Tabirak/Benignet/Ginataang Bilo-Bilo

The Visayan/Bisdak/Bisayan calls this Tabirak or Benignet and it is Ginataang Bilo-Bilo in Tagalog. It might be called Sweet Rice Flour Balls in Coconut Milk in English. This is easy to make and it is everyone's favorite during Philippine Holy Week. Every Holy Friday, my Mom will always cook Tabirak and it is her specialty. This is what we eat the whole day instead of eating meat and rice every meal. This serves as our way of fasting. After cooking, My Mom shares it with the neighbors and they like it. It is pretty normal for us sharing and exchanging a bowl of Tabirak even it has the same ingredients but the fact that a different person cooks it makes sense. Tabirak is not only cooked during Holy week but also everyday. Some cafeteria serve this for merienda or snacks. I love it! Below is my first time to cook Tabirak with Ate Rose and Wrapshell. Shell brought the ingredients at Mary's house and Ate Rose prepared the Bilo-Bilo or the Sweet Rice Balls. Below is the recipe.

Ate Rose and Wrapshell

Ingredients:

4 or more pieces Saging/Bananas, sliced in cubes
4 or more Camote/Sweet Potatoes, cubed
1 20 oz can Jackfruit in Syrup
1 12 oz bottle Tapioca in Syrup or Sago
3 13.5 oz cans Coconut Milk (use more if necessary)
1 pack sweet rice flour
3 13.5 oz cans water (use the coco milk can to measure) or 5 cups of water (use more if necessary)
1 tbsp Vanilla
3/4 cups sugar
anis

To Make the Bilo-Bilo:

Add a little amount of sweet rice flour to the jackfruit syrup. Mix well. Add more sweet rice if necessary until the mixture is right, not too dry and not too wet.

Boil coconut milk and water. Add camote and Sago and cook it for a few minutes. Cover and simmer on medium heat.

Add Saging till cooked.

Add Bilo-Bilo, sliced jackfruit, anis, sugar and vanilla. Add more sugar if necessary. Stir all ingredients. It is done when the Bilo-Bilo is cooked.

Bilo-Bilo/Sweet Rice Flour Balls