Ginataang Bilo bilo (aka Ginataang Halo halo)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 5 (13.5 ounces) cans coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 pieces sweet potatoes and various yams, peeled and chopped (purple yam is okay. Just heads up that it will turn your soup purple)
- ¼ cup small tapioca pearls
- 10-12 pieces mochi balls (see recipe below)
- ¼ cup ripe jackfruit, cut in strips (in a can or fresh is fine as long as it's the ripe yellow kind, and NOT green and unripe)
- 1-2 pieces saba banana, peeled and sliced (plantains are ok too)
- ½ cup organic sugar (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Pour coconut milk and water in a pot and put to a boil.
- Add yams and sweet potato. Simmer for 10 minutes. If using purple yam, the soup will have a beautiful purple hue.
- Pour tapioca pearls, mix, and put to a boil.
- Carefully place mochi balls (see recipe below). Wait until they float on top (about 5 minutes). If they haven't floated in 5 minutes, mix around and simmer until they float.
- Mix in jackfruit, banana, and sugar. Add more sugar if needed.
- The yams and sweet potato should be tender at this point. If not, simmer until tender.
- Put to a boil then turn off heat.
- Serve warm or cold. To enjoy cold, refrigerate before serving.
To make chewy rice balls/mochi balls/Bilo bilo:
- In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup glutinous rice flour (also known as sweet rice flour) and 2 tablespoons water. Using your hands, form into bite-size dough balls (size doesn't have to be precise). If dough balls are too dry, add more water one teaspoon at a time.
Notes
Ginataang Halo-halo will thicken over time after cooking. Just add more coconut milk to thin it out, or simply enjoy its creamier texture.
Glutinous rice flour is different from regular rice flour. If you use regular rice flour, the rice balls won't be chewy. Make sure it says "glutinous". Also, "glutinous" does not mean it has gluten in it. This recipe is, in fact, is gluten-free.
When buying Saba bananas (usually available at Asian and Mexcian stores), pick the softer, mushier ones. If it's not that soft, it's not ripe yet.
Glutinous rice flour is different from regular rice flour. If you use regular rice flour, the rice balls won't be chewy. Make sure it says "glutinous". Also, "glutinous" does not mean it has gluten in it. This recipe is, in fact, is gluten-free.
When buying Saba bananas (usually available at Asian and Mexcian stores), pick the softer, mushier ones. If it's not that soft, it's not ripe yet.
Recipe by ASTIG Vegan at https://www.astigvegan.com/ginataang-bilo-bilo/