It’s time to savor one of Filipino’s most loved cuisines, Tupig, a delightful blend of sweetness that elevates your taste buds. Immerse yourself in this sweet combination of glutinous rice flour and coconut, carefully wrapped in banana leaves, to create a dish that captures Filipino culinary invention. Here is a simple Best Recipe for Tupig.
What Is Tupig?
It is a famous native delicacy from the Philippines, made with glutinous rice flour, coconut water, and coconut strips. It is wrapped in buttered banana leaves and baked over charcoal. In the modern-day, however, some people cook it using an oven.
Locally, Tupig is called Kangkanem or Intemtem. Tupig translates to ‘flattened’ in English, which refers to its shape after grilling. You make the batter by mixing rice flour, salt, young coconut strips, and brown sugar. Thus the a need to include the above ingredients in the Recipe for Tupig to achieve the best taste.
The final mixture shouldn’t be too thick, as this will prevent the cake from cooking evenly. You then wrap it in banana leaves and grill over charcoal until golden brown.
In ancient times, Tupig was served during special occasions like New Year and Christmas celebrations. Today, you can buy or cook Tupig any time of the year. There have also been variations, like adding sesame or chia seeds, strawberries, and other preferred herbs. I prefer my Recipe for Tupig to include these unique variations, mostly cheer seeds for better taste.
The Best Recipe for Tupig
Ingredients
Recipe for Tupig Ingredients
- 1 Young Coconut: Use shredded young coconuts to add a rich nutty flavor to the recipe for Tupig. If you can’t find coconuts, you can use macapuno; its jelly-like flesh adds a punch of sweetness to this dish.
- 400 g Glutinous Rice Flour: The best rice for this recipe is ground glutinous rice. Sadly it’s hard to find in some regions, but don’t stress. Glutinous rice flour works fine, and it is more accessible.
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar: For a brown golden color and sweet flavor, use brown sugar. You can use white vinegar in place of brown sugar.
- 1 Butter: This ingredient gives the Tupig dish a buttery tangy taste. The best substitute for butter is margarine.
- 1 Cup Coconut Milk: The milk gives the dish a nutty sweet flavor and a tantalizing aroma. It’s essential in making the batter.
- 1 Salt: A pinch is enough to balance out this meal’s sweetness.
- 1 Banana Leaves: Tupig is usually cooked while wrapped with banana leaves. Cut the leaves in rectangles and keenly run over a fire to ensure they are pliable.
- 1 Optional Ingredients: Chia or Black Sesame seeds. You can also spice up your Tupig with dry or fresh herbs and seeds of your choice.
Instructions
Preparation Method
- Prepare the banana leaves by cutting them into 6 by 12 rectangles.
- Start by washing the banana leaves to ensure cleanliness
- Combine glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, salt, and coconut strips or macapuno.
- You can add all the other ingredients you like, such as Chia seeds.
- Place the mixture on the banana leaves, leaving enough space on each side to prevent spilling.
- Wrap the fillings completely and seal the edges.
- Place your wrapped Tupig in a charcoal grill and cook for 20 minutes, frequently turning sides
- You can use a pan or oven grill if you don’t have a charcoal grill or if the weather is unfavorable for your outside charcoal grill.
- Remove the wraps once the leaves are charred on both sides. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
- Wilt the leaves by passing them through a fire and set them aside. This is an easy process of making Recipe for Tupig
Notes
Nutrition
How to Serve Your Tupig
- This Philippines-inspired dish can be consumed warm or cold. You can serve it as a dessert with tea, coffee, juice, or a snack.
- Tupig will harden after some time. So, if you have some leftovers, place them in an airtight container or plastic bag and refrigerate for two to three days.
- Use a microwave to reheat the Tupig. Two minutes are enough.
Recipe for Tupig Tips
- You can prepare your glutinous rice flour at home. You will need quality glutinous rice to achieve the best results. To prepare the flour:
- Place the rice in a mixing bowl and pour some water.
- Soak the rice overnight and then drain any excess water.
- Blend the rice using a food processor or a blender until it becomes a fine powder.
- If you use macapuno instead of coconut strips, adjust the amount of brown sugar you use. Bottled macapuno is sweet, and you want to avoid ending up with an overly sweet Tupig.
- If fresh banana leaves are unavailable, you can opt for frozen leaves thawed at room temperature.
- Ensure you keep turning and cooking the dish until the mixture is firm. Open one wrapper to check if the rice cake is well-cooked. It should have a golden brown color when ready.
- Brush the banana leaves with melted butter or vegetable oil to prevent the batter from sticking to the leaves.
Tried this recipe for Tupig? Please share your feedback and pictures with us!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Can I cook Tupig with an oven instead of charcoal?
Without a doubt! You can bake this rice cake in an oven for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Keep on checking the Tupig to prevent burning since it cooks fast.
- Can I use additional ingredients in this recipe for Tupig?
Yes, you can. However, to maintain its native taste and texture, we recommend sticking to the original ingredients.
- What can I serve with Tupig?
You can consume Tupig with your favorite hot or cold drink, such as coffee, milk, tea, or juice. No matter what you pair Tupig with, this flavorsome dish will delight you.