If a donut and Japanese mochi had a baby, you'd get something like Filipino karioka (also karyoka or carioca). Like mochi, it has a chewy texture from glutinous rice flour; like a donut, it's deep-fried and rolled in sugar while warm. A common Filipino street food, the sweet snack comes skewered like barbecue, sometimes doused in a brown coconut syrup you might mistake for fishball sauce.
This karioka takes the churro route with cinnamon sugar and cayenne-spiked chocolate dipping sauce. But if you're feeling traditional, you can strip the recipe down for plain (but delicious) karioka. Just ditch the cinnamon and chocolate sauce, then make as directed.
Ingredients
Karioka
- 2 cups glutinous rice flour
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup coconut milk
- vegetable oil, for frying
Spiced Chocolate Sauce
- 1 cup chocolate tablea
- ½ cup whipped cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Make dough: Combine rice flour, desiccated coconut, coconut milk, and water in a bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until a dough forms. With clean hands, form karioka balls by taking a tablespoon of dough and rolling it into a ball. Repeat until all of the dough has been used. Set aside.
Make chocolate sauce: Prepare a pot/saucepan and a bowl that fits on top of it. Combine tablea, cream, and sugar in the bowl. Add water about 1-inch high in the pot/saucepan, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Set the bowl on top of the pot/saucepan. Stir mixture occasionally with a rubber spatula while tablea dissolves. When only a few unmelted chunks of chocolate remain, remove bowl from heat and add cayenne pepper. Stir until smooth and set aside.
Prepare for frying: Heat frying oil in a wok or deep pan to 350°F.
Prepare sugar coating: While waiting for the oil to heat up, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl or tray. Mix and set aside.
Fry karioka: Fry karioka balls, turning if necessary, until golden brown, about 5–7 minutes. Transfer cooked karioka to the cinnamon sugar mixture. Coat each ball evenly with a fork. Serve immediately with spiced chocolate sauce.
