#182_Pichi-Pichi

Pichi-Pichi
(They might look like Palitaw, but I assure you these are
Pichi-Pichi in their natural color).

This Philippine kakanin is made with grated cassava (yucca) and
are usually eaten as desserts or as snacks.

If you're in the Philippines or a place where
fresh cassavas are accessible,
fresh grated cassava is used in making this dessert,
but because I don't have that luxury in my neck of the woods,
I used the frozen grated cassava
which is sold in most Asian stores.

Here's the recipe:

1 lb. grated cassava, thawed
1-1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 can coconut cream
1/2 tsp. lye water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
food color, optional (addendum, 9/30/09)

Combine every thing in a bowl then mix well.



Grease molds then fill with the mixture
and then steam for 45 minutes.

Take them out of the molds then coat Pichi2 with grated coconut.

Again, in the Philippines, because of the abundance of coconuts,
we use freshly grated coconut.
Here, I have to settle with this frozen grated coconut
found in most Asian stores.
Do not use dessicated coconut or coconut flakes...not a good idea.

Mag merienda na tayo!!

A note from MaMely:
While making these Pichi-pichi today,
I accidentally discovered another way to make them
without steaming. Isn't that wonderful?
Watch out for my next post!!

AN UPDATE: 9/30/09

A reader e-mailed me saying she thinks these are palitaw and not pichi-pichi. She is right, they sure look like palitaw, but I assure you, these are pichi-pichi in their natural color. I guess we can use some food coloring as they do with the commercial ones.

Click here for the oven-baked method.

#77_Puto Kutchinta or Cutchinta

Puto Cutchinta Topped with Grated Coconut

Another favorite type of

RICE CAKE in the Philippines

Had I known that it is super easy to do, I would have made some of these a long time ago. Truthfully though, not only that I was intimidated to make them but also I have an aversion to using lye solution which is an ingredient that makes the rice cake chewy (makunatty).

But after I overcame these two weird feelings I had which is intimidation (of the process) and aversion (lye water solution), I tried this recipe that a reader of marketmanila, shared.

Then I took some to my friends to taste test. Ohh, they loved them. They said it 's like the kind you buy in Pinas.

I made a little tweak from the original recipe by adding rice flour and using atchuete water instead of atchuete powder:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup rice flour

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

pinch of salt

2 cups atsuete water

1/2 tsp. lye water

Procedure:

First of all, I didn't have atchuete powder or anatto powder. So I boiled some atsuete seeds in the 2 cups water. I strained the liquid through a very fine sieve then I let it cooled. This is my atsuete water.

1) In a bowl, combine together the all purpose flour, rice flour, brown sugar and salt. Blend well
using a wire whisk.

2) Add the atsuete water and stir until smooth. Strain if necessary to remove lumps.

3) Stir in the lye water. Stir well.

4) Fill greased puto moulds with the mixture and steam for 15 minutes. Unmold to platter and serve with grated coconuts on top.

Benjamin, one of our GKids, was going to taste test it, but chickened out!!