The Happy Home Cook: Kanto by Tita Flips' Kwek-Kwek and Taho
/The Happy Home Cook features cherished recipes of Filipino dishes from well-known foodies and contributors. If you have a recipe that you are proud of and would like to share, please send it along with a photo of the dish, your two-sentence bio and your picture to submissions@positivelyfilipino.com.
Kwek-Kwek (Photo courtesy of Kanto by Tita Flips)
Kwek-Kwek
Kwek-kwek are the deep fried quail eggs while “Tokneneng” is the big brother version (deep fried chicken eggs).
Ingredients
12 (or more) quail eggs, boiled and peeled
3/4 cup flour + 1/4 cup for dusting
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 tbs. annatto powder (this what makes it orange)
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil for frying
Procedure
- Put the boiled and peeled quail eggs in ziploc bag together with the 1/4 cup flour and shake them so it is evenly coated.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, annatto powder, salt and pepper until smooth and batter-like.
- Heat oil in a frying pan.
- Coat eggs with batter and fry until golden brown.
- Serve with vinegar dipping. (I used apple cider vinegar with chopped garlic, onions and chili)
Taho
Taho is a snack food made from silken tofu and tapioca pearls. This staple comfort food is popular all over the Philippines, and taho sellers can be found in every town and city.
Ingredients
200 g soya beans
1 liter water
1/2 tsp gypsum powder dissolved in 1/4 cup water - put in a pot with lid
To serve
Sugar syrup
Tapioca pearls
Procedure
Soak the soya beans overnight
Remove skin from the beans and wash
Using a blender, purée the beans with the water
Using a cheesecloth, squeeze milk out from the beans
Boil the strained milk for 10 minutes
Pour the soya milk to the gypsum powder mixture. Do not stir from this point on - just skim the bubbles on the top and discard
Cover and let sit for at least 45 minutes
Scoop into a cup and serve with sugar syrup and tapioca pearls