Car-aoke, Karioka!

Car-aoke is a term that one of my friends, “DJ Soliloquy,” came up with during a car ride down south. It’s her way of saying car karaoke, and I thought it was appropriate for helping everyone else understand how to pronounce the word “Karioka.”

When The Food Scientist first came back from her vacation to the Philippines, she told me about a version of bitsu-bitsu that she wanted to make. I asked my mom about it; and when I read her the description, she said it sounded like a different snack she knew of. Later, I discovered that it was karioka (also spelled “carioca”)! I started researching various recipes, and it sounded absolutely delicious. I think the best way to describe it is as a coconut-infused sesame ball…Minus the sesame seeds. Either way, if you like coconut flavored treats and sesame balls, you’ve got to give this recipe a try! 🙂

Stuffed Karioka

Since I had ube halaya, langka and macapuno leftover from previous desserts, I decided to use them as stuffing. The Food Scientist has been making a lot of “Three Way” treats lately, which basically means she varies the filling for the foods she makes. While I was working on making my karioka, she was trying to pick out a Mexican-flavored dumpling out of her pile that she cooked for dinner (which also consisted of Indian and Chinese fillings). I told her that it was like playing dumpling roulette. Later in the evening, as I was varying the filling for my karioka, I realized that I forgot which pile was which. She turned to me and asked, “Karioka roulette?” 😀

Anyway, onto the important stuff – how to make karioka. Despite the insane amount of desserts I make, I actually don’t have a huge sweet tooth… so I did a bit of editing to the recipes I found online. Today’s version was inspired by Art of Dessert.

Karioka Recipe:
Makes about 12 pieces

Dough:

• 1 cup glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour)
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 vegetable oil (for frying)

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp corn starch

Optional Fillings:

• Ube Halaya (Purple yam jam.. Hehe, that rhymes!)
• Langka (Jackfruit), chopped into small pieces
• Macapuno strings (young coconut strings), chopped into small pieces

In a small mixing bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour, coconut flakes and coconut milk. Take approximately 1 1/2 Tbs of dough and roll it into a ball. Stick your thumb in the middle to create a small hole for the filling. I piped about 3/4 to 1 tsp of the ube jam per ball. For the langka and macapuno, I put just enough inside so that I could still close the gap. Once you’ve successfully stuffed your karioka, pinch the dough shut and roll it again to reform the ball shape.

Over medium-high heat, heat up the oil in a small pot. The oil will start forming bubbles when it’s about ready to start cooking your karioka. Using a set of tongs, carefully drop your karioka in one at a time. If you’re using an electric stove, lower the temperature down to medium-level heat or else the pot might get too hot and burn your karioka. I cooked 4 pieces at a time in order to ensure even cooking, but feel free to add more if you’re using a larger pot! Leave them in for about 6-8 minutes or until they turn golden brown.

Once they’ve finished cooking, transfer them to a plate with a paper towel over it. This will help absorb some of the excess oil. Set the plate aside while you create the glaze.

In a small sauce pan, combine the coconut milk, brown sugar and corn starch. Stir constantly to ensure that the sugar doesn’t burn. Roll the pieces of karioka until the balls are completely covered. If you’d like, place about 3-4 balls on each bamboo skewer and serve warm!

Here’s a picture of what the insides look like:

– Chef μChip