One of the most requested recipes by my readers is Kuchinta. These cakes are a combination of finely ground regular and a small amount of glutinous rice then steamed in small plastic cups. They are best eaten with freshly grated coconut. Food grade lye water is added to the mixture although I'm not sure if it adds to the flavor or texture. If you are concerned about using lye water, clear pandan extract would be a good substitute but the flavor won't be the same.
The lye water (lihia) Filipinos use is watered-down potassium hydroxide made from wood ash. It is not the same as sodium hydroxide which is caustic and thus called caustic soda. In case you're curious or want to make your own lye water, the process is here. Actually, I've seen how it's made. When I was about 10 or 12 years old, I used to watch a neighbor's grandma make lye water with the burnt wood she used for cooking. She gathered the ashes into a gallon jar and added water. Of course, at the time I didn't know it was lye water and what it was used for.
Kuchinta
1¼ cups regular rice
2 tablespoons glutinous rice
2½ cups water
¾ cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons cooked regular rice
1½ tablespoons lye water
2 tablespoons achuete/achiote water
The lye water (lihia) Filipinos use is watered-down potassium hydroxide made from wood ash. It is not the same as sodium hydroxide which is caustic and thus called caustic soda. In case you're curious or want to make your own lye water, the process is here. Actually, I've seen how it's made. When I was about 10 or 12 years old, I used to watch a neighbor's grandma make lye water with the burnt wood she used for cooking. She gathered the ashes into a gallon jar and added water. Of course, at the time I didn't know it was lye water and what it was used for.
Kuchinta
1¼ cups regular rice
2 tablespoons glutinous rice
2½ cups water
¾ cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons cooked regular rice
1½ tablespoons lye water
2 tablespoons achuete/achiote water
- Soak both rice in water overnight. Blend with the soaking water together with the cooked rice in a blender until very smooth. Transfer into a measuring cup and add sugar, achuete, and lye water. Stir until well blended. Fill lightly greased puto/kuchinta cups ¾ full. Place in a steamer, cover, and cook over rapidly boiling water for 15 minutes. Let cool before removing from molds. Serve with grated coconut.
14 comments:
i agree...best served with freshly grated coconut! :)
forgot to add (ang bilis ng kamay ko sa pag-click ng "post comment"), hahaha...
...new template! :)
Oh i love that miss it...happy FF!
thanks for your tip and recipe, i've been wanting to do it...will try soon! have a great weekend! i agre with ms, maiylah, sarap sya with coconut...yum! ginutom ako, isa sa fave ko eto, eh! :)
Maiylah, new template to accommodate ads. heheh
Gengen, thanks.
C, it's easy to eat up half a dozen pieces in one seating; yummy kasi.:)
I tasted this already... but was not aware of the name :-)
this is one of my favorite desserts. my mom used to make and sell this for extra money. she would even grate the coconut herself.
Sidney, it's hard to pronounce.:)
R, your mom uses a coconut grater? That thing looks kinda scary.:)
That is a cool recipe. I never made it with rice. I know it with flour.
Joy, I also thought kuchinta is made with wheat flour until I found this recipe in one of my old cookbooks.:)
Oggi, I haven't made kuchinta yet...thanks for the recipe will definitely try it out=)
Looks great (as usual), Oggi!
kagagawa ko lang kahapon ng kuchinta pero im using rice flour base sa kabilng recipe ... pangit ang dating ng kuchinta ko and it says steam for 45 mins or an hour.. pero bakit dito 15 mins. lng........ cg try ko to baka kasing ganda na nito...
e blend po lahat ng rice with the cooked rice ,regular rice,water,glutinous rice?
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