Pinindot / Ginataang Bilo-Bilo
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What's in a name?
Growing up, whenever there was a birthday, graduation, wedding, funeral (or a combination of two or more of those things ... a story I'll share another time 😊), and especially on New Year's Eve/Day, we always had a dish that we lovingly called pinindot.
In the Philippines, many variations of this dish exist with about as many different names (and spellings). Pinindot, bilo-bilo, bilu-bilo, pinatok, ginataang bilo-bilo, and even ginataang halo-halo, I (Roberto) have tons of childhood memories wrapped up in this dish. Why? Likely because of the time it took my mom to make it, and because now, as an adult, I can't get enough of it. The most widely accepted name for this dish is ginataang bilo-bilo, but in my heart, it will always be pinindot.
Pinindot or bilo-bilo is essentially a dessert dish meant to counter the savory tastes in a typical Filipino holiday meal. Its basic construct involves small glutinous rice balls (balls of rice flour that Heather rolls up by hand) cooked in coconut milk and sugar. It's creamy, delicious, and can add a little taste of heaven to even the most difficult week of quarantine.
The etymology of the dish can also vary when asking folks from different regions, but what I was taught was that the common name ginataang bilo-bilo comes from the Tagalog word bilog (which means round or circle). Ginataang comes from the word gata which simply means coconut milk. In the Philippines, you'll find many dishes that start with the word ginataang to signify that it is something made with coconut milk. Why do people from my province (Batangas) call it pinindot? I have no idea. Pinindot can be translated to mean "to push or squeeze with fingers" ... you know, like what you do to a button. In fact, my brother used to jokingly call this dish push button. Legend has it that the super traditional way of making this dish involves forming rice flour balls and then pushing them, adding a little dimple. Again, this is legend, so making it this way may conjure a Batangueño hero of old (you've been warned).
Why balls of rice flour? Well, as I mentioned above, this is typically a New Year's dish. Because of the Philippine's proximity to China, we've inherited some of their cultural traits, one of them being the idea that consuming many round-shaped sticky things will yield a prosperous and fortune-filled New Year. It has been scientifically proven that not consuming sticky round-shaped objects is the reason why 2020 turned out the way that it did.
If you're looking for a delicious Filipino dessert to serve up for Easter dinner, try the recipe below. I also recently promised an adoptive family more Filipino recipe's, so here you go ... haha. Remember, there are dozens of variations to this dish, so what we're sharing with you is our Atienza family PureHapaness version 😉.
WHAT ABOUT BINIGNIT?
Some of you may be wondering "what about binignit?," especially since we live in Cebu, and especially with it being Holy Week. In the Visayas region, there is a similar dish (one of Heather's favorites, by the way) called binignit which is often consumed during Holy Week and other religious feast days (like Sinulog). Much like Visayan culture and language, binignit is different, unique, and special enough to deserve its own post. Some of the differences include the use of sago (tapioca pearls) and/or landang (palm flour jelly balls), as well as various tubers (sweet potatoes, purple yams, etc.) and saba bananas. If you'd like to try this out, there's a great recipe online here. Binignit has become one of our go-to foods for merienda (mid-afternoon snack).
Pinindot / Ginataang Bilo-Bilo
Preparation Time: 30 minutes (plus freezing)
Cook Time: ~45 minutes
Step 1: Pinindot
First, add 1 cup of glutinous rice flour to a ½ cup of water. What is glutinous rice flour? You should be able to find this at your local Asian grocery store, and you may see the word malagkit (sticky) on the packaging if you're in one that caters to Filipinos. Stir them together in a mixing bow until it's roughly the consistency of oobleck. Basically, you'll know your mix is good if you can take some of it and roll it into a small ½-inch ball that can hold it's shape. If the ball starts to flatten, then you need to add more rice flour.
Once you've got your mixture right, use a measuring tea spoon to take scoops of the mix. Roll these scoops into the shape of a ball with your hands. Do this to the whole mixture, then take the balls that you've created, place them on a tray or sheet of some sort, and put them in the freezer (at least half an hour, but preferably 1-2 hours).
Step 2: Putting It All Together For Good Fortune
Ingredients:
• Rice balls from step 1
• 2-3 cups of water
• 2 cans of coconut milk (regular size, both cans totaling about 3 cups)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 can/jar of jackfruit (in syrup)
• 2-3 plantain bananas cut into small chunks
Optional: Sweet potatoes, taro
Boil the water with half of your coconut milk. Then, add the pinindot balls. Cook them until the rice flour balls are able to float (approximately 20 minutes). If you are adding sweet potatoes, add them at this point and let everything cook for about 15 minutes.
Then, dump in the bananas, jack fruit, remaining coconut milk, and sugar. Add a dash of salt as well if you like (it sometimes helps to enhance the flavor). Boil for another 5-10 minutes. The dish will thicken a bit while it cools, so feel free to add some additional water if it gets too thick.
And there you have it! Pinindot, or ginataang bilo-bilo. May you all have a blessed, happy, and prosperous Easter Sunday! As usual, if you make this, please let us know and send us pics!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• Please pray for the adoption process of one of our kids. One of our children has been matched internationally, but as can be expected, there are numerous delays and difficulties because of the global pandemic. Please pray for patience and encouragement for this family, and that God would allow the remainder of the process to proceed smoothly.
• Recently, there was a fire just down the hill from the Shelter. The fire actually broke out at the auto-repair shop that the Shelter uses for all of its vehicles. By the grace of God, the fire was contained very quickly (it was along the main road, so the fire trucks were able to reach the fire easily). Please pray for the owner and his business.
• Please pray as well for the coronavirus situation here in the Philippines. The country is in the midst of a new wave of infections that is far worse than the first. Pray that the spread of the virus is contained and that those infected may recover quickly.
THANKS AGAIN for all your messages, all your prayers, and all of the love and support you continue to give. Please know that we are also praying for you. God bless!
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