Native Delicacies of Ilocos Norte

Sapin-Sapin

Multi-colored Sweet Rice Cake  

          Sapin-sapin is a steamed sweet rice cake, with colorful layers of purple, red, yellow and white and topped with toasted coconut.

            This recipe is a mix of the sweet and regular rice flour in coconut milk and flavored with anise seed.

            The mix is then divided into 4, one stays as white, one colored with bright yellow, one in bright red and the last one in deep purple.

            The purple is then flavored with powdered ube (purple yam), but can be optional if not available.

            The challenge is in the steaming, wherein each layer is cooked after another, making sure each one is set solid before each addition.

The topping is made by toasting shredded coconut until golden brown, and then ground coarsely for an even size and appearance.

YOUR SAPIN-SAPIN DESSERT SHOPPING LIST:

• Glutinous OR Sweet Rice Flour
• Rice Flour
• Coconut Milk
• Coconut Cream
• Anise Seed
• Red, Yellow, Purple Food Color
• Ube Powder or Purple Yam Powder (optional)

IN THE PANTRY:

• Sugar
• Vegetable Oil

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cup Glutinous or Sweet Rice Flour
• 1 1/4 cup Rice Flour
• 1 3/4 cup Sugar
• 3 cups Coconut Milk
• 1/4 cup Coconut Cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Anise Seed
• Red, Yellow, Purple Food Color
• 1/4 cup Ube Powder or Purple Yam Powder (optional) 
• 2 cups Shredded Dried Coconut

·         1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1 Mix together the sweet and regular rice flours, sugar and coconut milk, strain until flour is dissolved.

2 Divide the mix into 4, about 1 1/4 cup each bowl.

3 Using yellow food color, put about 8-10 drops on one of the bowls, and mix in 1/4 tsp anise seed. Set aside.

4 Put about 8-10 drops red food color in one of the bowls, then add 1/4 tsp. anise seed. Set aside.

5 Measure 1/4 cup powdered Ube and dissolve in one of the bowls, and add 4-5 drops purple food color. Set aside.

6 Add the coconut cream to the last bowl to make it pearly white.

7 Set the steamer, then prepare 2 pieces 6-inch aluminum foils by brushing the bottom and sides with oil.

8 Starting with purple, pour half of the mix on each of the foils, steam for 7-8 minutes or until set.

9 Then pour yellow, and cook for 7-8 minutes, same with the red and lastly the white.

10 Separately on a shallow pan, toast the shredded coconut until golden brown, then cool down a bit and grind coarsely.

11 To assemble, invert the cooked sapin-sapin cake on a serving plate, divide in 8 and top with coconut bits on center of each slice. Serve extra toasted coconut on the side.

Filipino Creamy Corn Cake

          Pinoy Maja Blanca, or Maja Mais is a creamy corn cake cooked on the stovetop.

          The corn on the maja recipe has since evolved, as originally, maja is just plain, thick, coconut cream squares.

          Some are even paste-like and looks more like the glue used in making bakery paper bags (supot).

          The secret to a good maja is the ingredient you put in it.If you use plain coconut milk, it will taste just like that.

          If, however, you use coconut cream or kakang gata, evaporated milk or heavy cream, you'll get a nice, real creamy, tons of calorie - cake.

          Also, remember not to over-glue... I mean, not to use too much cornstarch.

          Other recipes call for rice or sweet rice flour, but cornstarch is traditional.

          These other flours could make your consistency sticky, just like the Kapit or the sticky Kapampangan dessert.

          Let's talk about the topping. Your options are latik or fried coconut curd, and toasted shredded coconut. It's your choice.

YOUR PINOY MAJA BLANCA SHOPPING LIST:

• Coconut Milk
• Coconut Cream
• Sweet Corn
• Cornstarch
• Shredded Coconut

IN THE PANTRY:

• Sugar

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cans or 3 cups Coconut Milk
• 1 can Coconut Cream or 1 1/2 cupsKakang Gata
• 2 pieces Sweet Corn, cooked and corn shredded off the cob
• 1 cup Cornstarch
• 1 cup Sugar

Topping

• 2 cups Shredded Coconut, liquid extracted, (sapal), then toasted

1 Dissolve cornstarch on coconut milk, then sift.

2 Mix all ingredients together, except the topping and cook over low heat.

3 Stir continuously until thick or about 30 minutes.

4 Transfer to a greased container and even out the top surface.

5 Cool for 30 minutes before spreading toasted coconut on top.

6 Serve cold or at room temperature.

Puto - Filipino Rice Cake

Steamed Rice Cake

            Puto, the Filipino rice cake is made from cooked rice that has been soaked and ground up to make the rice dough or galapong.

            Then coconut milk, sugar and leavening is added before steaming.

            It is pretty much the same as the Chinese's Steamed Rice Cake.

            Making galapong from scratch is quite tedious, so a lot of recipes (including this one below) came up using rice flour, Bisquick, or even any ready-made Waffle mix.

            Though the texture is not as sticky as that when using galapong, the taste still does come close.

            Common leavening agents used are baking powder and active dry yeast. Double-Acting Baking powder gives it either a flower-like or a rounded top, so cooking in individual containers is advisable.

            On the other hand, active-dry yeast leaves the top flat, so it's best to cook in a square pan and then sliced to serving sizes.

            Puto is perfect with Dinuguan, Pancit Bihon or Pancit Palabok

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

• Rice Flour
• Coconut Milk
• Double Acting Baking Powder
• Vanilla Essence(optional)

IN THE PANTRY:

• Sugar
• Butter

6

INGREDIENTS

• 3 2/3 cups Rice Flour (or 1 pound bag)
• 1 can Coconut Milk
• 3 cups hot water
• 4 teaspoons Double-Acting Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence(optional)
• 1 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened

PREPARATION TIME : 10 minutes plus 1 1/2 hour for letting the mix rise.

COOKING TIME :35 minutes

1 Mix together the coconut milk and rice flour. Add the sugar and softened butter.

2 Heat up the water and add to the rice flour mixture. Strain and let it cool down thoroughly.

3 Add the baking powder and vanilla essence and set aside for an hour and a half.

4 Pour the mix on a lined muffin pan up to 2/3 full.

5 Steam for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6 Let it cool down before taking out of the pan.

Cassava Cake Made with Coconut Milk,
Eggs and Butter

This Cassava recipe Filipino style is one of the most popular and enjoyed delicacies orKakanin.

It is made from grated cassava (Kamoteng Kahoy) mixed with coconut milk, eggs, butter and topped with a creamy milk mixture.

The texture of the cake varies with the amount of liquid that is cooked with it.

If the mix is more concentrated and with a lot of the grated cassava, the cooked cake is firmer, more chewy and quite filling.

If the mix is watery and with not a lot of cassava, the texture is soft and spongy.

The cooking time is much longer, though.

This recipe is the latter, well, my family prefers a softer consistency, not to mention the cake stays soft even after refrigeration.

Cassava, or Tapioca is also known around here as Yuca -- usually cooked as fried chips, just like the banana or potato.

They're mixed with other root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, taro, and parsnips, lightly salted and served with a creamy dip.

YOUR CASSAVA RECIPE FILIPINO STYLE SHOPPING LIST:

• Cassava or Kamoteng Kahoy
• Coconut Cream or Kakang-gata
• Coconut Milk
• Butter
• Cheddar Cheese (optional)
• Condensed Milk

IN THE PANTRY:

• Eggs
• Whole Milk
• Sugar
• Salt
• Vanilla Extract

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds Cassava root, grated
• 1 can Coconut Cream
• 1 can Coconut Milk
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 1 stick or 1/2 cup Butter, melted
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 cup grated Cheese (optional)

Topping:

• 1 can Condensed Milk
• 1/3 cup Coconut Cream
• 3 Egg yolks
• 1/2 cup grated Cheese

PREPARATION TIME : 15 minutes

COOKING TIME : 60 minutes

Pre-heat oven at 400 °F

1 Mix together all the cassava ingredients except the topping.

2 Portion the mix into 2 separate baking pans (or one rectangular pan) and pop them in the oven. Bake for 35 - 40 mins or until the top is firm and set.

3 Mix together the topping and simmer for a minute. Set aside.

4 Pour the topping onto the cake and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Test for doneness - please see Cook's Tip below.

5 Let the Cassava Cake cool down for 30 minutes or longer before slicing and serving.

Halayang Ube

        Halayang Ube or Purple Yam Ube dessert is quite common during holidays, townfiesta (feasts) and special occasions.

            The preparation is quite easy, the tedious work is in the mixing on the pan until all the liquid has incorporated into the yam and it's thick and sticky.

          The texture is a little chewy and creamy, and the flavor of the Ube should stand out.

            It is sometimes topped with latik, made from continuously reducing the coconut cream until the remaining curd gets fried from it's own oil.

            Some commercially prepared Halayang Ube use all-purpose flour as thickener.

            e texture is quite different and the Ube taste is not so pronounced so it's easily noticeable.

---

YOUR HALAYANG UBE SHOPPING LIST:

• Ube Root or Purple Yam
• Coconut milk or cream
• Butter
• Condensed milk

IN THE PANTRY:

• Sugar
• Salt

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds Ube Root, boiled and peeled
• 1 can Coconut milk or coconut cream
• 3/4 cup Butter, softened
• 1 can Condensed milk
• 1 1/3 cup Sugar
• pinch of Salt

PREPARATION TIME : 10 minutes

COOKING TIME : 30 minutes

1 Cut the boiled and peeled Ube into 2 inch cubes. Using a potato masher or potato ricer, mash until smooth and no chunks are visible. See Cook's tips below for an alternate process.

2 Mix the ingredients in a pan, leave out 1/4 cup butter.

3 Cook stirring continuously on medium heat until the liquid is reduced and fully absorbed by the yam, about 5-10 minutes.

4 Turn the heat to medium low and continue stirring until you get a very thick consistency.

5 Brush your serving pan or container with remaining butter and spread out the Halayang Ube. The butter will prevent it from sticking to the container.

6 Cool and refrigerate before serving.

Biko Recipe

Sweet Sticky Rice With Fried Coconut Curd Topping

          The Biko recipe here is just one of the ways of making a Filipino sticky rice treat. It's not a tedious process, it's just hard on the arm because of the mixing.

            Biko is the quintessential Filipino native delicacy.

            It is made from glutinous rice that is first partially cooked, then mixed with coconut milk until very thick in consistency.

            The topping is latik or the fried coconut milk curd, set at the center of each slice.

            The amount of latik that you get, say, from every cup of coconut cream or kakang gata is not the same every time.

            You could get from a couple tablespoon to almost a cup, depending on the gata.

            Making the Latik or fried coconut curd gives you a lot of coconut oil that you can apply on your plating dish or banana leaves.

            However, I suggest not to put too much oil - it can be a little overpowering and could sometimes taste like suntan lotion.

The banana leaves, though optional, give this dessert a distinct taste and fragrance.

YOUR BIKO RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:

• Glutinous Rice
• Coconut Milk
• Banana Leaves, optional

IN THE PANTRY:

• Brown Sugar

  

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups Glutinous Rice
• 2 cups Water
• 2 cups Coconut Milk
• 2 cups Brown Sugar

TOPPING

• Latik
• Banana Leaves, lightly heated

PREPARATION TIME : 5 minutes

COOKING TIME : 40 minutes

1 Wash the glutinous rice, set in a pot and add the water.

2 Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to simmer until the liquid is fully absorbed by the rice.

3 On a separate pan over medium heat, dissolve the brown sugar in the coconut milk, let it boil until thick.

4 Add the cooked rice and mix until very thick consistency.

5 To assemble, place the banana leaves at the bottom, and brush with oil, spread the sticky sweet rice on the leaves and flatten evenly.

6 Cut in squares (if using square serving dish) or like a pizza (if on a round dish), spread the latik on the center of each slice.

Sweet Rice Dessert :  Kalamay-Kapit

Sticky Rice Flour in Coconut Milk and Sugar 

This sweet rice dessert is more commonly known as Kapampangan Kapit or Kulambo in Pangasinan, or simply Kalamay in most other regions.

The sweet rice flour is mixed with coconut milk and sugar and stirred to come together.

What you get is like a blob of sticky paste(not quite an appetizing description, I know) and this is the stage where you add the coconut oil from the latik to keep from sticking.

This may look cooked after 5 minutes, but try to keep cooking on the low heat for at least 10-15 minutes so the flour is cooked thoroughly.

Minus the latik and anise seed, this one resembles the texture and taste of the cooked Chinese Tikoy.

YOUR SWEET RICE DESSERT SHOPPING LIST:

·         Glutinous Rice Flour

·         Coconut Milk

·         Anise Seed

·         Banana Leaves(optional)

IN THE PANTRY:

·         Sugar

INGREDIENTS

·         1 1/2 cups Glutinous Rice Flour

·         1 can Coconut Milk (2 cups equivalent), slightly heated

·         3/4 cup Sugar

·         1/2 teaspoon Anise Seed (optional)

·         Banana leaves (optional)

·         1 can Coconut Milk - to make Latik topping

·         Banana Leaves

1 Make the Latik.

2 Mix the flour, coconut milk and sugar, then strain. Add the anise seed.

3 Place the mixture on a non-stick skillet and stir until they come together, about 5 minutes.

4 Turn the heat to low, and add a couple tablespoons coconut oil from the latik.

5 Flatten to 1/4 inch thick and turn or flip over repeatedly every 3-4 minutes, cooking for a total of about 15 minutes.

6 Set on an oiled banana leaf, cut in serving sizes and top with latik.

 

 

 

 

Suman Recipe : Suman sa Lihiya

          This suman recipe, specifically Suman sa Lihiya is a popular treat in Antipolo. Right after a pilgrimage to the famous church, booths of different Kakanin will greet you outside.

Suman sa Lihiya is made with sticky rice flavored with lye water, wrapped tightly in a banana leaf, and boiled for a couple hours.

            The recipe featured here was shared by a colleague, Celeni L. She made the suman from scratch and it tasted great and authentic so I want to share it with you.

            Just like kutsinta, lye water is not an optional ingredient for this recipe --as it's what gives the suman a distinct flavor, and obviously part of the name.

            The preparation is such an easy process, so the only challenge here is the long hours of cooking.

            If you see a recipe saying it takes an hour to two to cook boiling in water, that could not be realistic.

            I was told that it took 5 hours to cook a couple pounds of glutinous rice, but that's a yield of about 20 plus suman.

            If you are making a lot less than that, I suggest you test for doneness after 3 hours of cooking.

YOUR SUMAN RECIPE SHOPPING LIST:

• Glutinous Rice
• Lye Water
• Banana Leaves
• Cotton or any food-safe twine, for tying
• Grated coconut, for dipping

IN THE PANTRY:

• Sugar, for dipping

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups Glutinous Rice
• 1 tablespoon Lye water
• Sugar, for dipping
• Grated Coconut, for dipping
• Banana leaves, prepped for wrapping
• Cotton or any food-safe Twine, for tying

PREPARATION TIME : 30 minutes

SUMAN RECIPE COOKING TIME : 4 - 5 hours

1Wash the glutinous rice flour once, then soak in water. Make sure the rice is fully submerged. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2Prep the banana leaves for wrapping

3Strain the water thoroughly, then add the lye water. The rice should turn yellowish.

4Measure 1/2 cup of rice and put on banana leaves. Fold all ends in tightly to make an approximately 3 x 1 1/2 inch pillow, set aside.

5With the folded sides inwards, tie together 2 pieces, like pictured.

6Set on a big pot and cover with water, bring to a boil and turn the heat down to simmer for at least 3 hours and check for doneness.

7Open one pair and see if the suman is soft and fully cooked. If not, tie it back and return to boil.

8Check every 1/2 hour or so for doneness.

9When done, serve with sugar mixed with grated coconut.

Kutsinta / Cuchinta

Sticky Rice Cake

Kutsinta or Cuchinta is one of the popular Filipino sticky rice cakes, reddish-brown in color, made from rice flour and served with shredded coconut.

I use both glutinous and regular rice flours, dark brown sugar and the key ingredient : Lye water.

Lye water is available in most Asian supermarkets, which is not an optional ingredient for this recipe --it's what gives the Cuchinta it's distinct flavor.

This native delicacy is cooked on a muffin pan, filled just halfway and steamed.

One useful steaming tip here is to be careful not to drip water on the top of the kutsinta, otherwise the top would not set properly.

I usually cover each muffin tray with foil or use a kitchen towel before placing the steamer cover so the towel absorbs all the moisture when I open the cover.

   YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

• Glutinous Rice Flour
• Rice Flour
• Lye Water
• Brown Sugar
• Red Liquid food color
• Grated coconut

IN THE PANTRY:

• Cooking Oil

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup Glutinous Rice Flour
• 1/2 cup Rice Flour
• 2 tsp Lye Water
• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 cup Water
• 1 drop Red Liquid food color
• Cooking Oil for brushing muffin pan
• Grated coconut for dipping

PREPARATION TIME : 10 minutes

COOKING TIME : 25 - 30 minutes

1Heat the water and melt the brown sugar. Do not boil. Add the lye water.

2Mix in the rice flour and glutinous rice flour, dissolve thoroughly.

3Strain to remove lumps, then add the food color.

4Brush the muffin pans with oil and pour the mixture halfway through.

5Steam for 25 minutes or until the top is set when touched.

6Serve with a side of grated coconut.

Palitaw Recipe

This Palitaw recipe is so easy to make and could be done in minutes!

Palitaw or Palitao is a sweet sticky rice dessert made from glutinous rice dough.

The dough is portioned, flattened and shaped like an tongue, then cooked by dropping in boiling water.

Initially, each one will sink to the bottom but once it floats to the surface, that's the indication that it's cooked.

Dredging in fresh shredded coconut will prevent it from sticking together, and a mixture of sugar and toasted sesame seeds or linga is sprinkled on top before serving.

Back home, we would buy the Palitaw served on banana leaves. Women peddlers carry them on a round flat bamboo container on their heads, called bilao.

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

• Glutinous Rice Flour
• Shredded Coconut
• Sesame Seeds

IN THE PANTRY:

• Sugar

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups Glutinous Rice Flour
• 1 cup Water
• 2 cup Shredded Coconut
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Sesame Seeds

PREPARATION TIME : 15 minutes

COOKING TIME : 10 minutes

1 Toast the sesame seeds until light golden brown. Ground or pound as finely as possible. Cool and mix with the sugar. Set aside.

2 Make a glutinous rice dough by mixing the flour and water.

3 Using an ice cream scooper, portion the dough into small balls.

4 Boil a pot of water. Shape each ball into 2 inch cylinder, then flatten to make like an oval shaped disc.

5 Shape each ball into 2 inch cylinder, then flatten to make like an oval shaped disc and drop one by one on the boiling water. Once they float to the surface, scoop them out and dredge on shredded coconut.