Filipino Carioca Recipe

Fried Sweet Rice Balls Dipped in
Sweet Coconut Syrup

This Filipino Carioca Recipe is made from sweet rice dough or galapong that is rolled like a ball, deep fried, then dipped in a sweet coconut syrup before skewering with a bamboo stick.

There are a few different versions of carioca, one is a chewy dense type with shredded coconut in the mix, another is soft and creamy with a hardened sugar coating outside.

I like this particular recipe -- nice and crunchy outside and a bit hollow and chewy inside with creamy coconut based sugar syrup.

Rolling, deep-frying, and dipping in sauce - seems like a simple procedure, right?

Well, yes, but this is like frying Lechon, the hot oil squirts so much that it's pretty dangerous.

But not to worry, if you keep the heat in low setting and poking holes through the dough ball before frying, oil burns should not be a problem.

YOUR SHOPPING LIST FOR THIS FILIPINO CARIOCA RECIPE:

  • Sweet Rice or Glutinous Rice Flour
  • Coconut Milk
  • Brown Sugar
  • Bamboo Skewers

IN THE PANTRY:

  • Cooking Oil for deep frying

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups Sweet Rice or Glutinous Rice Flour
  • 1 cup water
    • SUGAR DIP
  • 1 cup Coconut Milk
  • 1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • Cooking Oil for frying

PREPARATION TIME : 10 minutes

COOKING TIME : 15 minutes

1 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.

2 Portion in one teaspoon pieces, then roll each one in a ball.

3 With a bamboo skewer, poke a hole through the rolled dough.

4 Using medium low to low heat, heat up the cooking oil to deep fry the dough ball.

5 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.

6 Once cooked, drain on a paper towel.

7 Prepare the sugar dip by combining the coconut milk and brown sugar in a pan and cook until both are fully incorporated.

8 Roll the carioca in the sugar mixture and skewer about 4 or 5 pieces.

9 Your carioca is ready to serve.


BENG'S 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.

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