Filipino Carioca Food

CARIOCA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine glutinous rice flour and 1 cup of water. Stir until flour is moistened. If needed, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time to form a firm but smooth and pliable dough. Dough should not feel dry or too sticky.
• Scoop about 1 teaspoonful of dough and roll in palm of hands into 1-inch balls. Using the sharp end of one bamboo skewer, poke through each dough ball.
• In a wide pan over medium heat, heat about 3-inches deep of oil. Gently add balls into the oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until they float to the top. Continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until golden.
• With a slotted spoon, remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
• Dip carioca in the sugar syrup until fully coated. Arrange in single layer on a wire rack set over a pan or on a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool.
• Skewer in bamboo skewers if desired.

FILIPINO CARIOCA RECIPE (FRIED SWEET RICE BALLS DIPPED IN SWEET COCONUT SYRUP)

Steps:

• Mix the sweet rice flour and water to form a dough. Add a little more flour if it's too sticky or a little water if it's too dry.
• Portion in one teaspoon pieces, then roll each one in a ball.
• With a bamboo skewer, poke a hole through the rolled dough.
• Using medium low to low heat, heat up the cooking oil to deep fry the dough ball.
• Put in the dough balls one at a time, making sure they don't stick together. Let them cook covered for 8-10 minutes. If the oil is splattering, turn your heat down a little bit.
• Once cooked, drain on a paper towel.
• Prepare the sugar dip by combining the coconut milk and brown sugar in a pan and cook until both are fully incorporated.
• Roll the carioca in the sugar mixture and skewer about 4 or 5 pieces.
• Your carioca is ready to serve.
• Cooking Tips:
• Poking holes through the raw dough balls helps the inside cook faster without causing much oil splatter.
• You get a nice crusty outside and chewy inside if you fry until the outside is slightly yellowish. This may take between 12 - 15 minutes per batch.
• If you'd rather have it soft and chewy, this will take you about 6-8 minutes or just until the inside is cooked.

CARIOCA RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine glutinous rice flour and sweetened desiccated coconut and mix well. Make a well in the center, add the coconut milk and mix with a wooden spoon until becomes soft sticky dough. Refrigerate the dough for about 20 minutes to make your dough firm. To make the balls, scoop about a tablespoon of dough and roll on your hands to make a ball. Arrange on a clean plate and repeat the process until you are done with all your carioca dough.
• Dip each ball in a reserved 1/3 cup of glutinous rice flour and shake off extra flour (dust lightly as possible as you can). This process will help your carioca stay in shape after frying and will give you a crunchy texture on the exterior and protects the interior from drying. Repeat dusting until you're done with all your carioca dough.
• In a small frying pan, heat the oil over medium until tiny bubbles are visible. Drop carioca balls by batches at least 15 pieces at a time and don't overcrowd your pan. Fry the carioca for about 5 minutes or until the color turns light brown . Using a tong and a bamboo skewer place 3 balls on each stick and place it on the plate lined with paper towel. Keep skewering until you're done with your first 5 sticks. Reload your 2nd batch of carioca (another 15 balls) on a frying pan and repeat process until you're done with the last batch then, set aside.
• Let's start making our coconut sauce, in a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk into a boil over medium heat. Add in light or dark brown sugar and mix well. When it starts to boil, adjust your heat to low and simmer the mixture until becomes syrup. Fire off, and let it cool slightly before using and at this point you can add some vanilla if you want.
• Meanwhile, while our coconut sauce is cooling down, lightly toast your sesame seeds in a pan over low heat for about 2 minutes. To serve our Carioca, you can either drizzle or dipped in coconut syrup, then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds on top and serve.

CARIOCA (FILIPINO SUGAR-COATED FRIED RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Prepare rice ball mixture. In a mixing bowl, combine 200g rice flour and 150ml water and whisk until it forms a clay-like dough. Next, roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball and set it aside. Repeat steps to form more rice balls.
• Fry the rice balls. Heat 500ml oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until hot. Once the oil is hot, gently add the rice balls and cook for 3-4 minutes or until light brown. Transfer cooked rice balls on a cooling rack with paper towels to drain excess oil. Set it aside and prepare to dip into caramel sauce.
• Make the caramel sauce. In a small saucepan, pour 120g brown sugar and 30 ml water in and stir until dissolved. Next, transfer the saucepan onto a stove and turn on the heat to medium and boil without stirring until syrup is golden, about 5-6 minutes. Next, remove pan from heat and dip the rice balls into this caramel

FILIPINO CARIOCA

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine sweet rice flour, sweetened shredded coconut, and coconut milk. Mix well until a dough is formed.
• Scoop about a tablespoon and a half of the mixture then form into a ball shaped figure. Set aside.
• Heat a cooking pot then pour in cooking oil.
• Deep fry the mixture that were formed into balls in medium heat for 5 to7 minutes or until the color turns light to medium brown.
• Turn off heat and remove the balls from the cooking pot. Transfer the balls to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside.
• Start making the coating by heating a saucepan and pouring the coconut milk inches Let the coconut milk boil then add the brown sugar and stir continuously until the mixture thickens. Turn off heat.
• Dip the fried balls into the coating then skewer, if desired.

KARIOKA SWEET RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Mix rice flour, shredded coconut, and 3/4 cup coconut milk together in a bowl until dough is well mixed. Form dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon per ball.
• Heat oil in a pot over medium heat.
• Fry dough balls in the hot oil until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and transfer balls to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Pour 1/2 cup coconut milk into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir brown sugar into hot coconut milk until liquid thickens, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove saucepan from heat, cool coconut coating slightly, and dip balls into coating. Cool slightly before serving.

KARIOKA (FILIPINO CHEWY BALLS) WITH SWEET SUGAR SAUCE

Steps:

• DOUGH: Mix 2 cups of mochiko and 2 cups of coconut milk together. Mixture will be very wet. Add macapuno to the dough.
• Make into 1" to 1 1/2" balls and deep fry. (TIP: while forming, using two spoons. Then, immediately put into frying pan).
• SAUCE: Boil 1 cup coconut milk and brown sugar until sticky. Dip karioka into the sauce and eat or pour/drizzle the sauce on the karioka. Skewer. Some people don't like their karioka sweet so they just roll/dust brown sugar on top of the karioka while its hot.