Binutong~ this steaming glutinous rice flavored with coconut milk will surely satisfy your merienda cravings.
There are many regional variations of the Filipino rice cake, for Bicolanos, they have the delicious binutong (pronounced binu-tong).
Aside from popular ginataan (coconut milk-based) dishes, Bicol is also known for their love of rice cakes. Other noteworthy Bicolano rice cakes other than binutong are suman sa ibos and puto sa suro/bao.
In this recipe article, we’ll take a deep dive on this rice delicacy and make sure you successfully make one right at home. I suggest you go through the whole article first before jumping to the recipe.
What is Binutong?
Binutong is a Bicolano rice cake made up of basic rice cake ingredients: glutinous or malagkit rice, coconut cream, coconut milk, and salt. Its main difference from other rice cakes is the way it was packed in the banana leaves.
Here, the banana leaves are formed into a pouch then tied at the top. I later learned that the word binutong came from the root word “butok” which means to “tie”.
When eaten fresh, it has a soft, melts-in-your-mouth texture and its taste can be described to be rich and lightly savory.
Sweeteners are not yet added in the cooking process, so you have the freedom to pair this rice cake to any sweetener you like.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Rice
In the Philippines, glutinous rice is simply known as ‘malagkit’. But depending on where you are, this rice may be called by different names. Here are some names to look for: sticky rice, waxy rice, botan rice, biroin chal, sweet rice, mochi rice, and pearl rice.
In Bicol, another type of rice called Pirurutong is also used for binutong. It is a black sticky rice known for its more fibrous content.
Leaves
In case you’re not in the Philippines or a tropical country, banana leaves may be hard to come by and they may be available in Asian stores. They are usually frozen and should not be prepared in the same ways as fresh ones. Don’t run frozen leaves over fire, but wash them with warm water instead.
Aside from these, you will also need gata (see article: Gata vs Kakang gata) and salt. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pot- We will be using a cooking pot to cook the binutong by boiling. Make sure to use a pot large enough to cover the rice cake with water.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Make Binutong
Making binutong can be divided into three straightforward parts. The first part involves cleaning and soaking the rice. The second part involves mixing the rice and packing them with the banana leaves. And lastly, we cook them by boiling.
For the first part, we wash the rice with clean water. The goal here is to simply get rid of unwanted substances that may be present with the rice like sand, dirt, and rice hulls. We then soak them in water for a while to achieve a sticky texture.
Next, we mix the rice with coconut cream, coconut milk, and salt. We then enclose this mixture with the prepared (cleaned, cut, and heated) banana leaves. See images to see how the pouch-like banana packaging looks like.
Lastly, we place the pouches in a cooking pot. Fill the pot halfway with water then apply medium-low heat. We then just wait for about an hour and we can enjoy your very own binutong!
Cooking Tips
- Some people also brush their banana leaves with oil before placing the rice mixture. This prevents the rice from sticking to the leaves. You can do this also by brushing the leaves with coconut oil or any other neutral-flavored vegetable oil.
How to Serve Binutong
Binutong is best consumed immediately after cooking. It is usually eaten as a snack, paired with hot chocolate or coffee.
As mentioned earlier, binutong is not sweetened like other rice cakes. You have many options on how to sweeten this if you like. Try white or brown sugar, fresh ripe mangoes, or even chocolate.
Do you have other suggestions? Comment below!
How to Store and Reheat Binutong
To store leftover binutong, you can place it in a clean food container with lid refrigerate or freeze. If you refrigerate, you’ll extend the shelf life for up to 3 days. If you freeze, you can store it for several months.
To reheat (thaw completely if frozen), I suggest you use a steamer and steam the rice cake until soft to eat.
Other Rice Cake Recipes
- Easy Kutsinta (Kutchinta) Recipe
- Suman Sa Lihiya (With Coconut Caramel Sauce) Recipe
- Puto Cheese Recipe
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Binutong (Bicolano Rice Cake) Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
Ingredients
For the Rice Cake
- 5 cups glutinous rice (malagkit rice), you can also use black sticky rice (pirurutong rice)
- 2 cups coconut cream (kakang gata)
- 3 cups coconut milk (gata)
- ¼ tsp salt
- Water, for boiling
Materials Needed
- Banana leaves, cleaned and cut into 10x10 inch squares
- Kitchen string
Instructions
- Wash the glutinous rice with water for about 2 to 3 times and remove dirt and other unwanted matter.
- Place the rice in a bowl and pour-in the water.
- Soak for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Remove the water then add-in the coconut cream, coconut milk, and salt then mix together.
- Lightly heat the banana leaves over fire to soften and make them pliable. If you are using frozen banana leaves, wash with warm water instead.
- Place 2 pieces of banana leaves on top of a bowl to make a bowl-like mold.
- Scoop about ½ cup of the rice mixture unto the center of the banana leaves.
- Gather the edges of the leaves together and secure by tying them with the kitchen sting or any other food grade string.
- Repeat for the rest of the ingredients.
- Place the wrapped rice in a cooking pot.
- Pour over water to fill up half of the pot.
- Apply medium-low heat and cook for about an hour. The banana leaves should be brownish-green in color.
- Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Binutong is just like the tagalog suman; the difference is in the wrapping. While binutong is cooked rice wrapped in a pouch, suman is sticky rice that is first par-cooked in coconut milk with some salt, then shaped, rolled and wrapped in young banana leaves, tied in bunches of two, then steamed. The suman is consumed paired with jalea, mango, sugar or any other sweets desired.
tenx…