Tambo-Tambo Dessert Recipe

English: Rice-cake making, Thrust the glutinous rice which it was sultry with a mallet, Katori-city, Japan 日本語: 蒸したもち米を杵でつき、餅を作る。 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tambo-Tambo Dessert Recipe with a Twist

The twist meant not all original ingredients are available here in the local Australian market unless my Asian stuff is accessible, which are not always.

“Tambo – Tambo” is an Ilocano term of Glutinous Rice Flour Dessert introduced from the province of Ilocos Sur, north of the Philippines. Filipinos in different provinces have their own name of “Tambo – Tambo” but similar ingredients and way of preparation and cooking. Some terms I found online are “Padarusdus” or “Ginataang Bilo-bilo” and maybe even more from other Filipino tribes. I also figured out that “Tambo” is another Filipino recipe refers to “Bamboo Shoots in Coconut Milk” from Iloilo province. Interestingly the Iloilo term for Tambo – Tambo dessert, they call it “Ginataang Lugaw”. Ginataang Lugaw in Ilocano is a baby food; you only cook the glutinous rice flour in the water like how you cook oats and add your chicken broth or any nutritious soup in it.

Glutinous rice can also be called as Malagkit Rice or Sticky rice in Asia or “diket” in Ilocano dialect.

Occasionally we cook Tambo-Tambo at home in the Philippines for a snack or meal as it inevitably fills your tummy very quick if it’s tasty. One of the reasons it’s fun to make Tambo-Tambo because your kids could easily involve making the glutinous rice balls as the main ingredient. Pardon me with the twist, I have to replace and add other ingredients for this dessert due to ingredients unavailable in the local market.

SERVE it hot or cool. If I'm the cook I won't enjoy it hot, but I enjoy this when it’s cold, my husband enjoys it hot. What about you? Serve it in small amount first so your family or guests can just eat more when they like.

INGREDIENTS:

· 300 to 400 gram of Glutinous Rice flour to make your glutinous rice balls (or ready-made Mochi)

· 1 medium size of Sweet Potato or Yam or Taro

· 2 cups of Raw Buckwheat (Buckwheat does not relate to wheat at all…)

· 2 cans of Coconut Milk (400ml x2) - but fresh coconut milk is better when available!

· 4 tablespoons of Chia Seeds (optional)

· ½ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of Maca Powder

· Pinch of salt

· 1 ½ cups Honey (or 1 ½ cups of Raw Red Cane Sugar or “Tagapulot” depending on your sweet tooth. It’s available in Asian market. Tagapulot or muscovado or barbados or molasses cane sugar -- highly nutritious to mention it, almost the opposite non-benefits of the adulterated table processed white and brown sugar!)

· 1 teaspoon of Vanilla

· 1 teaspoon of Maca Powder (gives more aroma and adding more nutrition) (optional)

· 1 tablespoon of Roasted Sesame Oil (extra aroma and nutrition adding more nutrition)

· 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (optional)

· 3 litres of water

· Extra glutinous rice flour to use this later (always have it on hand)

My missing Ingredient which gives a bit of edge taste, very important if available:

· 2 to 3 cooking banana depending on the size (Dippig banana in Ilocano term although Dip-pig does not relate to the English words “dip the pig”)

· 3 pieces strips of fresh Jack fruit (optional if you use the aromatic cooking banana)

PHOTOS OF INGREDIENTS (just a representation of the ingredients that has been used)

PREPARATION (not exactly in order to be followed):

Mix 1 can of coconut milk with the 400 gram of glutinous rice flour and add more glutinous rice flour until it’s really sticky enough to make balls (like mixing a dough flour not a watery pan cake lol…) Then try to slap as long as you like your ready-made dough on the table to absorb all the coconut milk well.

While you simultaneously cooking the water in your cooking pot, you are also making balls of your glutinous rice or sticky rice flour by using the palm of your hands only.

Dice your sweet potato in cubes about similar size of your glutinous rice balls. After dicing, place the sweet potatoes in the hot water pot together with your Buckwheat until cooked. Stir it occasionally.

I don't have Yam, Taro or Sago so I whisk the Chia Seeds in a bowl in cold water before you add the boiling water later so it won't stick together. Then add the Maca Powder while stirring in your bowl to prevent sticking with your cooking mixtures once you pour them in the pot.

Stir 2 to 3 tablespoons of glutinous rice flour to thicken your dessert soup in a separate small bowl.

COOKING METHOD CHECK:

Boil the 3 litres of water while you add 1 can of coconut milk, the raw buckwheat and sweet potato diced in cubes.
Cook the buckwheat and the Sweet Potato together (Yam, Taro or Sago)
Add the honey or cane sugar (or use Stevia, Maple Syrup as your other options) Taste it to check its sweetening enough.
After the buck wheat and sweet potato are cooked, you can add the prepared glutinous rice balls.
Add pinch of salt only
Add your whisked or stirred Chia seeds and Maca powder (naturally nutritious ingredients)
Add the roasted sesame oil
While cooking all the ingredients in the pot, you may thicken your dessert soup as desired or as needed, not too much.
How to know when your glutinous rice balls are cooked? They will all be floating on top as the photos illustrated above and very soft if you taste it. Warning it's hot - taste it responsibly!

NOTE:
1. How to reheat leftover for the next day? Just reheat on low fire stirring it at all times, add a little amount of water if desired. You'll know when ready once your glutinous rice balls are soften back as it was before.
2. This is gluten-free dessert (Buckwheat does not relate to wheat).

Enjoy your snack :) Any questions of the process above, let me know on the comments below.