Bibingka

In my quest to find the recipe that fits my "used to" bibingka sold in the dirty market in our home town: grainy yet soft when served hot,  sweet and with the aroma of burnt banana leaves, i've decided to make a hybrid version. More like soft, fluffy and a little grainy texture. Finally a little upgrade of what i used to have, not that i am saying what i used to have is not delicious, it's just like we can make something a little more palatable than what we used to have :-D.

Be warned that if you are immersed in a culturally diverse group of friends, always clarify what you refer because each region has its own version of bibingka, like the bibingka galapong i made or you ask for "puto" and you will be given "biko" instead. So here it is the quest for the authentic bibingka. 

I can't get that authentic burned banana leaves aroma since those were cooked in a traditional way of "oven" where batter was placed in a claypot lined with banana leaves and baked in a clay oven sandwich by charcoal, but this is the closest i can achieve, finally--


BIBINGKA
makes 1 7" pie pan and 1 mamon pan.

1 c rice flour
1/2 c light muscovado sugar ( or you can use 2/3 c regular brown sugar)
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 c coconut milk
1 whole egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven in 180 degrees.
In a bowl place flour, baking powder and sugar. Mix to combine.
In a mini blender, place egg, coconut milk and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and combine.
Then pour the batter into the prepared pan lined with banana leaf.
Bake for 30 minutes or less until the toothpick comes out clean when tested.
Remove from oven when done and top with grated coconut.
Serve warm with coffee and tea.

Awesome!!!

Fresh from the oven, see those signature cracks? 

This is the texture I am looking for --

Enjoy it with your favorite drink... serve warm with grated coconut or grated cheddar cheese.

Bibingka Galapong

Living in Manila for quite some time exposed and integrated me to various cultures, primarily language. If you're a pure Manileña, language barrier is your major concern cause your friends may talk behind your back  (mostly in a nice/ funny/ joking way). On the other hand, it will be a realization that similiraties abound these different cultures yet expressed in several ways and again language is evident.

The word of the day is Galapong. It is a tagalog word for milled glutinous rice. Some called it as rice flour others defined it as glutinous rice powder. In the province, we simply call it giniling na malagkit (glutinous rice) or giniling na bigas (for white rice flour). The common denominator is that-- it is from rice and in a powdered form.

Got cravings for another native delicacy and as i was researching for the recipe, i came across bibingka. I'm used to bibingka with grainy texture, sweet and cooked in banana leaves topped with shaved fresh coconut but sometimes food photo are looking appetizing that you may want to explore it. So today, i am trying this bibingka galapong made of rice but not regular white rice but glutinous rice, which made me thinking the texture could be different from the one's I am used to but let me give it a try. 

Indeed I was right,  this is more of a smooth sticky side than the grainy, soft bibingka. It's texture is a hybrid of maja blanca and cassava cake: smooth, sticky and soft.  But not bad to have though, here is the recipe i reinvented--


BIBINGKA GALAPONG
makes 2 round 7" pie pan

1 1/2 c glutinous rice powder
1 1/2 c water
1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
200 ml (1 packet) coconut cream
2 whole big eggs 
1/3 c caster sugar
1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh banana leaves ( cured by passing over an open flame) and cut about 9" in diameter so when lined on a pan should cover the whole pan with extra.

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees.
1. In a big bowl, put rice and baking powder. Using a whisk, mix to combine.
2. Add water and coconut milk. Mix to combine.
3. In a mini blender, add eggs and blend or whisk then slowly add sugar, pulse to mix and then add butter. This process is to get a frothy texture of egg mixture.
4. Pour this frothy mixture  into the bowl of rice.
5. Add in vanilla.
6. Lined the pie pan with banana leaf and brush with melted butter.

7. Pour the mixture into the pan until a little less full.
8. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 mins. 
9. When tested and toothpick comes out clean, it's done.
10. Remove from oven brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle it with cheese.
11. Serve hot with coffee or tea.