Ginataang Bilo-Bilo (sticky rice balls in coconut milk)

Name: Ginataang Bilo-Bilo (sticky rice balls in coconut milk)
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 150g glutinous rice flour; 130ml warm water; 400ml coconut milk; 600ml water; 200g sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes; 2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced, yellow with black skin; 60g small tapioca pearls, rinsed; 120g soft light brown sugar; 0.25 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla extract

A warm, creamy coconut pudding with chewy rice balls, sweet potato, ripe plantain and tapioca pearls.

Time50 min
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.75 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

6 servings

Ingredients

Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.

150 gglutinous rice flour
130 mlwarm water
400 mlcoconut milk
600 mlwater
200 gsweet potatopeeled and cut into small cubes
2ripe plantainspeeled and sliced, yellow with black skin
60 gsmall tapioca pearlsrinsed
120 gsoft light brown sugar
¼ tspsalt
1 tspvanilla extract

Method

1
Mix the glutinous rice flour with the warm water to make a soft dough. Roll into about 24 marble sized balls.
2
Put the coconut milk and water in a large pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the sweet potato and plantain and cook for 8 minutes.
8 min
3
Stir in the tapioca pearls and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often so they do not stick.
10 min
4
Drop in the rice balls one by one. When they float, cook for 3 minutes more.
3 min
5
Stir in the sugar, salt and vanilla and simmer for 5 minutes until creamy and slightly thick.
6
Serve warm in bowls. It thickens as it cools, so loosen with a splash of water if needed.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.