Carioca

Carioca with brown sugar glaze are the perfect snack or dessert! These fried rice balls are sweet, chewy, and gluten-free! They're easy to make with only four ingredients and under 30 minutes.

On one of my ritual afternoon phone chats with my mother, she asked what I was cooking for my website. "Carioca," I answered. "What is that?" she asked. I was surprised she didn't know what I thought to be a popular Filipino snack food but proceeded to explain, "Deep-fried glutinous rice balls coated with caramel."

"Ah, tungi tungi!" she exclaimed. I soon realized what caused her confusion, and that is our many Philippine dialects to blame! "Tungi" means skewer in Kapampangan, and carioca is called tungi-tungi in our region as they are commonly sold skewered in bamboo sticks.

Ingredient notes

Like palitaw or Tong But Luck, these sweetened fried sticky rice balls are quick and easy snacks to prepare at home. All you need are four ingredients- sweet rice flour, brown sugar, water, and oil- and 30 minutes to have them ready to enjoy.

• Water and glutinous rice flour- What took a little bit more work was figuring out the right proportions for the dough. After a few tries, I found 1 ½ cups of glutinous rice flour to 1 cup of water ratio to yield the soft and chewy texture I like.
• Oil- For optimal results, use oil with a neutral taste and high smoke point such as avocado, grapeseed, canola, or safflower oil.
• Sugar- Use light brown sugar for a beautiful amber caramel coating.

How to make carioca

1. Combine- Place glutinous rice flour in a bowl and add water. The water absorption varies depending on the brand of flour, so it's best to add the water gradually.
2. Make dough- Stir with a wooden spoon or mix with hands to a soft, pliable dough. The dough should not feel dry or too sticky. If it feels too dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until it is smooth and pliable. If it is too wet, add more glutinous rice flour, a tablespoon at a time.
3. Shape into balls- Scoop one tablespoonful of dough and roll into balls. Using the sharp end of one bamboo skewer, poke through each dough ball to prevent them from "exploding" and lessen hot oil splattering.
4. Deep-fry- Heat oil about 1 inch deep in a wide pan over medium heat. Gently add the balls to the oil and deep-fry until they begin to float. Continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until the outer shell begins to crisp and lightly brown to keep the carioca from collapsing. Remove from the pan, and drain on a wire rack. Set aside.
5. Caramelize- In the same pan, add light brown sugar and cook until liquified. Do not burn the sugar, as it can turn bitter.
6. Coat- Return the carioca balls to the pan and stir until fully coated with caramel. Remove from the pan and drain on a wire rack. Do NOT drain on paper towels, as the sugar coating will stick. Skewer with bamboo sticks, if desired.

Deep-frying tips

• Maintain the optimal temperature of 350 to 375 F during frying. Too low, and the rice balls will absorb more grease. If they are too hot, they will brown on the outside before completely cooking through on the inside, which might cause them to explode.
• Use enough oil so the rice balls are submerged. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry in batches as needed to prevent the oil temperature from plummeting and provide enough space to move the balls freely.

How to serve

• Carioca is delicious as a midday snack or after-meal dessert with tsokolate, coffee, tea, or your favorite cold beverage, such as sago gulaman and melon juice.
• Store at room temperature for about 1 to 2 days. Depending on the ambient temperature, the caramel coating might begin to sweat.
• To keep longer, cover loosely with film and refrigerate. They'll last about 5 to 7 days, but please note that the cold temperature will change the texture from chewy to hard.