut cake. It is pronounced as bee-koh. The dish is made with sticky rice also known as sushi rice, which is cooked with some pandan leaf.

Coconut milk, brown sugar and salt is mixed into the cooked rice to make a thick pudding like texture. This rice pudding is spooned into banana leaf lined pan and topped with crispy coconut curds called as latik. Traditionally it is served hot or warm.

About Biko (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake)

Biko is a simple rice based dessert from Philippines. The dessert uses sticky rice and coconut milk as base. As far as the sweetener you can use coconut sugar, brown sugar with added molasses too.

Traditionally Biko is served in banana leaf for the earthy aroma. Pandan leaf provides the unique flavour to the rice. You can top Biko with coconut caramel sauce (recipe given below) or crispy caramelised coconut curds called as latik.

You can use fresh coconut milk or canned coconut milk or coconut cream for making Biko. Biko traditionally is not too sweet, so you can add more or less brown sugar to your taste. You can even make a big batch of coconut caramel and serve with it. Enjoy Biko hot or warm for best taste, any leftovers can be stored in fridge and reheated the next day in microwave.

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Watch Biko Recipe Video

Biko Ingredients

Sticky rice – also known as sushi rice or glutinous rice. You can use regular sushi rice or even black rice. Black rice tends to give darker colour Biko, but it taste equally delicious. Usually I cook sushi rice in 1:1 part of water to rice. But this time I cooked it with 1.5 : 1 part of water to rice.

Coconut milk – thick coconut milk is added to cooked rice along with brown sugar and salt. It is cooked down till thick and halwa like. I used another batch of coconut milk to make latik which is caramelised toasted coconut curds.

Brown sugar – I used brown sugar for sweetness. You can use coconut sugar as well.

Pandan leaf – even though this is optional, it adds wonderful aroma to the rice.

Salt – salt helps enhance the taste of Biko and balance the taste.

How to Make Biko (Stepwise Pictures)

Making Latik

1)Take coconut milk in a shallow pan. Cook on medium high heat until it comes to a full boil.

2)Now cook it on medium heat stirring often until the coconut oil separates from the coconut milk and coconut curds starts to caramelise.

3)Keep mixing. The coconut curds will start to toast.

4)Now the curds has caramelized.

5)Strain this toasted curds in a sieve placed over a bowl to catch the coconut oil.

Lining Pan with Banana Leaf

6)Toast banana leaf in open flame until it is wilted slightly. Cut 4 corners of the banana leaf.

7)Line a plate or shallow pan with banana leaf. Set aside.

Cooking Biko

8)Start by cooking glutinous rice. Take rice and wash it really well in multiple changes of water. Take it in a sauce pan. Add in water along with pandan leaf.

9)Bring it to a full boil, cover and simmer the pot and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until rice is completely cooked.

10)Pour in coconut milk.

11)Add in salt, brown sugar and mix well.

12)Sugar will melt and combine with the cooked sushi rice.

13)Now cook this all together on low medium heat until it get thick and leaves the sides of the pan. Remove the pandan leaf from this mixture.

14)Spoon this into the banana leaf lined baking pan. Leave it to cool for 30 minutes.

15)Use a knife to cut equal portion in squares.

16)Top with the crispy curds. Enjoy warm or room temp.

Expert tips

You can use canned coconut milk or freshly squeezed coconut milk for the recipe.
Sugar totally depends on your taste. You can use brown sugar, coconut sugar in this recipe.
Don’t skip salt, it enhance the taste of the Biko.
Instead of using coconut curds latik, you can top with coconut caramel, recipe below.

Coconut Caramel Recipe for Biko

2 cups coconut milk
1 ½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt

Take all ingredients in a sauce pan. Cook everything together until it gets syrupy and thick like a caramel. Set aside to cool. You can drizzle this over Biko and serve.

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