Pinataro: Isabela's 'Bilo-bilo' recipe

MANILA, Philippines — Bilo-bilo, one of our most famous kakanins, is always on top of Filipinos’ list of favorite desserts. 

There are several versions of it, depending on what ingredients are used and which region the Bilo-bilo originates from. We know it best as Bilo-bilo and Guinataang Halo-halo, but it also goes by the names Pinaktok in Southern Tagalog, Binignit in the Visayas, Tambu-tambong in Ilocano, and Paradusdos in Pangasinense.

In Isabela, where Chef Cocoy Ventura hails from, this sweet merienda fare cooked in gata (coconut milk) is referred to by its Ybanag name, Pinataro.

It was one of the featured dishes in a cooking class conducted by Chef Cocoy for The Maya Kitchen.

Pinataro

Ingredients:

1 liter cream (*about 6 coconuts)

250 grams glutinous rice, rolled into half-inch balls

2 pcs. medium taro, diced

2 pcs. medium sweet potato, diced

2 pcs. medium yam (orange kamote), diced

1 pc. small ube, diced

12 pcs. saba (bananas), ripe, diced

200 grams cooked large tapioca pearls (traditional sago)

150 grams white granulated sugar

Salt for balancing sweetness

Procedure:

1. In a large pot, layer the ingredients from bottom to top in this order: Saba, taro, sweet potato, yam, ube.

2. Cover with enough hot water, barely submerged, and simmer over medium heat covered.

3. Add sugar, and adjust sweetness, if necessary, when ube is al dente.

4. Turn up heat until the liquid boils rapidly, drop glutinous rice balls, cover.

5. When glutinous rice balls have changed color and floated to the surface, add tapioca pearls, mix, and add coconut cream. Don't let coco cream boil; turn off heat right away.

6. Add salt to balance sweetness. Serve after an hour.