Suman sa Morón

This is the third time I made this kind of suman and unlike the previous two [inedible] suman sa moron, this recipe I adapted from here is the best and most probably the most authentic. I'm not from the Visayas region where this type of suman comes from and didn't have them back in the Philippines either. But I can honestly say this recipe makes the most delicious and very soft suman with a strong smoky chocolate flavor (from Antonio Pueo tablea) and this suman is now on our list of all-time favorite Filipino treats. I can't stop eating them; they're great as a snack and for breakfast with barako coffee or hot ginger tea.

Suman sa morón is a cigar-shaped two-toned rice cake made with both glutinous and regular rice flours cooked in coconut milk, sugar, chocolate, and peanuts, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed for an hour. The recipe has julienned cheddar cheese added to the chocolate portion but I omitted it. I don't know the exact amount of chocolate to substitute for the tablea if you can't find them in your area. You can start with 8 ounces of semi-sweet or dark chocolate and just eyeball the color and texture, taste the cooked paste, and adjust to your preference.

Suman sa Morón
½ cup glutinous rice flour
1½ cups regular rice flour
4 ounces whole milk
½ cup sugar
½ cup fine muscovado (raw) sugar, or more to taste
8 chocolate tablea, softened with 2 tablespoons hot water
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups coconut milk, divided
julienned cheddar cheese, optional
banana leaves, cut into 8 x 10-inch pieces
about 4 dozens 5-inch long kitchen strings

• With a wire whisk, thoroughly mix the 2 types of flour and divide equally into two parts.
• In a non-stick wok, place one part of the rice mixture, add the sugar, whole milk, and 1 cup coconut milk. Stir until blended and cook, constantly stirring, on medium heat until thick. It will be lumpy but will become smooth as it thickens. Transfer into a plate and let cool.
• In the same wok, place the rest of the flour mixture and add the remaining one cup coconut milk, muscovado sugar, chocolate, vanilla extract, and peanuts. Mix well and cook over medium heat while constantly stirring. Turn off the heat when mixture starts becoming oily and is smooth. Transfer into a plate and set aside to cool.
• Pass the banana leaves over stove flame to make them supple.
• Take a heaping tablespoonful of the chocolate mixture and place on the banana leaf wrapper. Sprinkle a little cheese, if using, before rolling with the banana leaf covering the mixture and roll into a ¾ inch thick rope. Take a heaping tablespoonful of the plain milk mixture and do the same process. Place the two ropes side by side and roll to form a thicker rope with the two colors fused together.
• Roll the banana leaf to wrap tightly and tie a string at both ends to secure.

• Repeat the process until all of the two mixtures have been rolled and wrapped.
• Steam in rapidly boiling water for 1 hour.

best eaten when hot with a cup or two of strong barako coffee

Kulinarya was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine. Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.

Suman, October's theme, is hosted by Sheryl http://crispywaffle.com/ and Divina http://www.sense-serendipity.com/

Tamalos

tamalo: peanuts, sesame seeds, rice flour, and pork belly in a parcel

While searching in my cookbook Flavours of the Philippines for the Bam-i recipe, I came across the tamalos, a specialty from the same region in the Philippines. These annatto colored, meaty, nutty, and slightly spicy cousins of the Mexican tamales are made with rice flour and wrapped in banana leaves. I've never had this kind of tamale before although I once made another Filipino version that also has peanuts but flavored with coconut milk and shredded cooked chicken.

The preparation of tamalos is quite tedious as there are several steps, not to mention kitchen tools and pans, involved. But I couldn't ignore the yummy ingredients such as peanuts, roasted sesame seeds, and the adobo style pork belly and started imagining what they will taste like. I am not disappointed and although they came out a little bit softer than I would have liked, they are otherwise fantastic! I love the combination of the different flavors of peanuts, sesame seeds, and savory pork belly and the fragrance of banana leaves. Simply delicious.

Tamalos
adapted from Flavours of the Philippines: A Culinary Guide to the Best of the Islands
by Glenda Rosales-Barretto

2 pounds pork belly, skin on
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
1 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
200 grams toasted peanuts
100 grams roasted sesame seeds
2 hot red chili peppers, chopped
4 tablespoons annatto oil (warm 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespons annatto seeds, then discard seeds)
200 grams rice flour mixed with 500 ml water
16 pieces banana leaves, cut into approximately 10-inch square

• Place the pork in a casserole together with 1 tablespoon garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, and 2½ cups water. Bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes, then remove pork from the broth and allow to rest. Slice into 16 portions, return to the broth, cover and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Remove pork and set aside. Discard the bay leaves and reserve broth.
• In a food processor, grind peanuts, sesame seeds, and chili peppers. Add broth in a slow stream to produce a smooth paste.
• In a saucepan, heat the annatto oil and saute briefly the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, then add peanut sesame seed paste and cook, stirring continuously until thick. Add the rice mixture and stir well, then immediately remove from heat.
• For each tamalo, place 2 pieces of banana leaves on a flat surface. Spoon or pour about 170 ml of the rice mixture in the center, add 2 pieces of sliced pork and top with another 100 ml more of the rice paste. Hold the 2 sides of the banana leaves and fold together to secure, then clasp both ends to form a compact parcel. Using kitchen twine or strips of banana leaf, tie a knot at both ends and another crosswise around the middle section. Steam for 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

I didn't mind the time and effort to make tamalos, they're yummy!