This dish was a specialty of my aunt, Atching Gay. She would cook this for our merienda when she visits at my Lolo Dandong's home, my maternal grandfather. It was as if she was feeding an army each time she prepared this--- as all of us cousins were present, and each family still had a to-go Sampelut to enjoy the next day. There was always the bonus Inangit, a sticky glutinous rice cake paired with the Sampelut. It is a comforting dish. One that tells you you're home.
The good thing about this dish is that it can be enjoyed any time of the day, and served either warm or cold.
INGREDIENTS
1 can (13.5 fl. Oz) coconut milk
½ cup coconut cream
½ cup white sugar (you can add more depending on your taste preference)
2 cups Pandan water
3 Saba bananas, cubed
3 yams, cubed (sweet potato, or other tubers)
1 cup jack fruit
¼ cup small tapioca pearls, cooked
¼ cup medium tapioca pearls, cooked
Glutinous rice balls
Pinch of salt
PANDAN WATER
2.5 to 3 cups water
3 Pandan leaves
Boil the pandan leaves in water. Set aside.
GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS
1 cup glutinous rice flour
½ cup water (adjust amount of water depending on the quality of the flour)
Mix flour and water to make a dough.
Pinch a small amount of dough and roll between palms to make a ball 1.5mm in size.
Repeat process until you finish the dough.
(I divided the dough into two, and added 2 drops of ube extract to make ube-flavored glutinous rice balls)
TAPIOCA PEARLS
Boil 3 cups of water. Add the tapioca pearls. Once cooked, rinse in cold water and set aside.
Tapioca pearls are cooked once transparent in color. Above, some tapioca pearls are still white in color--- they need more time to cook.
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir until it comes to a boil.
Add yams and continue stirring. After about 5 minutes, add the bananas. Continue to stir.
You may set the heat on low at this point and let the mixture simmer. Once the bananas are tender, add the glutinous rice balls and the jack fruit.
Continue to frequently stir for the next 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the cooked tapioca pearls.
You can adjust the consistency of the dish by adding more Pandan water if you prefer it soupy.
Season with pinch of salt.
Turn off heat. Serve warm or cold. Pairs well with Inangit.
