Suman, Sinukmani or Biko: Sweetened sticky rice in Coconut milk

This is very simple to make, but will surely delight your family.

We usually make this during All Saints and All Souls Day, that’s November 1 or 2.
In most family gathering this is always present. 🙂

Try this at your own kitchen.

Ingredients:

Sticky rice
Brown sugar
Coconut milk
desiccated Coconut for toppings

Procedure:

1. Cook the sticky rice in the rice cooker just like cooking ordinary rice.
Wash it thoroughly with running water, when ready put a 1:1 ratio of water to rice.
2. When the rice is cooked, set aside.
3. On a separate pan, put the brown sugar and the coconut milk together.
4. Stir it under low heat fire. Constantly stir until mixture gets thick.
5. Add the cooked sticky rice, and continue stirring,
6. Until cooked sticky rice are all coated with the sweet mixture.
7. Transfer to a serving dish and top with toasted desiccated coconut.
8. Serve cold or hot.

Biko ready for your table

Biko topped with toasted desiccated coconut

Leche Flan (variations discovered)

I bought a Vietnamese Cookbook about a year ago but I never browsed it well.
I brought it with me, now I think this is a wonderful and precise cookbook, though I am not used
to follow the amount of ingredients listed, this book’s precision to timing and blend of ingredients is really amazing.

Book’s name: Vietnamese Food and Cooking by Ghillie Basan, I bought this at Cagnaan bookstore for P520.

Why I mentioned this? Because this book taught me how to make leche flan in a different way that I used
to. Leche Flan, as I used to made it, which I also learned from my Tita Terry is steamed, and it was always good. But the author taught me that Leche Flan could be cooked with bain marie inside the oven, it could also be made with coconut cream. This is a brilliant option, since every time coconut milk is not available, I replace it with milk. She called it Coconut Creme Caramel, but I am sure it taste the same as Leche Flan!

What is bain marie by the way, it is known as water bath. How do I do it with Leche Flan in the oven? Put a wide oven dish with water, then put leche flan dish on top of it. The result is astonishing to me.

Ingredients:
4 large US extra large eggs
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup white sugar
2.5 cups coconut milk
(Can be replaced with full fat milk, or a combination of evap and condensed milk)

caramel:

3/4 cup white sugar

Procedure:
1. To make a caramel(make sure your leche flan dish is dry and ready): heat the sugar and water stirring
constantly until all granules are dissolved. Bring to boil until golden brown.
(Do not burn, it will get bitter)

the start of making caramel

This is it! The Caramel

2. Pour the caramel on the dish, tilting it around so the bottom and the sides will all be covered. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 325F with the bain marie set.
4. In bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolk slowly with white sugar.
5. Pour in the milk while beating constantly. Make sure the sugar and the eggs are dissolve with milk.

This is how your flan mixture would look like before pouring into the caramel

6. Pour in the mixture to the caramel through a strainer.
7. Put the Leche flan on the bain marie inside the oven for 50 mins or until it is set but feels soft when you
touch with your finger tips. Leave the dish to cool and refrigerate for at least 6 hrs. Watch for your water,
it might evaporate too soon, put more water after about 20 mins. if you think your bain marie pan is too
shallow. If your bain marie dries up your flan will taste like egg. 😦

Lechen Flan: Sorry I forgot to take a picture while it is still whole. 🙂

This is an old time family’s favorite, from the previous generation until generation next to mine. My daughter can finish 6 slices at one time and will ask for more. Enjoy!