Guinatan Halo-halo

warm anise flavored coconut milk sweet 'soup' with jackfruit, assorted root vegetables, glutinous rice balls and bananas; weird ingredients to non-Filipinos but so delicious, and uniquely ours

I was cleaning my overstuffed freezer and found frozen ube, saba bananas and jackfruit. I went out and bought 2 small taro and a small sweet potato, made a few bilo-bilo and voila! Guinatan halo-halo.

Guinatan Halo-halo
1 can coconut milk
4 - 5 pieces ripe jackfruit, cut into strips
1 small sweet potato, diced
2 small taro, diced
1 small ube (purple yam), boiled whole and diced (optional)
5 small ripe saba, sliced
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon anise, optional
pinch of salt
½ cup glutinous rice powder
water

• Prepare the glutinous rice balls by mixing water, 1 tablespoon at a time, with the rice flour to make a very stiff dough (galapong); form into ½-inch balls, set aside.
• In a saucepan, heat the coconut milk and a canful of water, add the taro and sweet potato, cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice balls, saba bananas, jackfruit, anise, sugar and salt. Simmer until cooked. I add the pre-cooked ube in individual soup bowls just before eating because it colors the guinatan a purplish hue. Serve with a drizzle of thick coconut milk, if desired.