What’s great about ginataang bilo bilo is that it has a variety of ingredients but you can customize by adding only what you like, such as sweet potatoes, jackfruit, saba bananas, sago pearls, and rice balls. This recipe will give you bilo bilo made of purple sweet potato and pandan leaves to make it even more colorful!
Background
In Tagalog, ginataan means “cooked in coconut milk” and is derived from the word gata (“coconut milk”). Bilo bilo comes from the Tagalog word “bilog,” which means “round.” Ginataang bilo bilo translates to rice balls cooked in coconut milk. There are many different variations of this sweet coconut soup, whether it’s Filipino or even Vietnamese cuisine, like chè Thái or chè chuối. It’s also worth noting that there are savory ginataan stews, too. In Cebu, we have a similar dish called binignit that is a similar concept of saba bananas, taro, and pearls cooked in a coconut milk sauce. It’s eaten during holy week on Good Friday to avoid eating meat.
Bilo bilo (chewy rice balls)
In addition to having mini sago or white tapioca pearls in ginataang bilo bilo, there are also other starchy balls. Bilo bilo are the handmade rice balls traditionally made of water and glutinous rice flour. It’s a very similar process to making handmade tapioca pearls. For this recipe, I made two types of bilo bilo from purple sweet potato and pandan leaves. In my opinion, you can’t really taste the flavor profiles of purple sweet potato or pandan, but the color really makes the ginataang bilo bilo pop and make it more aesthetically pleasing.
Cooking tips
Serving and storage
I like to cool the ginataang bilo bilo on the counter for about 10 minutes before serving to prevent anyone from burning their mouths! Serve when it’s warm, but you can also chill it in the fridge for those that prefer eating it cold. This recipe can keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
