This Healthy Biko Recipe has added collagen peptides and made with date syrup. It's filled with healthy good fats and vitamins!
Kakanin
For those of you not familiar with Filipino sweets, 90% of our desserts are made with some form of rice. Either whole rice or rice flour. We call this group of desserts Kakanin, which loosely translates to made from rice.
Biko is part of the Kakanin family and one of those simple desserts made with just whole rice grains, coconut milk and brown sugar.
Now I have a diabetic dad so that's one of the reasons why I make healthier versions of these Filipino dishes. I made it more nutrient dense by adding in some collagen peptides. Then replaced the brown sugar with date syrup. Now we get some magnesium and potassium instead of just eating empty calories.
Step by Step Biko Recipe
I am here to walk you through how to make this healthy Biko recipe. As I mentioned before, the ingredients list is quite simple. However it does take patience (like my yema recipe) to get it to the right consistency.
Cook the Sweet Sticky Rice
First you have to cook the sweet sticky rice. I used my rice cooker that has a sticky rice setting. I threw in a vanilla pod and cinnamon stick in there to add some additional flavor.
Coconut Milk Sauce
To make the coconut milk sauce combine 1 scoop of collagen peptides (I used this brand) with a can of coconut milk and date syrup.
Once the rice is cooked, take out the cinnamon stick and the vanilla pod. Cut the pod in half and scrape out the seeds and add both the cooked rice and the vanilla seeds into the coconut milk sauce.
Now is the hard part where you have to keep on stiring on low heat to have the rice absorb the milk. It will take about 10-15 minutes. Please don't step away to do something else while the rice and the coconut milk is on the heat. It's going to burn and stick and it's going to create lots of drama. Just stay put and stir, stir, stir.
When it start to pull away from the sides, it's time to take it off the heat as you don't want to over cook it and start releasing the coconut oil. It should look like a very very thick rice pudding.
To Serve
If you have access to some banana leaves line a tray with it and then spread the Biko all over and smooth it over.
Drizzle more date syrup on the top and if desired add some coconut sugar.
Enjoy with a cup of ginger tea. This can be eaten during merienda or after a meal (if you have space).
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Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Sweet Rice Grains
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Vanilla Pod
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 13.5 oz Can Coconut Milk
- 1 Scoop Vanilla Coconut Collagen
- ¼ Cup Date Syrup
- Pince of Salt
- Extra Date Syrup to Drizzle
- Optional Banana Leaves or Parchment Paper
Instructions
- Wash the rice until it becomes clear and place in the rice cooker with the water, vanilla pod and cinnamon stick. Cook using the sweet rice setting. If you don't have a sweet rice setting, just use your normal rice settings.
- While the rice is cooking, mix the coconut milk, collagen, date syrup and salt in a large sauce pan.
- Once the rice is cooked, take out the cinnamon stick and the vanilla pod. Cut the pod in half and scrape out the seeds and add both the cooked rice and the vanilla seeds into the coconut milk sauce.
- Add the rice to the coconut milk mixture and put it on very low heat. Keep stirring until the coconut milk is absorbed into the rice and it starts to pull away from the sides. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
- Take off the heat and either line a serving plate with banana leaves. If you don't have access to banana leaves line with parchment paper. Spread the Biko on the plate and drizzle with more date syrup. Cut into bite size pieces and cool to room temperature before serving.
Sylvia Beso says
Hi Reza. Hope all is well.
Although I have not tried your biko recipe, I find it amazing. I've been trying to make healthier versions of the Filipino kakanins, the biko included. I used a coconut milk that says "lite" on the can, but it doesn't turn out right. I can't achieve the correct texture for the latik. I don't know what the collagen peptides would do to the biko. Where do you get the dates syrup? Your response and a brief insight into the procedure for the biko would help a lot.
Thank you for your time. Belated happy Christmas!
Sylvia
Rezel Kealoha says
Hi Sylvia! Thanks for stopping by. Light coconut is usually watered down with water so it's not ideal to use for Latik, as most of the fat is gone. I would still use regular coconut milk for that and just use a little bit. The collagen peptides are optional and just add more nutrients instead of just eating just rice. I order my just date syrup online through the website. Are you based in the Philippines? If so I think there are some natural good stores there. If you can't find it coconut sugar is a good alternative too. If you have any more questions you can also email me directly. hi@rezelkealoha.com. Salamat!